European Heritage Days, 2025 edition

In Martinique, the European Heritage Days hold a special place. The island, rich in a singular history blending Amerindian, African, European and Asian heritages, has been taking part in the event for several years with growing enthusiasm. The sites open to the public reflect this cultural and architectural diversity: colonial forts, distilleries, former sugar mills, Creole houses, places of memory of slavery, archaeological sites and emblematic religious buildings. Each edition is also an opportunity to highlight oral traditions, music, dances, and local know-how, thus contributing to a 360° visionof heritage: a living, constantly evolving heritage, where past and present meet.

From Friday, September 19 to Sunday, September 21, 2025, Martinique will be vibrating to the rhythm of the European Heritage Days. Whether you're a resident or a passing visitor, this is a unique opportunity to enter places often closed to the public, to explore a new aspect of Martinique.

This major cultural event is much more than a series of tours: it's a plunge into history, architecture, know-how and traditions. Visitors can discover a wide variety of places usually closed to the public: religious edifices, administrative or military buildings, industrial sites, craftsmen's workshops, commemorative sites, and even private homes.

The events are numerous and often designed to appeal to everyone: guided tours, themed tours, demonstrations of know-how, concerts, theatrical performances or even musical walks. Since 2018, the spotlight has been on young people, with specific activities on Fridays aimed at schoolchildren - such as the "Raise your eyes!" or "Les Enfants du patrimoine" operations.

More than just a cultural event, the European Heritage Days are an invitation to discovery, transmission and dialogue between generations. In Martinique, this event takes on a particular resonance, at the crossroads of history, memory and identity.

Created in 1984 at the instigation of the French Ministry of Culture, the initial aim of the European Heritage Days was to open up often inaccessible sites to the public, under the name of "Journées Portes ouvertes des monuments historiques". The principle was simple, but powerful: to protect heritage, you have to make it known.

With the resounding success of the initiative, other European countries soon became interested. In 1985, France proposed extending the concept to the European continent. The Council of Europe formalized this opening in 1991, and the European Union joined in, sharing the objectives of conservation, enhancement and protection of the common heritage.