Every year in September, the Heritage Days are almost a ritual, a tradition for the French: and with good reason, as it's the opportunity to discover for the very first time places that are only open on this one weekend of the year. Churches, cathedrals, monuments, museums, historic sites, ministries...
Numerous cultural (and non-cultural) sites open their doors for the occasion, offering guided tours, events and self-guided visits to the specially-attended public. While Paris is best known for its Journées du Patrimoine, the rest of the Île-de-France region is not to be outdone, with some very fine offerings and a lesser-known but just as exceptional heritage.
In the department of the Seine-Saint-Denis, the town of Aubervilliers might not be the first place that comes to mind for Heritage Days tours, but appearances can be deceiving: the city hides a wealth of treasures and historic monuments to (re)discover during these Journées Européennes du Patrimoine 2026. So here it is: we’re unveiling the detailed program of visits and activities planned for these 43e Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, on the weekend of 19 and 20 September 2026!
Heritage Days 2026: Explore the National Institute of Heritage in Aubervilliers this Saturday
Discover a premier French grande école at the heart of culture, and a strikingly unconventional building, by visiting the Institut national du Patrimoine in Aubervilliers. Visitors are invited to attend the open house on Saturday, September 19, 2026, during the Journées du Patrimoine. [Read more]
Hangar of the Poetic Commandos
Ceremony of the Deposit to Aubervilliers’ World Municipal Poetic Treasury
As every year, European Heritage Days are the showcase in which we mobilize all our energy to celebrate this living, patrimonial achievement that is unique in the world: the Municipal World Poetic Treasure of Aubervilliers. Today it shelters nearly 1,600 texts in 128 different mother tongues!
During this Versement Day, the poetic words gathered over the year will be ritually laid in the Treasure’s grand volumes, to be safeguarded within the Municipal Archives.
A privileged moment to honor the collective memory being written here!
For this 13th Versement ceremony, come and:
- Discover the residents of Aubervilliers’ poetic texts,
- Listen to lullabies and songs from around the world,
- Calligraph and translate poetry to help the Treasure grow,
- Meet the people who make Aubervilliers’ living heritage,
- Celebrate the languages and the poetic pride of our world-city!
Conditions of participation: Throughout the day, free admission open to everyone!
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
City Hall
Aubervilliers and La Courneuve: Between Transformation and Resilience — Guided Tour
Driven by industrial growth, Aubervilliers and La Courneuve expanded at the pace of factories, warehouses, and major thoroughfares. These urban landscapes have gradually evolved, reshaping how people live and use the city. Yet behind the reconstructions and scale shifts, many traces of this history remain etched in the buildings and on the streets.
From Aubervilliers City Hall to La Courneuve’s, via Boulevard Anatole-France, Crèvecœur Street, and Zola Market, join Anouk Colombani to uncover a heritage that’s often overlooked, a testament to the area’s industrial and working-class past. Art Nouveau and Art Deco façades, meulière houses, workers’ cottages, the Mécano factory turned Aimé-Césaire Media Library, Champagnole steelworks, or the Stars cinema—all of them tell the many lives of a territory that continually reinvents itself. This stroll invites you to see how working-class memories continue to shape local identity.
Meet between Aubervilliers Town Hall and Notre-Dame des Vertus Church, in front of Le Centre Café.
Participation conditions: Admission is free, but reservation is required. Capacity is capped at 20 participants. - Free | Reservation required - https://www.pop-plainecommune.com/les-visites-guidees-de-lagence-pop/, https://exploreparis.com/fr/
Schedule: Saturday 19 September 2026 — 14:30 to 16:30 | Sunday 20 September 2026 — 14:30 to 16:30
Former match factory, headquarters of the French documentation service
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Carbon 17
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Regional Conservatory of Music (CRR 93) Jack Ralite
Jade Tournes' Personal Project: The Retrograde Party
The Retrograde Boom was commissioned by the Absence collective to close Présences Off festival at the Maison de la Radio.
Structured in nine movements, it blends a section played over loudspeakers with live improvisations performed on turntables.
The piece draws on a real incident: during a concert at the Maison de la Radio, a pogo caused the Agora floor to collapse, though no serious injuries occurred. Building on that episode, the composer envisions a “boom where dancing is forbidden.” Yet the music ultimately wins out: dancers defy the rule and are swept into a fantastical journey through the building’s subterranean levels, gradually surfacing again.
Through this unusual narrative, The Retrograde Boom explores the boundaries between electroacoustic music, electronics, pop, and improvised sound, in a work where groove, rhythm, and listening take center stage.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Screening of Sophie Comtet's film, The Turn of a Landscape
Introducing Canal Saint-Denis, a turning point in the landscape—a film, photography and writing project led by Sophie Comtet Kouyaté, in collaboration with Marie-Astrid Adam and the entire Grand Village team.
Launched in 2019 and coming to a close at the start of 2026, this project traces a human and artistic journey at the heart of the changes along the Canal Saint-Denis and its residents, in a territory undergoing rapid transformation, especially as the Olympic Games and the Grand Paris project approach.
Participation conditions: Free admission - No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Espace Renaudie
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Fort d'Aubervilliers
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
National Heritage Institute
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Jardins ouvriers des vertus
Visit to the Vertus workers' gardens in Aubervilliers
Guided tour of the Vertus workers' gardens, located north of the Aubervilliers fort, the last remnants of the Vertus plain that once fed Paris. These nearly century-old gardens were reduced by 4,000 m2 in 2022 to make way for an Olympic pool. A new nearby real estate project near the future Grand Paris Express Line 15 station threatens another 2,300 m2 of green spaces.
This tour will be a chance to wander through the gardens, share time with the gardeners, and shed light on past struggles and those still to come.
During Saturday’s visit, the public will be able to hear from members of the European project "Greenher" about the gardens and the current dynamics at play.
Access: entrance at the intersection of Avenue Aimé Césaire and Avenue de la Division Leclerc
Terms of participation: Free
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
La plaine Saint-Denis
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Le Point - Fort d'Aubervilliers
130th Festival of Family Gardens — The Association Village
🎉 In 2026, the National Federation of Family and Collective Gardens marks its 130th anniversary.
🌱 130 years of social, ecological, and human commitment
👩🌾 Powered by gardeners from all across France
To mark the occasion, the Federation is hosting a friendly, public-facing day for everyone to enjoy.
Program highlights:
* The association village from 10:00 to 20:00: come explore the stands of family gardens, laureates, and partners who will share their stories, talents, initiatives, and above all... gardening! A focus zone will be set up to cover topics related to family gardens: biodiversity, seeds, land pressure, and much more. A treasure hunt to explore the festival while having fun, a raffle, and kids’ workshops and creative activities are also on the agenda.
Participation conditions: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
130th Festival of Family Gardens
🎉 In 2026, the National Federation of Family and Collective Gardens marks its 130th anniversary.
🌱 130 years of social, ecological, and human commitment
👩🌾 Led by gardeners across France
On this occasion, the Federation is hosting a friendly day of activities open to the public.
Agenda:
🏠 Exhibition Village: family garden groups, the federation, partners, institutions...
🧑🌾 Gardening workshops
💬 Talks and exchanges on practices in family gardens (water, soil, tools…)
🏅 Ceremony for the Trophies of the Coin de Terre
🌱 Tour of the Fort d’Aubervilliers Family Gardens (120 years old),
And many more exciting surprises to come! 🎊
Conditions of participation: Free of charge
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
The 130th - Festival of Family Gardens - Guided tours of Pantin's Gardens and a tree-planting ceremony
🎉 In 2026, the National Federation of Family and Community Gardens marks its 130th anniversary.
🌱 130 years of social, ecological, and human commitment
👩🌾 Led by gardeners across France
For this occasion, the Federation is organizing a friendly public day open to everyone.
On the program:
* A guided stroll through the garden paths, with historical context on how family gardens have evolved. And the planting of a tree among the 130 already planted nationwide to celebrate our history, while boosting biodiversity and highlighting the value of shared spaces
🕐 Departures at 10:30, 14:30 and 17:00 for a one-hour visit
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:30–11:30, 14:30–15:30, 17:00–18:00
130th Festival of Community Gardens: Interview with Rémi Kulik
🎉 In 2026, the National Federation of Family and Community Gardens marks its 130th anniversary.
🌱 130 years of social, ecological, and human commitment
👩🌾 Driven by gardeners across France
To mark the occasion, the federation is hosting a friendly, open-to-all day for the public.
Agenda:
* A talk from 3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: “ The Forest Gardens” with Rémi Kulik,
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 10:30–11:15
130th Festival of Family Gardens – Trophy Ceremony
🎉 In 2026, the National Federation of Family and Community Gardens marks its 130th anniversary.
🌱 130 years of social, ecological, and human commitment
👩🌾 Led by gardeners across France
To mark the occasion, the Federation is organizing this family-friendly day open to the public.
On the agenda:
* Trophies Ceremony Coin de Terre from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: the trophies highlight recent or ongoing garden projects across the country. Come and see the final ranking of the winners in the five categories at stake.
Participation requirements : Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:30 AM–12:30 PM
130th Festival of Family Gardens: Session “Gardening Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”
🎉 In 2026, the National Federation of Family and Collective Gardens marks its 130th anniversary.
🌱 130 years of social, ecological and human commitment
👩🌾 Led by gardeners across France
To celebrate, the Federation is organizing a friendly, public-friendly day open to everyone.
On the agenda :
* Grand debate from 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.: “Gardening Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”
With Ophélie - Ta Mère Nature, author and filmmaker renowned for her work on urban agriculture; she also runs a neighborhood nursery at Cité Fertile (93)
And Philippe Collignon, a gardener in a community garden, and a television commentator on France 2 and France 3 (Télématin, C'est au programme...), as well as an author of several books.
Participation terms: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 3:15 PM
130th Festival of Community Gardens: Interview with Blaise Leclerc
🎉 In 2026, the National Federation of Family and Collective Gardens marks its 130th anniversary.
🌱 130 years of social, ecological and human commitment
👩🌾 Led by gardeners across France
To celebrate, the federation is organizing a friendly day open to the general public.
Schedule:
* Meeting from 3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: “ An almost waterless vegetable garden” with Blaise Leclerc,
Doctor of agronomy, gardening expert and author of several works on sustainable gardening and agriculture.
Participation conditions: Free of charge | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 3:45 PM to 4:30 PM
Al Ansar Mosque
Tour of the Al Ansar Mosque
We welcome you to the Al Ansar Mosque for a self-guided tour.
Terms of participation: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM
La Fraternité Mosque
Visit to the La Fraternité Mosque in Aubervilliers
We invite you to take a self-guided tour of the La Fraternité Mosque in Aubervilliers.
Participation terms: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Poush
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Maladrerie district
Renée Gailhoustet's Maladrerie in Aubervilliers
Only later recognized, Renée Gailhoustet’s work extends beyond her Ivry-sur-Seine projects with Jean Renaudie. In Aubervilliers she also built a distinctive, almost singular working-class quarter, notable not only for its architecture but also for its innovative urbanism and its artistic and landscape dimensions. Erected amid a drive to resolve the slum housing of the 1970s and 1980s, this original ensemble — mixing individual and collective housing, artist studios, a residence for seniors, and cultural facilities — is conceived as a cohesive whole by the architect and the collective she worked with, bringing together architects and visual artists.
Participation requirements: Open to visitors aged 15 and up — reservations required — https://exploreparis.com/fr/6511-la-maladrerie-de-renee-gailhoustet-a-aubervilliers-journees-du-patrimoine.html
Hours: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Villa Mais d'Ici
La Villa Mais d'Ici: an industrial heritage reimagined through artistic creation
La Villa Mais d'Ici opens the doors to its former factory, reborn as an artistic workshop since 2003. This industrial heritage, today devoted to contemporary creation, has become a hub for transmission, cooperation and artistic experimentation in the heart of Aubervilliers.
The public is invited to discover the collective exhibition by the resident artists, built around the theme of the machine, as well as the artistic parcours “What Are You Machines?”, the outcome of an artistic-practice project conducted with residents since the spring.
Installations, performances, works and collective creations will punctuate a stroll through the Villa’s spaces, offering a sensory glimpse of the place, its history and the people who animate it daily. The exhibition runs all week and will particularly welcome school groups. The route will conclude with a festive moment open to everyone.
### Programme
Friday, September 18
Opening night dedicated to school groups.
Saturday, September 19
Opening of the resident artists' collective exhibition, followed by a convivial and festive gathering.
From September 20 to 25
The exhibition is accessible by appointment, accompanied by guided visits of Villa Mais d'Ici, the former factory turned artistic workshop, with a privileged welcome for school groups.
Saturday, September 26
Closing of the exhibition and presentation of the project “What Are You Machines?” through an artistic parcours in the Villa mixing installations, performances and collective creations, followed by a festive moment open to all.
Detailed programming and timings are being confirmed.
Participation conditions: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 11:59 PM
Long live JEP in the 93!
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Dates and Opening Time
From September 19, 2026 to September 20, 2026
Location
Aubervilliers Town Hall
2 Rue de la Commune de Paris
93300 Aubervilliers
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