The 2024 edition of the Heritage Days is this Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22. Sometimes you have to anticipate certain visits, but not necessarily. For the less organized among you, we have prepared a selection of places to discover without prior reservation. There are 7 of them.
Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning House – Huismes
A real meeting place for the curious and lovers of modern and contemporary art. The Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning House offers you guided Tours of the studios, temporary exhibitions and garden from 11am to 3pm during the two days of the weekend.
Two cultural events are also on the program: a play produced by the Bois Ton Thé company on Saturday at 8 p.m. and a guitar concert on Sunday at 4 p.m. (as part of the Voyages en Guitare festival).
The Blue Star – Tours
Formerly a brothel, this building located at 15 rue du Champs de Mars is now the headquarters of the Jeune Chambre Economique de Tours. Renowned for its Art Deco style, the Etoile Bleue will be open to the public for both days. Guided tours will be organized from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
In addition to the visits, the public will be able to enjoy a fresco by Gil KD, in collaboration with the Maison des Femmes and the Centre Social Pluriel(le)s. Finally, an exhibition of a selection of works by Rits, an artist from Tours who collects bulky items on which he draws with a marker before replacing them in the street, will be held on site.
Castle of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine
The commune of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine has planned a busy programme for Heritage Days.
For those passionate about Napoleonic history, several activities are planned to learn more about the Emperor. On the menu: exhibitions and a reconstruction of military camps. In addition, two conferences will be held at 3 p.m. for both days: “Baron Charles Delaitre, general of the empire” by Fabrice Delaitre and “The poisoning of the Emperor” by Elisabeth de Caligny.
The castle gates will be open from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Discover the rest of the program on the town’s website.
The Villandry Mill
Dormant for 35 years, this millstone was able to come back to life in 2022 thanks to the volunteers of the association l'Embellie de Villandry. It is also, today, the only mill in Touraine to still produce walnut oil. For the heritage days, go to 24 bis rue de la mairie to discover the history of this monument and the oil production process.
You can even buy the said oil as well as walnut flour. For visiting hours, it is 3pm-6pm for Saturday and 10am-12pm/3pm-6pm for Sunday.
The Lemaire Workshop – Parçay-Meslay
The art furniture restoration workshop will open its doors to show you the items currently being restored, the old machines and, more broadly, the history of the place.
On the occasion, guests will be Sébastien David, leaf gilder (who worked on the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris); Arnaud Joubert, watchmaker and watch restorer and Olivier Caux, visual artist from Fondettes. The objective: to introduce as many people as possible to the profession of heritage restorer.
Tours will be held on both days from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Garden of Prebendes – Tours
The European Heritage Days will also be an opportunity for the people of Tours to say goodbye to 5 of the 7 giant sequoias in the Jardin des Prébendes, condemned to be felled due to an advanced state of decline.
Planted 150 years ago to create the famous garden, these trees now measure up to 50 metres high and have a diameter of 2 metres.
For September 22, several events are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., such as archive exhibitions and workshops on plants and ornithology. To discover the entire program, visit the City of Tours website.
Aircraft Hangar – Saint-Pierre-des-Corps
Rue de la Pichotière, you can discover an exhibition on the progress of the restoration work on the Pacific 231E41 steam locomotive. A true monument of Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, it was built between 1936 and 1938 and mainly provided the Paris-Calais line to haul the “Flèche d'or”, the prestigious train that made the Paris-London journey. During the two days, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., you can observe the parts restored after 10 years of work with, in addition, explanations and comments by the volunteers of the association of the Amicale des anciens et amis de la traction vapeur.
There is still room!
For those who think they missed the boat to access visits with reservations. Don't panic, there are still places for these places.
Masonic Temple of the Demophiles – Tours
The Freemason association of the Cercle Philosophique et Culturel Lefebure offers the public free guided tours of the Temple des Démophiles, located at 72 rue Georges Courteline.
For 30 minutes, you can discover this place steeped in history.
To access it, you can make a reservation request by email to [email protected].
The Dungeon of Château du Rivau – Lémeré
For the first time, the Château du Rivau will open the doors of this place usually inaccessible to visitors. With this one-hour guided tour, you will be able to discover the top of the keep and its many anecdotes about the history of the place and its restoration. Be warned, more than 80 steps must be climbed to reach the finish point!
To book, go to chateaudurivau.com.
Olivier Debré Contemporary Creation Center – Tours
In addition to the various exhibitions present in the establishment, the CCCOD invites you to see it from a different perspective by giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the architecture and activities of the art center.
Reservations must be made directly on site. Visits are scheduled on Saturdays at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and on Sundays at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Allow one hour for the visit.
The Rémi network helps you get around
On the occasion of the European Heritage Days, the regional transport network Rémi is offering some interesting offers to allow you to travel more easily and more cheaply for this weekend. For example, you can benefit from a guaranteed 50% discount on Rémi train tickets, including to or from Paris, or free travel on intercity coach lines. To take advantage of these offers, go to the Rémi network website.
Audrey Lecomte
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