The Journées du Patrimoine is the not-to-be-missed September event in Paris and the surrounding region. It's a great way to discover our heritage treasures from a different angle, with a rich program of guided and self-guided tours, events and workshops designed for all ages, including the very young ! A wide range of venues, including museums, monuments and castles, major institutions, ministries and much more, are taking part. Every year, the Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days ) deliver their share of unusual outings,exceptional openings and beautiful walks.
Are you on the Hauts-de-Seine side? Good news: you probably have a great lineup nearby! This time, we’re taking you to Courbevoie, just behind the La Défense district (which partly lies within this town). Nestled at the edge of Paris and easily reachable by public transport, Courbevoie unfolds during the Heritage Days with several guided visits at different sites around the city. Want to uncover its treasures? Here’s the rundown on the events program awaiting you for the 43rd edition scheduled for the weekend of September 19–20, 2026!
This pavilion, with an oriental-palace flair, invites you to the 2026 Heritage Days.
A relic of the 1878 World’s Fair, the Pavilion of the Indies stands out as an unconventional building in Courbevoie. Discover this hybrid oriental palace during Heritage Days 2026, on the weekend of September 19–20! [Read more]
Heritage Days 2026 at the former Malraux School in Courbevoie
Discover the career of an art restorer
Did you know that the monumental paintings in the Saint-Pierre Saint-Paul church in Courbevoie are currently undergoing restoration? Meet Charlotte Despagne, an art restorer specializing in painting, who will explain the interventions she is conducting on these canvases. What restoration steps, which products, and what intervention choices will be used to bring them back to life—while ensuring that every action is reversible and in keeping with the ethics of her highly respected profession.
Participation requirements: Free, by reservation - Free | Reservation required - l.hubert@ville-courbevoie.fr
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 11:00–12:00
Heritage Days 2026 at Courbevoie's Les Violettes Library
A day in violet season
One hundred and ten years ago, Queen Nathalie of Serbia visited the girls’ institute housed at Larivière Castle. Come relive the history of their artificial-flower workshop by taking part in a fabric-flower making initiation led by “Fairy at the Castle,” in the afternoon by advance registration. In the evening, discover the origin of the nickname “the Castle of Violets” and the story of the girls’ institute during a talk by Mr. Accart of SHC, punctuated by a demonstration of floral millinery by “Fairy at the Castle.” The lecture will be followed by a dance performance in historical costumes organized by the D.A.M.E.S. association with the participation of “Voyage to the 19th Century.”
Participation conditions: Free, registration required, limited seats - Free | Booking required - l.hubert@ville-courbevoie.fr
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Heritage Days 2026 at Courbevoie's Faubourg-de-l'Arche Cultural Center
Photo Embroidery Workshop
Join a creative fusion of photography practice and a genuinely original workshop: embroidery on photographs, offered by the LAACI association (Les Ateliers Artistiques et Créatifs de l'Image). Meet at the Faubourg-de-l’Arche cultural center at 3:00 p.m. for an overview of the workshop, followed by an hour of shooting in La Défense guided by Lucy Winkelmann, a visual artist and photographer, before you dive into 2 hours of embroidery on photos. No equipment needed, and the session welcomes absolute beginners as well as seasoned stitchers, kids as adults.
Participation conditions: Free with registration - Free | Reservation mandatory - l.hubert@ville-courbevoie.fr
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Heritage Days 2026 at Courbevoie's Horticultural Center
Guided tour of Courbevoie's vineyards
Courbevoie was once part of a thriving wine country. From the Middle Ages, the region produced enough wine to feed itself, but production waned as industry arrived and covered more and more of the land. In 1956, the city finally embarked on a preservation effort to revive this bygone craft, replanting vineyards to bring Courbevoie’s wine heritage back to life. Since then, the vines have continued to grow, yielding a small local vintage each year. On the occasion of the European Heritage Days, a guided tour of the vineyards—normally closed to the public—offers visitors a rare glimpse into a real Île-de-France vineyard and the particularities of urban grape cultivation.
--> A tour at 10:00 and a tour at 14:00 (each lasting about one hour)
Participation terms: Free, registration required - Free | Booking required - l.hubert@ville-courbevoie.fr
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00–11:00, 14:00–15:00
Heritage Days 2026 at Courbevoie’s Fauvelles Cemetery
Themed tour of the Fauvelles Cemetery: in search of aviators' graves
Let's blend natural heritage with the rites of remembrance in a themed tour of the Fauvelles Cemetery. Courbevoie, once the most industrial city in the Hauts-de-Seine at the dawn of the 19th century, explains why so many figures from that sector were laid to rest here. The Courbevoie Historical Society invites you on a distinctive route that marries funeral art, nature, and industrial history: “In Search of Aviators’ Graves.” Wander through this beautifully treed cemetery, guided by Bernard Accart, the association’s president, who will spotlight the graves of some of aviation’s geniuses from bygone eras.
Participation conditions : Free, subject to registration - Free | Mandatory reservation - l.hubert@ville-courbevoie.fr
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Heritage Days 2026 at Courbevoie Town Hall
Getting Started in Modern and Postmodern Architectural Photography
The Courbevoie-based Esplanade Photo association invites you to an introduction to photography of modern and postmodern architecture. Through two creative itineraries, discover essential rules of architectural composition. Focusing on monumental forms of modern and postmodern architecture, unleash your creativity step by step. The workshops cater to both beginners and enthusiasts. Bring along your preferred shooting device (smartphone or camera). The morning session (10:00–12:00) will explore the Faubourg-de-l’Arche district and its late-20th/early-21st-century postmodern architecture, while the afternoon session (14:00–16:00) will delve into the Charras functionalist urban complex.
When? Saturday, September 19, Faubourg-de-l’Arche workshop from 10:00 to 12:00, and Charras workshop from 14:00 to 16:00.
Where? Morning workshop: meet at the entrance of Allée Bernard Palissy; afternoon workshop: meet in front of the Charras market hall, on the forecourt (30, rue de l’Alma).
Participation requirements: Free, by registration - Free | Reservation required - l.hubert@ville-courbevoie.fr
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Guided tour of Villa Cantin “One House, Three Eras”
How to approach an historic building: striking the balance between renovation and restoration, between interior and exterior, and between tradition and contemporary architecture. Discover and tour one of Courbevoie’s protected buildings, where the owner themselves will welcome you and lead the visit—through space and time, an odyssey spanning three centuries, from 1884–1898 to today.
Two visiting slots are available: the first from 10:00 to 11:00, followed by 11:00 to 12:00.
Since the house is privately owned, the exact address will be provided only after you register.
Access: guided 60-minute tour, maximum 8 participants.
Participation requirements: Free admission, registration required, limited to 8 people per visit - Free | Booking required - l.hubert@ville-courbevoie.fr
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00–11:00, 11:00–12:00
Special opening: the wedding hall of the former town hall
The former town hall of Courbevoie, conceived by Paul-Eugène Lequeux in 1857, was built during the Third Republic and embodies the architecture and interior design typical of public buildings from that era.
The wedding hall, decorated by symbolist painter Alexandre Séon, is regarded as one of the era’s most striking interiors. Its ceiling and wall panels are painted in the republican style, with artworks intended to instill decorum in visitors while exalting moral virtue through allegorical scenes.
Ahead of its restoration, we invite you to rediscover this grand setting, exceptionally open for tours on the occasion of the European Heritage Days.
Participation conditions : Free, open access - Free | No reservation
Hours: Sunday, September 20, 2026 – 10:00–12:00, 14:00–18:00
Heritage Days 2026 at Bécon Park
An introduction to 19th-century dances and a photo booth in period costume
In front of the Orangerie in Bécon Park, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., join the D.A.M.E.S. association to try your hand at period dances, then from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., enjoy a photo booth in period costumes provided by the company “Voyage au 19ème siècle.”
Participation conditions: Free, open access - Free | No reservation
Hours: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Heritage Days 2026 at the Lutheran Protestant temple in Courbevoie
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Heritage Days 2026 at the open-air theatre - Bécon Park
The Laundresses of Courbevoie
Following 'Si Courbevoie m’était conté' in 2024, and then 'Si Courbevoie m’était REconté' in 2025, aeio de Scènes will present for the European Heritage Days 2026 a new historical sound-and-light show titled 'the Laundresses of Courbevoie'. The production mobilized around a hundred people and brings together about fifteen associations. Actors, extras, dancers and musicians invite you to discover 200 years of the town's history, told through the lives of laundresses, a defining figure tied to the life of the Seine, around which the city has grown.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Timings: Friday, September 18, 2026, 8:00 PM – 9:20 PM | Saturday, September 19, 2026, 8:00 PM – 9:20 PM
Heritage Days 2026 at the Belgian Union's GCSMS in Courbevoie
Exhibition "The Belgian Union from Yesterday to Today in the Service of the Elderly"
For the first time, the Belgian Union is staging a dossier-style exhibition about its own history. Based in Courbevoie since 1912, the retirement home initially welcomed elderly Belgians, then served as a military hospital during World War I, and today it continues this tradition of supporting older people who are losing autonomy with kindness and humanity.
Drop-in, rapid guided tours will be offered on Saturday, September 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Participation conditions: Free of charge – Free | No reservation required
Hours : Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Guided tour of the exhibition "The Belgian Union: From Yesterday to Today, Serving the Elderly"
For the first time, the Union Belge presents a documentary exhibition tracing its history. Based in Courbevoie since 1912, the Belgian retirement home initially cared for elderly Belgians, later served as a military hospital during World War I, and today continues its mission to support aging individuals facing loss of autonomy with kindness and humanity.
Flash guided tours are offered on Saturday, September 19, from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00.
Participation terms: Free - Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00–12:00, 14:00–16:00 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00–12:00, 14:00–16:00
Heritage Days 2026 at the Roybet Fould Museum in Courbevoie
Scenographing the Invisible: Contemporary Art and Preventive Conservation
How do you design an exhibition around works that are as fragile as they are precious? When scenography must blend artistic presentation with the imperatives of preventive conservation, every choice becomes a heritage decision.
Martial Barrault, a scenographer, looks behind the scenes at how the exhibition "Les Oeuvres du temps. Kimihito Okuyama" came together and shares the technical, aesthetic, and ethical trade-offs that guided his approach.
How to participate: Limited spots – free | Reservations required – 01 71 05 77 92, museeroybetfould@ville-courbevoie.fr
Schedule: Friday, September 18, 2026 — 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Works of Time, Kimihito Okuyama
Until November 1, the museum is staging a major retrospective of Kimihito Okuyama’s body of work (1946-2024), the Japanese artist who settled in Paris in 1972.
For the first time in one venue, it brings together a representative body of his paintings, prints, photographs, poems and installations, exploring time at the crossroads of Japanese and Western cultures.
Participation terms: Free admission - Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM
Guided tours of Bécon Park
In keeping with the theme of these days: heritage in peril: revive, resist, reimagine, join a guide to explore the remnants of Bécon Park.
Whether lost, preserved, or undergoing restoration, the route unveils the Fountain of Antiquities, the orangery, and the cellars of the old Bécon Castle.
Participation terms: Free of charge | Booking required - 01 71 05 77 92, museeroybetfould@ville-courbevoie.fr
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00–12:00, 16:00–17:00 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 11:00–12:00, 16:00–17:00
Heritage Trail "Courbevoie Then / Now"
Take a journey back to Courbevoie of days gone by! With photographs from the 19th and early 20th centuries, discover forgotten or demolished buildings and trace how the city has evolved.
Participation terms: Free | Booking required - 01 71 05 77 92, museeroybetfould@ville-courbevoie.fr
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Heritage Days 2026 at the Alto Tower in Courbevoie
A guided tour of the Alto Tower, led by its architect Sandra de Lamotte
Did you know that only one tower in La Défense was entirely imagined by a woman? It’s Alto, designed by Sandra de Lamotte, founder of the If Architectes agency.
Alto embodies an urban tailoring project: a city aiming to stay grounded, shifting from a slab-based urbanism to street-level planning.
The tower itself sits on an unusually small plot—barely 900 square meters, a tiny footprint. To gain space, the structure widens toward the top, reaching 1,800 square meters at its crown—a striking example of technical cleverness used to reclaim surface area up to the sky.
This architectural feat is reinforced by a formal study: the tower’s facade embodies organic geometry, sculpted by curves and counter-curves. The chosen material, glass, brings together 3,800 glass-scale blocks into a dynamic facade that animates with shifting reflections as the day progresses.
(As part of this project, you may be photographed to promote the event. If you prefer not to be, please indicate so when you register.)
Participation requirements: Free, registration required - Free | Reservation required - l.hubert@ville-courbevoie.fr
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
The Heritage Days 2026 at Saint-Maurice Church in Becon
Overview of the historic Cavaillé-Coll organ
A look at and a tour of the Cavaillé-Coll organ (1865) at Saint-Maurice Church in Bécon, viewed from the gallery.
Participation requirements: Free | No booking required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Heritage Days 2026 at Saint-Pierre Saint-Paul Church
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Heritage Days 2026 at Guillaume Bottazzi's Polyptych
Paris La Défense: Six paintings by Guillaume Bottazzi visible from the Grande Arche
### This 150m² polyptych by Guillaume Bottazzi, signed by Guillaume Bottazzi, comprises six canvases measuring four by six meters. Painted in oils using glazes and fine transparent layers, it sits on the busiest boulevard in the La Défense district.
This oversized polyptych consists of six 4-by-6-meter canvases. Painted with oil using glazes and delicate translucent layers, it is installed on the busiest boulevard in La Défense.
Installed in 2024, it was labeled “Paris 2024” for the Olympic Games. This in situ commission requires a holistic approach that takes into account various site-specific factors of the exhibition.
It forms part of the Paris La Défense art trail, France’s largest open-air art route. The district has welcomed some of the world’s most renowned artists—Alexander Calder, Richard Serra, Takis, Daniel Buren, Joan Miró—and César, among others.
As part of the 43rd European Heritage Days, painter Guillaume Bottazzi, a pioneer of applied neuroaesthetics, invites us on a gargantuan artistic journey featuring more than 90 heritage artworks that nourish well-being.
These works can be discovered across France—from Hauts-de-France to Occitanie—throughout the capital, Greater Paris, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and Provence-Alpes-Câte d’Azur.
Guillaume Bottazzi has signed more than 180 heritage artworks intended to enhance cultural patrimony in Europe, the United States, China, and Japan, commissioned by cities, museums, and architects. They integrate into the architectural fabric of their sites.
This initiative comes as the European Union and France designate mental health as a “Great National Cause” for 2026. These in situ works enhance our quality of life. These poetic creations, grounded in neurobiological knowledge, create an ecosystem that helps people live happier lives.
The public is invited to stroll along and engage with these works to see if they receive their dose of well-being.
Official site of Guillaume Bottazzi: https://guillaume.bottazzi.org
The Paris La Défense polyptych in the press:
Participation conditions: Self-guided visit - Free of charge | No reservation required
Hours: Friday, September 18, 2026 – 08:00 to 19:00 | Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 08:00 to 19:00 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 – 08:00 to 19:00
Heritage Days 2026: guided tours in Courbevoie
Guided tours of art, architecture, history and photography in La Défense!
For Heritage Days 2026, Paris La Défense and Westfield Les 4 Temps-CNIT have lined up a compelling program of 21 free guided tours to (re)discover the district’s wealth — from history and architecture to art, green spaces and major development projects in La Défense.
### The 2026 edition at a glance
There’s something for everyone: exceptional tours of Europe’s leading business district, a close look at an iconic office tower or a major urban project, plus quirky outings that will delight photography fans, garden lovers, and anyone keen on immersive history experiences…
### Friday, September 18, 2026 :
* 1 tour of the Légende Tower for those curious about high-rise buildings;
* 1 photo-walk with our photographer to spot all the quirky or Instagrammable spots in the area (bring your camera!);
* 1 slot with a speaking guide blending history, architecture and art.
### Saturday, September 19, 2026 :
* 5 slots with a speaking guide to deepen your knowledge of the district’s history, architecture and artworks;
* 1 tour with the greenery project manager of Paris La Défense to uncover the secrets of the parks and gardens across the area;
* 1 photo-walk with our photographer to spot the district’s quirky or Instagrammable spots (bring your camera!);
* 2 tours of Westfield CNIT, led by an actor portraying General de Gaulle, to dive into the postwar era and rediscover the history of this landmark building, the first in La Défense.
### Sunday, September 20, 2026 :
* 6 slots with a speaking guide to deepen your understanding of the district’s history, architecture and artworks;
* 1 tour with the Parc project manager, a 5-hectare green space project that will transform La Défense Esplanade by 2028;
* 2 tours of Westfield CNIT, led by an actor portraying General de Gaulle, to dive into the postwar era and rediscover the history of this landmark building, the first in La Défense.
Note: spaces are limited (15 to 25 participants per slot), so register early to secure your place by clicking the link below!
Participation terms: Free - registration required - maximum 25 people per tour - Free | Reservations mandatory - https://www.parisladefense.com/fr/fr/programme/agenda/journees-patrimoine-2026
Schedule: Friday, September 18, 2026 — 12:00 to 13:00, 17:00 to 19:00 | Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00 to 18:00 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00 to 18:00
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Dates and Opening Time
From September 19, 2026 to September 20, 2026
Location
Courbevoie
courbevoie
92400 Courbevoie
Route planner
Official website
www.ville-courbevoie.fr
