European Heritage Days (EHD) is a joint programme of the Council of Europe and the European Union involving all 48 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention. The annual programme offers opportunities to visit buildings, monuments and sites, many of which are not normally accessible to the public. It aims to widen access and foster care for architectural and environmental heritage. These events are also known as Doors Open Days and Open Doors Days in English-speaking countries.
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- Member states
- Responsible institutions per European country
- Similar concepts
- See also
- References
- External links
The event began in France in 1984, with La Journée portes ouvertes dans les monuments historiques, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture. In 1985, in Granada, at the 2nd European Conference of Ministers responsible for Architectural Heritage, the French Minister of Culture proposed that the project be internationalised under the Council of Europe. The Netherlands held their first Open Monumentendag in 1987. Sweden and Ireland joined in 1989, as well as Belgium and Scotland in 1990.
In 1991 these events were united as European Heritage Days at the initiative of the Council of Europe, supported by the EU. By 2010, 50 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention had joined the EHD.
The Secretariat of the EHD is carried out by the Directorate for Democracy, under the responsibility of the Council of Europe's Steering Committee for Culture, Heritage and Landscape (CDCPP).
