European Heritage Days is a participatory cultural event held in September giving access to numerous sites and monuments across Europe.
The initiative started in 1985, celebrating the diversity of European cultural heritage, being one of the largest annual events. The events organised are under a specific theme each year.
In 2022 you can find events near you using the events map, the theme is Sustainable Heritage. Sustainable heritage includes learning from traditions, and actions organisations and visitors can take as tracking the carbon footprint and natural heritage resources, through the preservation of landscapes. Furthermore, the event will include industrial structures related to environmental sustainability “such as factories manufacturing traditional goods, recycling plants and furniture restoration workshops, farms using sustainable practices, renewable energy systems from historic windmills to modern solar panels, and railways and other public transport depots and infrastructure.”The theme greatly supports Eco-tourism, with local communities at the heart of the initiative.
Our take
European Heritage Days is a magnificent initiative each year highlighting European diversity and promoting different heritage themes. The event offers the chance for local actors to participate and gain visibility while educating the broader public on diverse heritage near them. This year’s emphasis on sustainability is in line with the global push for more environmentally friendly practices and will bring to light traditional craft making and new ways to learn for organisers and visitors.
I want to learn more:
Download the new Event ideas brochure!
