Theatres, concert halls, museums, and cultural centres will be under the spotlight for European Heritage Days 2019 in the Netherlands, in a celebration of this year's theme “Places of Pleasure.”

This unique interpretation of the European Heritage Days common theme “Arts and Entertainment” will shed new light on the numerous heritage sites across the Netherlands. Like in previous years, Open Monumentendag will provide access to approximately 5000 sites across 300 Dutch municipalities.   

The events will take place on 14 and 15 September and will focus on five types of entertainment: performance art, museums, sports and games, hospitality, and recreation. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience heritage in a new way and access hundreds of monuments and sites that have a unique cultural value.

Announcing the Open Monumentendag Programme for 2019

Workshops, city tours, bus rides, performances, walks, readings, cruises, and family activities will all be a part of European Heritage Days celebrations in the Netherlands. With hundreds of municipalities participating, the European Heritage Days stars will shine bright across the entire country.

Visitors can expect a lot of fun and opportunities to discover new stories with this year’s theme. Numerous landmarks that are traditionally open during the festival will once again offer free admissions to tell their stories. The programme will be enriched with various new additions that will provide new perspectives on Dutch heritage and culture. In Sellingen, a special photo exhibition with the theme “Places of Pleasure” will be presented, while Kalkwijck Distillers, a unique farm with a distillery in Groningen, will organise a special tour celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

Pand Industria - Royal Industrial Club, the Bazel, the Van Brienen Houose, and Betty Asphalt Complex are just some of the buildings that will be available for tours in Amsterdam. Utrecht will welcome visitors to its various monuments, churches, and museums, and Delft will open its only remaining 18th century mill together with several other historic places. In addition to these, various public buildings, industrial heritage monuments, architectural masterpieces, castles, and rural estates across the country will reveal authentic Dutch architecture and style.

By touring historic buildings, attending live performances, and participating in various youth or family activities, the visitors will have a chance to reconnect with their heritage and rediscover their European identities. The great diversity of events will highlight the values of Dutch heritage, positioning it as a source of entertainment, pleasure, and inspiration.  

In 2018, the Netherlands welcomed over one million visitors to approximately 500 monuments and sites. Around 18,000 volunteers from all over the country contributed to making the stories a reality and providing such a great number of memorable experiences. This year, the visitors can expect an even more exciting programme with a lot of special new openings.

More information about the programme and locations is available on the Open Monumentendag website.