Every year the European Heritage Days (EHDs) provide access to thousands of rarely opened cultural sites and offer unique events for up to 30 million people. You might be surprised at what you can explore. Alongside guided tours, talks and exhibitions, events range from enjoying tea and home baking in a house on the grounds of a ruined 16th century castle in Ireland, to a gathering of the youngest people of Jindřichův Hradec, Czech Republic for a festival dedicated to Saying Goodbye to the Holiday, or engaging in cross-border heritage exploration connecting the Spanish region of Extremadura and Portugal to unveil its multicultural links.

In most EU Member States, the EHDs take place in September (with a few exceptions: Ireland in August and Cyprus in October). This year, the EHDs celebrate the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 under the common theme – ‘The Art of Sharing’. The EHDs will contribute to a very successful year: we expect there to be 70,000 EHDs events, 50,000 of which will take place in EU Member States. Read about the EHDs programme in countries such as Latvia, the UK and Slovenia, and find out which events are happening near you.

Enjoy exploring the cultural ties that your country/region/community has with Europe!

The EHDs are a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Commission. The initiative is the most widely celebrated participatory cultural event in Europe. EHDs events take place in 50 countries that are signatories of the European Cultural Convention. The days allow visitors to learn about Europe's shared heritage and to engage in safeguarding heritage for future generations. Why not learn more about the EHDs initiative? Join the conversation online using #EHDs and #EuropeForCulture.