Monaco will open the doors to some of its most important political, cultural and historic buildings for the 31st European Heritage Days, with 48 sites and activities included in the Principality’s 2026 programme.
The main programme takes place on Sunday 4th October, while several museums, exhibitions and cultural activities will also be available on Saturday 3rd October.
This year’s theme, Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine, examines the threats facing built, natural and intangible heritage, from climate change and environmental damage to urban transformation and the loss of traditional knowledge.
For visitors, however, the immediate attraction is the rare opportunity to enter institutions that are normally closed or only partly accessible to the public, alongside free or reduced-price access to many of Monaco’s best-known museums and landmarks.
The Palace, Government and National Council open their doors
On the Rock, the Prince’s Palace will open its State Apartments free of charge from 10am to 5pm on Sunday.
Visitors will be able to see the Palace’s restored Renaissance frescoes, uncovered as part of a major conservation campaign launched in 2015. More than 600 square metres of historic decoration have been revealed in the Galerie d’Hercule and other areas, with the final phase of restoration expected to continue until 2028.
Nearby, the Hôtel du Gouvernement will welcome visitors into the official residence and offices of the Minister of State. Its reception rooms and terrace overlooking Port Hercule will be accessible from 10am to 5pm.
The National Council, Monaco Town Hall and Palais de Justice are also participating, along with the private chapel and gardens of the Archbishop’s residence.
Traditional Monegasque culture will form part of the programme at the National Council and Town Hall, where U Cantin d’a Roca will perform songs in the Monegasque language. Performances are scheduled at the National Council at 10am and 11am, followed by appearances in the Town Hall’s Salle des Mariages at 3pm and 4pm.
A guided walk through Monaco-Ville will offer further insight into the origins of the Principality, its architecture, traditions and lesser-known stories. The 90-minute tour begins near the Malizia statue in Place du Palais and requires advance registration.
Oceanographic Museum explores a living heritage
The Oceanographic Museum will approach the theme through the natural heritage of the sea, examining the pressures facing marine ecosystems and the work being undertaken to protect them.
Founded by Prince Albert I and inaugurated in 1910, the museum was conceived as a place where art and science could come together to advance knowledge of the marine world. Today, it receives more than 650,000 visitors annually.
Special guided tours will take place at 10.30am, 1.30pm, 3pm and 4.30pm. Each lasts approximately one hour and 15 minutes and is limited to 10 participants, with registration available at the museum ticket desks.
Unlike many participating sites, admission to the Oceanographic Museum is not free. A special Heritage Days rate will apply, with tickets priced at €9 for adults and €6 for visitors aged four to 17, students and people with disabilities. The museum will be open from 10am to 6pm.
Elsewhere on the Rock, visitors can explore the National Committee of Monegasque Traditions, Pavillon Bosio art school, Lycée Albert Ier and activities devoted to the preservation of Monaco’s traditional cuisine.
From the Casino to the Théâtre Princesse Grace
In Monte-Carlo, the Casino will offer free general access until midday on Sunday, with guided visits scheduled at 9.30am and 11am. Advance online registration is required for the guided tours.
The visit will focus on the building’s Belle Époque architecture, decorative arts and changing role within Monte-Carlo over more than a century. A retrospective film using archival photographs will also trace the evolution of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer over the past 160 years.
The Théâtre Princesse Grace is another major addition to the programme. Guided visits will take place at 10am, 11am, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm, offering access to the former Théâtre des Beaux-Arts.
Opened in 1932 and later restored at the request of Princess Grace, the theatre retains its Art Deco character and a history linked to performers including Édith Piaf and Maurice Chevalier. Registration is required through the Heritage Days website.
The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation will open Villa Girasole and its gardens from 10am to 5pm. Visitors will also be able to see exhibitions devoted to Greenland and Antarctica, accompanied by walking talks on the protection of the polar regions.
Other Monte-Carlo participants include the Francis Bacon MB Art Foundation, Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, Mémoria Archives and the Logoscope research and creative laboratory.
Museums, gardens and major sporting venues
The recently reopened Jardin Exotique will offer free admission from 9am to 6pm, giving visitors access to one of Monaco’s most distinctive landscapes following six years of work.
Guided visits to the Botanical Centre will be held at 10am and 2pm, with advance reservations required. Its glasshouses contain one of the world’s significant collections of cacti and succulents.
Also participating in the Jardin Exotique district are the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology, the Audiovisual Institute of Monaco and Villa Paloma, part of the New National Museum of Monaco.
At the Audiovisual Institute, visitors can see how Monaco’s film, television, photographic and sound archives are preserved, restored and digitised. Guided behind-the-scenes visits will be offered at 9.30am, 11am and 2pm, while screenings and exhibitions will be freely accessible during the day.
In Fontvieille, the programme includes Stade Louis II, the National Archives, the Museum of Stamps and Coins and Imprimerie Graphic Service.
The Museum of Stamps and Coins will open free of charge from 10am to 6pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Its collection traces Monaco’s monetary history from the first coins struck during the reign of Honoré II in 1640, as well as its philatelic history from the first Monegasque stamps issued in 1885.
The Prince’s Car Collection and the Quai Antoine Ier exhibition hall also form part of the programme.
Behind the scenes at Monaco’s institutions
Several participating venues offer a view of Monaco beyond its familiar visitor attractions. The Museum of the Princes of Monaco and Their Guards, at the Prince’s Carabiniers headquarters, will open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Guided visits and activities will trace the history of Monaco’s military guard from 1817 to the present day.
The programme also includes the Ballets de Monte-Carlo workshops, Princess Grace Academy, Rainier III Academy of Music and Theatre, Monaco Scientific Centre, Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace and Monaco-Monte-Carlo railway station.
The International Hydrographic Organization will open its headquarters on Quai Antoine Ier from 10am to 5pm, presenting the underwater drones, digital technologies and mapping techniques used to study the seabed.
Visitors can also explore the Caroline Multimedia Library’s heritage collection, learn about the conservation of public artworks through AMAPEI and join guided heritage walks through both Monaco-Ville and Monte-Carlo.
An exhibition titled Mémoire des lieux will run at the Quai Antoine Ier exhibition hall on both Saturday and Sunday. Through contemporary art, it examines how Monaco’s rapid urban transformation has reshaped buildings and landscapes while leaving traces of collective memory.
Reservations open on 25th September
Reservations for visits managed through the official Heritage Days website will open on Friday 25th September at 9am. Other venues use their own booking systems, telephone numbers or on-site registration, so visitors should check the conditions for each location carefully.
While many participating venues are free, this does not apply universally. Some, including the Oceanographic Museum, are offering reduced admission instead.
Monaco buses will be free for the occasion. A special daily parking rate of €9 will also be available at Les Salines, Condamine, Pêcheurs, Stade Louis II, Boulingrins, Grimaldi Forum and La Colle car parks.
The complete programme, booking information and interactive map are available at journeepatrimoinemonaco.com.
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Photo source: MCSBM