You may have never visited this town in Seine-et-Marne, but if you’re a lover of art, you’ve surely admired its landscapes. Barbizon has inspired countless artists and is one of the gathering spots for post-Impressionist painters. Camille Corot, Théodore Rousseau, Jean-François Millet, Charles-François Daubigny and many others captured the town and its surroundings on canvas.
Barbizon has welcomed not only renowned artists, but also celebrated athletes, politicians, writers, actors, directors and singers... How about a stroll through the streets that seem to have inspired so many great creators?
Here's the perfect opportunity: Barbizon, its monuments and cultural venues are taking part in the new edition of the Journées du Patrimoine, September 19 and 20, 2026. For a weekend, curious visitors and art lovers can discover the town, its history and its rich heritage through tours and activities designed for the whole family.
So, what’s in store for Barbizon during these 43rd Heritage Days in Seine-et-Marne? Take a look at the lineup already announced, and start planning your trip. Let yourself be drawn to this lovely commune, which had been selected for the show Le Village préféré des Français.
Cyrano Bookshop
Book signing event: Laurence Ayrault
Laurence Ayrault, former president of the Journal of History of Fontainebleau and its Region, will present on the 36 men executed on the Chanfroy Plain.
As Liberation neared, on July 21, 1944, 22 resistance fighters were taken from Fontainebleau Prison, followed by 14 more on August 17. Their fate remained unknown until December 7, 1944, when American soldiers happened upon their remains in the Chanfroy Plain.
Drawing on archival materials (press, military records, trial documents) and conversations with the families, the story of each victim comes into focus.
From 7:00 to 8:30 PM, by registration, limited seats
Participation conditions: 12 participants maximum - Free | Registration required - contact@librairiecyrano.fr
Timings: Friday, September 18, 2026 — 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Book signing event: Catherine Vigourt
On September 19, the Cyrano Bookstore will host Catherine Vigourt for a signing session of "Une parcelle du monde" (Gallimard).
With this novel that is both inventive and well documented, the author draws us up close to Claude Monet in Giverny.
From 1893 to 1926, we follow six days that illuminate his daily life and artistic work, set against the Dreyfus Affair, war, and a rapidly changing era. We wander the garden paths, meeting Alice and Blanche, the friend Clemenceau, painters Matisse and Marquet, but also the famed cook Marguerite and the villagers that tour buses had not yet clogged with visitors.
Catherine Vigourt has published about a dozen novels and short stories, earning her the Prix François Mauriac from the Académie française.
Participation terms: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 11:00–12:30, 2:00–5:00 PM
Heritage hike
Heritage hike: Following in the footsteps of the 36 shot at the Plaine de Chanfroy.
You will be guided by Némorosa for the hike and, thanks to the memorial work led by Laurence Ayrault, the 36 locals executed at Chanfroy — “died so that France may live” — will no longer be just names on a plaque, but faces and examples of the Resistance.
From age 12, 20€ per person; registration required. Group sizes are limited.
Participation conditions: 20 people - Booking required | Special rate - contact@librairiecyrano.fr
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Sketch Museum
Edmond Verstraeten, a Flemish luminist
In collaboration with the Association of Friends of Edmond Verstraeten (1870-1956), a Belgian Impressionist artist, the Impressionisms Routes© network is staging, from April 2 to September 28, 2026, at the Musée de l’esquisse in Barbizon (France), an exhibition dedicated entirely to the “Master of Sombeke.”
Belgian Luminism offers a distinctive take on the French-origin Impressionist concept. It celebrates the clearest irradiations of light and pursues painterly effects capable of conveying them. In 1904, most Belgian Impressionists gathered under the new banner of the Association “Life and Light,” led by Emile Claus.
The most active luminist center at the time was in East Flanders, in the Ghent region and along the Lys valley, where Jean Delvin, Léon de Smet, and Edmond Verstraeten distinguished themselves through the quality and variety of their works.
Participation conditions: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Barbizon Painters Museum
Guided tour: "Barbizon, from the museum to the village"
### Renowned Painted Scenes
Begin your exploration with the Auberge Ganne’s famed painted interiors, before tracing the footsteps of artists through the streets of Barbizon.
### Stroll along the Grand Street
From the plain to the forest’s edge, the stroll along the Grand Street reveals old inns, elegant hotels, artists’ studios, village houses and exhibition spaces.
### From farmhouses to late-19th-century hotels
As you follow the route, you glimpse the daily life of 19th-century painters, photographers and writers, while Barbizon gradually emerges as a coveted destination, where prestigious hotels for travelers and art lovers rise at the century’s end.
Participation conditions: Limited to 20 participants - Free | Reservations required - 0160662227
Schedule: Saturday, 19 September 2026 – 2:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m., 4:15 p.m.–5:45 p.m.
Lyric Concert: An Opera Afternoon in Barbizon
Funding provided by the Île-de-France region. Production ARCAL, the national company of lyric and musical theatre. Support from Île-de-France (Culture in the villages). Institutional support from DRAC Île-de-France, City of Paris.
On the occasion of European Heritage Days, the ARCAL lyric company invites you to a musical stroll at the heart of the Auberge Ganne. Through the rooms, a trio of voices and an instrument — soprano: Iryna Kyshliaruk, mezzo-soprano: Juliette Gauthier, baritone: Andres Cascantes, piano: Yuko Osaswa — will accompany your visit and fill the venue with some of opera’s greatest arias. A distinctive and intimate way to discover the inn, powered by excerpts from La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini, La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, Carmen by Georges Bizet and many more.
Participation terms: Limited to 20 participants - Free | Booking required - 0160662227
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 3:30–4:15 PM, 4:30–5:15 PM
The weekend rolls on in Seine-et-Marne: here are all the sites opening to the public for these Heritage Days.
Heritage Days 2026: must-see tours in Seine-et-Marne
Heritage Days 2026 in Seine-et-Marne promise captivating outings. From September 19 to 20, 2026, castles, museums and historic monuments will open their doors. Let’s dive into the treasures of this department with a thousand facets. [Read more]
Dates and Opening Time
From September 19, 2026 to September 20, 2026
Location
Musée départemental des peintres de Barbizon
92 Grande Rue
77630 Barbizon
Route planner
Heritage Days 2026: must-see tours in Seine-et-Marne
