Every year in September, the Heritage Days are staged across several European countries. This essential cultural appointment offers a real bon plan for art and history enthusiasts, as well as for curious minds eager for ever more discoveries. For, over a weekend, the monuments, museums, castles and places normally closed to the public open their doors and reveal a compelling itinerary of often free visits and activities designed to help you (re)discover European heritage in a different light.
Paris and the entire Île-de-France won’t miss this chance to unveil their finest treasures! While the City of Light remains ever in the spotlight, the Heritage Days are also the perfect moment to set off to explore the Île-de-France region, notably Essonne, where a rich programme awaits you, on September 19 and 20, 2026.
This time, we’re taking you within easy reach of Navigo, in the city of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, where many monuments throw open their doors for the Heritage Days. You’ll have the chance to plan an entire day in this commune whose rich heritage is sure to charm you! Here, we literally travel back in time through monuments that represent many eras. So, ready to discover the program for this new edition?
Russian Cemetery
Guided tour of the Russian cemetery
The world's largest cemetery of Russian émigrés, with more than 5,200 graves, counting notable names like dancer Rudolf Nureyev, Prince Felix Yusupov (the man who killed Rasputin), Nobel laureate Ivan Bunin, and many others.
By Jean-Pierre Lamotte and Pascal Montchâtre of the Friends of the History of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois.
Meet at the entrance gate on the parking side of the nautical center, Léo Lagrange Street
Participation conditions: Limited to 30 people. Booking required | Free - 07 45 10 40 06
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 10:00 ⤏ 12:00, 15:00 ⤏ 17:00 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 – 10:00 ⤏ 12:00, 15:00 ⤏ 17:00
The pool opposite
Music Flea Market
In this historic venue, now reborn as a cultural third space hosting, among other things, rehearsal studios, a music school, and dance parties, the musical flea market takes on a distinctive character. Between echoes of the past and contemporary music, it becomes a true hub for meeting and sharing around sound.
Designed as a living space, it resonates with the afternoon’s dance-hosted visit: for one day, the different projects within the third space cross, respond to each other, and transform. Visitors will be able to discover the place through a multi-faceted experience where music, movement, and heritage converse—even within the former basins.
Whether you’re looking for an instrument, a vintage treasure, or simply a convivial atmosphere, let yourself be carried away by this musical rendezvous at the heart of a revisited heritage.
Participation requirements: Information and registration via email to accordmajeur.contact@gmail.com - Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
The pool across the way, reimagined: a dance-guided tour
If you’re into striking architecture and dance, this tour is for you. The distinctive spaces of La Piscine d’En Face will come alive through the presence and movements of Micro-Sens dancers, who will inhabit the pools, walkways, and even the most tucked-away corners, inviting you to experience the venue in a vivid, living way. A tour full of surprises that evolves into a roaming performance.
Participation requirements: Free of charge | Booking required - direction@piscinedenface.fr
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
The Keep
Guided Tour of the Donjon
The Donjon, a substantial early-17th-century tower that has survived to today, remains, with its adjacent outbuildings, the sole witness of what might have become a miniature Versailles.
By Isabelle Ploton and Patrick Hottot of the Friends of the History of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois
Participation rules: Limited to 17 participants - Free | Booking required - 07 45 10 40 06
Hours: Friday, September 18, 2026 — 10:00–11:30, 14:00–15:30, 16:00–17:30 | Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00–11:30, 14:00–15:30, 16:00–17:30 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00–11:30, 14:00–15:30, 16:00–17:30
Pablo Neruda Park
Exhibition “Deus ex Urbana – Pierre Châtel-Innocenti”
Having already been shown in a gallery and then at Espace Brel, the exhibition Deus Ex Urbana is now unfolding outdoors in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois. Based on photographs taken in Île-de-France and expanded for this second phase with new images from the Génovéfain area, Pierre Châtel-Innocenti imagines, with the help of artificial intelligence, plausible transformations of our urban landscapes in response to climate disruption.
Between documentary photography and speculative fiction, the show invites you to see the familiar city in a different light: not as a static backdrop, but as a living, fragile heritage in flux. Presented in public space, it opens a universally accessible dialogue about architecture, the environment, and the possible futures of the places we call home.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation
Hours: Friday, 18 September 2026 — 08:00 to 20:00 | Saturday, 19 September 2026 — 08:00 to 20:00 | Sunday, 20 September 2026 — 08:00 to 20:00
Stalingrad Square
Unveiling of a plaque marking a historic monument
You’ve probably walked past Royal Milestone No. 13 countless times without noticing it. Recently highlighted by the Stalingrad Square redevelopment, the royal milestone will now bear a Historic Monument plaque. Adorned with a fleur-de-lis, it marked the distance in half-leagues to the Palace of Versailles.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Gérard Philipe Hall
The Gérard Philipe venue opens its doors
Take a backstage tour at the Gérard Philipe venue and see what remains unseen during a performance. A short tour will be offered by the cultural services team during the Zicos troupe’s rehearsals.
Participation terms: Booking is recommended as the tour will be conducted in small groups at the designated time slots (01 69 51 51 31). Free of charge | Booking required - 01 69 51 51 31
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Heritage at stake
Explore the city’s history and its evolution across the centuries through a playful session that blends a card game with constructing a collaborative model.
Participation requirements: Adults and children aged 8 and up — 15 people per session — Free | Booking required — 01 69 51 51 31
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Dates and Opening Time
From September 19, 2026 to September 20, 2026
Location
Sainte-Geneviève des Bois
sainte-geneviève des bois
91700 Sainte Genevieve des Bois
Route planner
Accessibility info
Official website
www.sgdb91.com
