Every year, the Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days ) brighten up the month of September in Paris and the Île-de-France region. This not-to-be-missed event is synonymous with cultural highlights and new discoveries. Once a year, this event, which takes place all over Europe, invites residents and visitors alike to discover the finest treasures of their heritage through an original program.
During this exceptional weekend, museums and major institutions, historic monuments and private venues, chateaux and beautiful gardens, and many more, will be taking part in the game, offering tours, often free of charge, as well as workshops and events.
For the curious, those who don't like to take the beaten track, the Journées du Patrimoine are also an opportunity to enjoy unprecedented visits to places that are usually off-limits to the public, and to discover the capital's little secrets, those little-known hidden places that we all love to brag about having been able to visit.
During the 43rd edition of Heritage Days, you’ll have the chance, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, to explore the Lantern Lookout, the structure known as a regard that gave access to the city’s pipes. The Regard de la Lanterne, erected in the 17th century, is the main lookout on the old Belleville aqueduct. Here you can discover an exceptional program for this Saturday, September 19, 2026.
Guided tour - Registration required
The Lantern’s Eye was completed in 1613, just over 400 years ago; it forms the head of the Belleville grand aqueduct.
This aqueduct is the most important surviving remnant of the water-supply system that fed Paris’s earliest fountains, drawing water from catchments developed from the Middle Ages on the heights of northeastern Paris.
The Lantern’s Eye is a rotunda-shaped building, built of sturdy ashlar and topped with a dome. Inside, a double stone staircase descends to the basin that collects water drained from the hill’s summit. A section of the grand aqueduct’s gallery (13th–14th centuries) is accessible from inside the Lantern.
The care invested in the construction of the whole is remarkable. It is one of the few monuments in eastern Paris listed as a historic monument; it sits in a public garden in the heart of the bustling Place des Fêtes neighborhood in Belleville.
It is a striking, little-known relic, yet it speaks loudly about life in old Paris.
The Lantern’s Eye bears witness to centuries of efforts to provide Parisians with water, and it underscores the enduring importance of this precious resource.
The Lantern’s Eye has been classified as a historic monument since 1899; it is not normally open to the public.
Participation terms: Registration opens on Saturday, September 5 — Free of charge | Booking required - https://my.weezevent.com/regard-de-la-lanterne-2026
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 12:00 PM–12:30 PM, 12:30 PM–1:00 PM, 1:00 PM–1:30 PM, 1:30 PM–2:00 PM, 2:00 PM–2:30 PM, 2:30 PM–3:00 PM, 3:00 PM–3:30 PM, 3:30 PM–4:00 PM, 4:00 PM–4:30 PM, 4:30 PM–5:00 PM; Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 11:00 AM–11:30 AM, 11:30 AM–12:00 PM, 12:00 PM–12:30 PM, 12:30 PM–1:00 PM, 1:00 PM–1:30 PM, 1:30 PM–2:00 PM, 2:00 PM–2:30 PM, 2:30 PM–3:00 PM, 3:00 PM–3:30 PM, 3:30 PM–4:00 PM, 4:00 PM–4:30 PM
Dates and Opening Time
On September 19, 2026
Location
Regard de la Lanterne
5 Rue Augustin Thierry
75019 Paris 19
Route planner
Access
Place des Fêtes metro station (lines 7Bis and 11)
Prices
Free
