Every year, the Heritage Days offer a magical break for history, art, and culture enthusiasts. During this special weekend, the 19th and 20th of September 2026, monuments, museums, and historic sites throw open their doors—often free of charge—to unveil their secrets. It’s a genuine invitation to rediscover French heritage in a new light, a rich and enlightening experience.
Mantes-la-Jolie, this charming commune in the Yvelines department, is a veritable historical goldmine. Its history, dating back to Antiquity, is magnificently reflected in its majestic Collégiale Notre-Dame, a testament to Gothic art. Over the centuries, Mantes-la-Jolie has witnessed the birth of major events, lively trade fairs and legends that continue to fascinate visitors and residents alike.
So why is Mantes-la-Jolie a must-visit during the Journées du Patrimoine 2026 ? Simply because it's a rare opportunity to wander its picturesque lanes, explore its historic monuments, and soak up an atmosphere rich in stories and traditions. Between workshops, guided tours and reenactments, Mantes-la-Jolie promises an immersive and unforgettable heritage experience!
Municipal Archives
Discovery tour of the municipal archives
Visit to conservation facilities, a briefing on endangered archives, and on restored documents—including sealed items—that have just returned from the workshops, followed by the mini-exhibit "Archives, a Heritage Constantly at Risk".
Participation requirements: Free | Reservation required - 0134788660, reservation.patour@manteslajolie.fr
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Abel Lauvray Arts Center
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Social Community Center for Artists and Doctors
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Saint-Jacques Chapel
Performance "Nellie Bly's Around the World" with Freikopf
Merging circus, theater, song and music, the mantaise circus company Freikopf draws on the figure of pioneering journalist Nellie Bly, famed for traveling around the world solo in 1889. Through her investigations and journeys, Nellie celebrates freedom, challenges conventions, and exalts the power of women. In inventive staging, accompanied by original songs and with the knowing gaze of Frédérique Flanagan, Freikopf turns Nellie’s voyage into a poetic and bold adventure—a modern tale, an ode to dreams and emancipation, for audiences of all ages.
Participation requirements: Free | Booking required - 0134788660, reservation.patour@manteslajolie.fr
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 10:00–10:45
Notre-Dame Collegiate Church
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
La Dalle du Val Fourré
Shows on the Val-Fourré Slab
10-11 a.m.: A performance by La Troupe Citadine, paying tribute to Mantes-la-Jolie’s heritage through several historical episodes: the construction of the Collegiate Church, Henry IV and Gabrielle d'Estrées, May ’44 and the bombardments, and the grandparents' arrival in Val-Fourré.
11 a.m.-12 p.m.: The Lycaon Association and Saïd Bahij present a theatrical urban tale titled "I Arrive in Mantes, My Beautiful," along with an artistic mediation around Claude Bertin’s works drawn from the exhibition "Val-Fourré Tourist Office."
Conditions of participation: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00–11:00, 11:00–12:00
Sainte-Anne Church in Gassicourt
Discovering Sainte-Anne Church: a Guided Tour
Situated near the Seine, Sainte-Anne Church dates back to the 11th century. It was built in the village of Gassicourt and belonged to the Cluniac priory of Saint-Sulpice. Inside, it houses notable carved wooden stalls and 13th-century stained glass donated by Saint Louis and Blanche of Castile. The church was designated a Historic Monument in 1862.
Participation requirements: Reservation required | Free - 01 34 78 86 60, reservation.patour@manteslajolie.fr
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Great Mosque of Mantes-la-Jolie
Discovering the Grand Mosque
The mosque, a space of spirituality and study, is also a living hub of life and culture, weaving rich connections. Inaugurated in July 1981, the Grande Mosquée de Mantes embodies a restrained neo-Moorish style, the result of a collaboration between two architects—one French, the other Moroccan. It stands among France’s earliest buildings erected for Muslim worship.
A guided tour awaits you, followed by a discussion over mint tea and Maghrebi pastries.
Come and admire mosaics from the Briare factory in Loiret, a benchmark in industrial art, laid by a master craftsman brought specially from Morocco. You’ll pass through the nave to reach the mihrab, the niche oriented toward Mecca, and the minbar, the carved wooden pulpit used during Friday prayers.
A calligrapher among us will sketch your name in Arabic script, giving you a lasting memory of your visit to the Grande Mosquée de Mantes.
Participation conditions: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Sunday, 20 September 2026 - 09:00 ⤏ 12:00, 14:00 ⤏ 17:00
Duhamel Media Library
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Hôtel Dieu Museum
Giant Cluedo
Presented by the company Il était une fois l’histoire, this immersive experience invites participants to lead the investigation at the heart of the Collégiale Notre-Dame. Through clues, encounters and puzzles, both young and old uncover the history of Mantes-la-Jolie, its characters and its heritage while stepping into the shoes of real investigators. A playful, interactive way to explore the past and gain a deeper understanding of life in the Middle Ages.
Participation requirements: Free of charge | Reservation required - 0134788660, reservation.patour@manteslajolie.fr
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Performance "Other Ladies" by the Et Caetera Company
Created especially for the Notre-Dame Collegiate, Autres Dames invites audiences to rediscover this stone, light-filled, uplifting space through music, opera singing, and contemporary dance. By occupying the space and blending with its architecture, the Company Et Caetera gives voice and body to a living witness of the city’s history and its people.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Guided tour of the Notre-Dame Collegiate Church
Nestled in the heart of the city’s historic district and enclosed by the walls of an ancient medieval castle, the Collegiate Church towers over Mantua’s landscape. Its architectural kinship with Notre-Dame de Paris lends it a singular prominence.
The visit offers a chance to discover its elegant stone-and-light composition from the early Gothic era. There will be exceptional access to the galleries and to the lapidary repository.
Participation requirements: Free | Booking required - 01 34 78 86 60, reservation.patour@manteslajolie.fr
Schedules: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM, 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Place Saint-Maclou
Heritage Village
All weekend: Friends of the Mantois — introduction to the association.
All weekend: Club Lafayette — overview of the association and heritage-related scale models.
All weekend: Bulles de Mantes — introduction to the association and a comic-book author signing on Saturday afternoon.
All weekend: Label Mantes — products bearing the city’s image; Label Mantes highlights local production.
Sunday — Stand detailing the association’s barn owl protection activities (pamphlets, photos, a display nest box) + skein workshop.
All weekend — The Foundation for Heritage will be on site to raise awareness about safeguarding heritage, especially the Notre-Dame Collegiate Church.
Saturday — Come meet the Society for the Study of Natural Sciences of the Mantois and Vexin.
All weekend — Heritage stand, heritage mediation games (Heritage Memory, 7 families, historical cocottes, puzzles...) and a mini-exhibition "Archives, a heritage constantly at risk."
Participation terms: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026, 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Tales and performances at the foot of Saint-Maclou Tower
Saturday, 2-3 pm: Mantais tales in music with storyteller Eleonore, for young and old.
Sunday, 2-3 pm: Concert with the Et Caetera choir.
Sunday, 3-4 pm: Performance by La Troupe Citadine, a tribute to Mantais heritage through several historical episodes: the construction of the Collegiate Church, Henry IV and Gabrielle d'Estrées, May ’44 and the bombardments, and the grandparents' arrival at Val-Fourré.
Entry requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, 19 September 2026 – 14:00–15:00 | Sunday, 20 September 2026 – 14:00–16:00
Clos des Vieilles Murailles cellars
Visit to the Clos des Vieilles Murailles Chai
Visit to the troglodyte cellar and the heritage vines recently planted in the park (the Closerie des Cordeliers) during the bottling of our wines.
Overview of our activities and the viticultural history of the Seine Valley. Abel Lauvray Center - 1 Quai de la Vaucouleurs, 78200 Mantes-la-Jolie
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Square Brieussel
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Protestant Temple in Mantes-la-Jolie
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Tour itineraries :
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Happy Heritage Days in Yvelines!
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Dates and Opening Time
From September 19, 2026 to September 20, 2026
Location
Mantes-la-Jolie
mantes-la-jolie
78200 Mantes la Jolie
Route planner
Accessibility info
Prices
Free
Official website
www.manteslajolie.fr
