What if your next stroll took you underground, to the very place where cold was engineered long before electricity? It’s the charm of the Heritage Days, this major Île-de-France event that invites you to peek behind the doors of remarkable sites usually off-limits. For the edition on 19 and 20 September 2026, head to Vanves to witness the official reopening of its restored icehouses, tucked beneath the wooded mounds of Frédéric Pic Park. A secret setting that blends old engineering with sacred architecture.
In Vanves, these quirky, semi-subterranean 18th-century buildings, long off-limits, are now open to visitors.
Here is an extraordinary heritage that the general public will soon be able to discover! After major renovation works, the glacières‑chapelle of Frédéric‑Pic Park in Vanves will open its doors to the public as early as September. More details to come! [Read more]
The history begins in the 18th century, when the estate belonged to the Duchess of Mortemart and then to the treasurer Jean-Pierre Richard. At that time, savoring sorbets in the heat of summer was the height of refinement. To achieve this, three stone-lined caverns were dug away from the sun: winter ice was stacked there between layers of straw, insulated by walls a meter thick, while a sump drained the melted water. Two of these ice cellars have withstood the ages and survived to the present day.
In the 19th century, doctors Félix Voisin and Jean-Pierre Falret established a health house on the estate, where the illustrator Grandville would pass away in 1847. One of the ice cellars then undergoes a remarkable transformation: it becomes a place of worship crowned by a small bell-tower. Its façade adopts the neo-Roman style, defined by rounded arches and a sobriety drawn from the Middle Ages. Its entrance vault incorporates surprising hollow terracotta pots, a technique from Antiquity used to lighten the structure while improving insulation. Beneath, the original reservoir remains intact..
Below you'll find the full schedule of tours and activities planned for this event.
Activities around the restored icehouses at Frédéric Pic Municipal Park
A range of activities on offer around the ice houses in Frédéric Pic Park, dating from the 18th century, one of which was converted into a chapel in the 19th century, and set to reopen to the public in 2026 after major restoration work.
Participation requirements: Details to be announced in September on the City of Vanves website (https://www.vanves.fr)) - Free | Booking required - https://www.vanves.fr
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM, 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Guided tour of the ice houses in Frédéric Pic Municipal Park
Set within the listed grounds of Frédéric Pic Park, the glacières bear three centuries of history. Worn by time, they are reopening to the public in 2026 after major restoration work. Three were built in the 18th century on the estate once owned by Marie Anne Colbert, Duchess of Mortemart, at a moment when enjoying fresh foods and summer sorbets was all the rage. Semi-buried, these ice houses were designed to keep natural ice for many months. Today, two survive, one of them having been turned into a chapel in the 19th century when doctors Voisin and Falret established a renowned health house on the estate. In 2024, the glacières were awarded the regional heritage label "Patrimoine d'intérêt régional" by the Île-de-France Region.
Participation conditions: Reservation link to be announced in September on the City of Vanves website (https://www.vanves.fr). Tours by small groups. - Reservations required | Free - https://www.vanves.fr
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM
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Dates and Opening Time
From September 19, 2026 to September 20, 2026
Location
Frederic-Pic Park
2 Rue Falret
92170 Vanves
Route planner
In Vanves, these quirky, semi-subterranean 18th-century buildings, long off-limits, are now open to visitors.
