France heritage sites see high turnout during European Heritage Days

The European Heritage Days saw significant engagement across various French historical sites. At the Château d’Angers, attendance reached a record high of 17,376 visitors, a 40% increase compared to 2025, driven in part by the opening of previously inaccessible gardens.

In the Boulonnais region, sites such as the Monsigny Theatre, the Boulogne-sur-Mer belfry, and the Grande Armée column in Wimille attracted numerous visitors despite overcast weather. In Sauxillanges, the former Notre-Dame du Bois chapel, now a heritage house, continues to offer tours detailing the area's Cluniac history.

The event also highlighted the challenges of monument preservation. Olivier de La Villéon, owner of the Château de Montmuran, shared the significant financial burden of maintaining historical structures, noting that repairs to combat wood-destroying fungi cost 1.4 million euros over five years.