European Heritage Days

The European Heritage Days (Jornadas Europeias do Património, JEP) are the Portuguese name for the European Heritage Days, a joint programme of the Council of Europe and the European Commission. Every year, mainly in September, thousands of monuments, sites, museums, archives and everyday buildings open to the public with visits, routes, workshops and talks, often free of charge. In Portugal, the initiative is coordinated by Património Cultural, I.P., which adapts the European theme and brings together in one portal the activities of hundreds of organisers.

Origins and European framework

According to the programme’s official website, the Council of Europe launched the initiative in 1985. In 1999, the European Union joined, and the programme became a joint action of the two organisations, a model that still holds. The European organisation describes the Days as the most widely celebrated participatory cultural event among Europeans, with up to 20 million visitors per year.

Participating countries are not limited to European Union members, because the initiative was born within the wider framework of the Council of Europe. Each country chooses its dates, almost always in September, and its programme. The ICOMOS page on the International Day for Monuments and Sites, held on 18 April, cites the Days as an example of regional celebration, in contrast with that worldwide day.

A shared European theme

For several editions, the European programme has proposed a shared theme, which national coordinators adapt. The recent themes published by the organisation are:

• 2023: Living Heritage;
• 2024: Heritage of Routes, Networks and Connections;
• 2025: Heritage and Architecture: Windows to the Past, Doors to the Future. In Portugal it was presented as “Património Arquitetónico: Janelas para o Passado, Portas para o Futuro”;
• 2026: Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine;
• 2027 (announced): Beneath the Surface: Exploring Europe’s Hidden Heritage, devoted to heritage that is hidden or little visible.

The 2026 theme starts from a simple idea. Faced with growing digitalisation, accelerated mobility of people, the climate crisis and conflicts, much heritage, both tangible and intangible, risks being lost. The edition invited discussion of how protection priorities are set, a subject developed in heritage at risk in Portugal.

How Portugal takes part

Património Cultural, I.P. acts as national coordinator. For the 2026 edition, the institute asked participants for in-person or online programmes with learning elements. These programmes were to cover tangible, intangible, natural and digital heritage, reach all audiences and reflect the theme of the year. Activities are registered by the organisers themselves on a promotion platform, and the institute provides a communication kit.

As part of the Days, the European Young Heritage Creators competition, promoted by the Council of Europe, is aimed at children and young people under 18. In 2026 it had two categories, ages 6 to 11 and 11 to 17.

The 2026 edition in Portugal

The Portuguese 2026 edition ran from 18 to 27 September 2026, under the motto “Reviver, resistir, reinventar” (Revive, resist, reinvent). At the start, Lusa reported more than 400 activities registered in the country, with at least two in Madeira. Examples cited included:

• staged visits at the Palácio Fronteira and an activity with the Lisbon Astronomical Observatory;
• “Reviver o Património”, one of two Património Cultural, I.P. projects for school audiences, with night-time visits or visits to restricted areas. It covered the Freixo Archaeological Area (Tongobriga), the Roman Villa of Milreu, the Mosteiro de Rendufe, the Mosteiro de Tibães and the Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha;
• a free visit to the Ajuda National Palace on its architecture and building history;
• a walking route in the city of Porto through historic fountains, churches and other landmarks.

According to the same announcement, the official closing session, promoted by Património Cultural, I.P., was scheduled for 26 September in Vila Viçosa, with a panel on sustainable rehabilitation solutions.

In the previous edition, from 12 to 21 September 2025, the institute debuted behind-the-scenes visits to works funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan, under the name “Entre na obra” (Step into the works). The format returned later on the International Day for Monuments and Sites of 2026.

What to expect and how to prepare a visit

The principle of the Days is to open doors. There are guided visits to monuments, but also access to spaces that are normally closed or little known, such as archives, laboratories, private palaces and works in progress. The European organisation stresses that visits are free. In Portugal, however, each organiser sets its own conditions, and many activities have limited capacity and mandatory registration.

To find the programme:

1. Consult the European Heritage Days page on the Património Cultural, I.P. website. The address changes with each edition, so look for the page for the relevant year.
2. Search the eventos.patrimoniocultural.gov.pt portal, which lets you filter by location, free activities or family activities.
3. For other countries, use the European portal europeanheritagedays.com, which brings together national programmes.
4. Register early for visits with limited places and confirm times on each activity’s page.

As of 5 November 2026, the Portuguese dates for the 2027 edition had not been published. Under the programme’s usual rule, the dates are likely to fall again in September, but only an announcement from Património Cultural, I.P. will confirm it. Outside the Days, residents of Portugal can use the annual free admission to national museums and monuments scheme.