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Every year, in the third weekend of September, French heritage opens the doors of its history to you. A chance to discover a wealth of sometimes undreamed of treasures, not far from home. The theme of this 29th edition is “Hidden Heritage”.`Cross the drawbridge of a château in Brittany, disappear into the depths of a cave in the Ariège region, open the gates of an eminent Parisian residence … Because they are a chance for everyone to discover French heritage free of charge, the European Heritage Days are a huge success every year. This event for the general public was started in 1984 by the ministry for culture and, in 2011, it attracted 12 million visitors. Among the most popular sites are the château of Versailles, government buildings (the Senate, the Elysée Palace, etc.), as well as the Pont du Gard.With the theme of “Hidden Heritage”, this 29th edition of European Heritage Days is guaranteed to peak your curiosity. Everywhere in France, places hidden from view open their doors to the curious. In the Marne area, for example, go into the crypt of Reims Cathedral, which houses the remains of the chancel of three cathedrals which were there before the present one. At Saint-Quentin, in Picardy, go down into the dungeons of the old royal abbey where you can still see prisoners' inscriptions. In Paris, discover the Porte des Lilas-Cinéma metro station, used only for shooting films; where Amélie (2001) was filmed. All in all, some 16,000 heritage places await you. More informationHeritage days in ParisEuropean Heritage Days: Events by country&#160;