The European Heritage Days are the most widely celebrated cultural events Europe-wide launched by the Council of Europe. Organized in September each year, numerous monuments and sites open up for visitors to enjoy free visits and learn about their shared cultural heritage during this time.
The Council of Europe launched the initiative of European Heritage Days in 1985, and in 1999 was joined by the European Union to create the joint action. Held in September each year, the events take place in the 50 countries party to the European Cultural Convention. During this time, numerous monuments and sites open up for visitors to enjoy free visits and learn about their shared cultural heritage.
The 2017 events in Hungary followed the common theme of Heritage and Nature and also highlighted other topics. The most important of them was the anniversary of the Reformation, which is why the opening ceremony took place in Debrecen, known also as the “Calvinist Rome”. The festival invited citizens for a series of cultural trails, tours, walks, and musical performances, which helped them discover and understand heritage around them. The rich programme enforced the feeling of unity with nature and heritage, particularly through creative events such as a botanical walk at the Károlyi Stately Home, an exhibition of Blessed Gizella’s Archdiocese Collection at Tejfalussy House, a visit to Batthyány-Montenuovo Mausoleum, and many others.