Les Journées Européennes du Patrimoine 2025 (“JEP”)
Paris –like all of Europe– marks the end of summer's lazy crazy hazy days with the rentrée. That’s French for the return from the long, slow pause of August back into active life. What better way to celebrate the homecoming of the city’s regular inhabitants than with a bustle of culture?
Heritage Days in Paris
This is exactly what’s in store for Heritage Days weekend, which this year of 2025 fall on 20 - 21 September.
Many tourists time their Paris stay with the JEP, as most museums and monuments offer free entry that weekend. Or they try as they can to visit places like the Palais de l’Elysée, presidential residence.
'Le Bon Plan'
But we at Memories France recommend taking a different tack. Not only are the lines to the usual places even longer than usual, there are savvier ways to take advantage of the dates.
Because for that one brief and magical weekend, the City of Lights opens doors that are usually shut tight, allowing you to discover its best kept secrets!
Our Top Five
So that we help you sort it through the array of choices, here are a handful of Memories’ recommendations. We’ve selected a handful with no need to reserve or to go through a guided tour in French (though some are available if you want!)
Hotel de Sully
First of all, we recommend the Hôtel de Sully in the Marais. Today it houses the Ministry of Culture, but during the Journées du Patrimoine you can step inside its seventeenth-century grandeur — including the Duchess’s 1630s bedroom — and glimpse noble life just before the irresistible pull of Versailles. Make sure you exit out the back, through the lovely gardens, and you’ll find yourself in the Place des Vosges, one of the most elegant squares in Paris and the perfect place for a Parisian picnic. While you're there, take the time to stroll the charming streets of the Marais, and discover the neighborhood’s aristocratic mansions, hidden courtyards, cutting edge boutiques and cool bars.
📍Hôtel de Sully, 62 rue Saint-Antoine 75004. Metro Saint Paul
Hours 9:00 - 6:00
Gare St Lazare
How about experiencing Gare Saint-Lazare in a completely new way? Opened in 1837 as Paris’s first railway station, it was a marvel of modern transport — and later became immortalized in Monet’s famous series of paintings. During the Journées du Patrimoine, you can explore its history beyond the train schedules and see why it captured the imagination of Impressionist painters. To dive deeper into this world, our Musée d’Orsay Impressionist Tour explores Monet, Renoir, Degas, and their peers, surrounded by the masterpieces they created.
📍Gare Saint Lazare, 13 Rue d'Amsterdam 75008. Métro Gare Saint Lazare
Hours 20th 11:00 – 1:00 / break /3:00 – 5:00 / 21st 11:00 – 1:00 / break /3:00 – 5:00
Ecole des Beaux-Arts
Next, we suggest the École des Beaux-Arts in the Latin Quarter. Its roots as an art school date back centuries, but these premises were built in 1817 and trained some of the world’s greatest artists — from Degas and Delacroix to Mary Cassatt and Matisse. During Heritage Days, you can walk the same halls where they sketched, studied, and found inspiration.
📍École des Beaux Arts, 14 rue Bonaparte, 75006. Metro Mabillon
Hours 10:00 - 5:30
Cité Montmartre-aux-Artistes
If you’re curious about the artistic legacy of Montmartre, the Cité Montmartre-aux-Artistes is a hidden gem worth seeking out. This 1930s art deco residence was built to house artists priced out of Paris, and during Heritage Days, you can step inside and even visit some studios still in use today. It’s a rare chance to see the creative spirit of Montmartre alive and well. To explore the neighborhood more fully — from Renoir and Picasso to cabarets and hidden corners — join us on our Montmartre Walking Tour, or for something truly unique, try our CanCan themed experience.
📍Cité Montmartre-aux-Artistes, 189 Rue Ordener 75018. Métro Lamarck-Caulaincourt, Jules Joffrin or Guy Môquet
Hours Friday 19th 2:00 - 6:00 / Saturday 20th 11:00 - 6:00 / Sunday 21st 11:00 – 7:00
Hotel de Brienne
Finally, don’t miss the Hôtel de Brienne, a stunning eighteenth-century mansion that has been home to mistresses, nobles, and even Napoleon’s mother before becoming today’s Ministry of the Army. Its elegant salons and history are usually closed to the public, but Heritage Days lets you step inside. If Napoleon’s story intrigues you, our Napoleon and the Invalides Tour takes you deeper, with a visit to his tomb and the French Army Museum, where you’ll uncover both the triumphs and the scandals of France’s most famous general.
📍Hôtel de Brienne, Ministry of the Army, 14 rue Saint-Dominique 75007. Métro Assemblée Nationale
Hours 20th 11:30 – 5:00 / 21st 10:00 - 4:00
These are just a few of our favorite picks for the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine in Paris. The weekend is a rare chance to step behind closed doors — but if you’d like to continue exploring beyond these two days, join us on one of our tours. From the Marais to Montmartre, from the Impressionists to Napoleon, we’d love to show you the Paris that most visitors miss.
We hope you've enjoyed the smattering of other photos, memories of past JEPs that we have particularly loved 💚
Thank you so much for taking the time to read our blog! We are a small Paris-based tour company that prioritises a boutique personal experience where we can share our passion for our heritage and community with every individual that joins us. If you'd like to take a tour then head over to our website for an unforgettable trip to the city of lights. Also, check out our social media @memories.france for everything you could need to know for coming to Paris: from how to use the metro to coffee shops closest to each major monument, there is something for everyone!
Angelissa, Siobhan & the Memories France Family
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Like what you see? Read our other blogs here!
- Heritage Days in Paris 2025: Our Top 5 Recommendations for the Journées du PatrimoineEvery September, Paris celebrates the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, opening the doors of monuments, palaces, and hidden gems usually closed to the public. In 2025, the event falls on 20–21 September, and it’s the perfect chance to explore Paris like a local. From aristocratic mansions in the Marais to artists’ studios in Montmartre, we’ve rounded up our top recommendations — along with tips on how to dive deeper with our guided tours.
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