European Heritage Days at the Royal Saltworks

SATURDAY 21 & SUNDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2024
From 9.00 am to 6.00 pm

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982, the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans is the masterpiece of Claude Nicolas Ledoux (1736-1806), a visionary architect of the Age of Enlightenment.

Since its opening in 1779, the site has evolved from a royal salt factory to a cultural centre open to the public, visited by almost 140,000 people every year.

As part of the Heritage Days programme, the Saline Royale is inviting visitors to explore its architecture, history, secrets and recent transformation through exhibitions and its 13-hectare park.

Programme :

On the programme for these days:

All visits and activities are included in the admission ticket.

- Guided tour of the Royal Saltworks
Saturday 9.30 am / 10.45 am / 12 noon / 1.30 pm / 2 pm / 3.15 pm / 4 pm
Sunday: 9.30 am / 10.45 am / 12 noon / 1.30 pm / 2 pm / 4 pm
Duration: 1 hour / For children aged 6 and over and adults
A mediator-guide introduces you to the 11 buildings where the salt workers lived and worked, and comments on the exhibition "Histoires de sel" (Stories of salt) before explaining the life and work of Ledoux, the famous architect of the Age of Enlightenment.

- Thematic guided tour: "An unusual history of the monument in the 20th century: from abandonment to major projects".
Times: Saturday 21 at 11.45am / 2.30pm / 3pm / 4.15pm / Sunday 22 at 11.45am / 2.30pm / 3pm / 5pm
Duration: 30 min without registration
For children aged 6 and over and adults
With the help of numerous previously unpublished photos from the Saline's photo library, punctuated by anecdotes from a guide, discover the events that have punctuated the history of the Saline, from its abandonment to its transformation into a museum and cultural centre.


- Thematic tour, behind the scenes at the Royal Saltworks
Times: 10.30 am / 2.30 pm
Duration: 1 hour / Requires prior knowledge of the history of the Saltworks
For children aged 6 and over and adults
Registration required (by telephone)
A guide will take you on an exclusive tour of the areas that are usually inaccessible to the public, and which give life to the Saltworks today. Between the industrial past and today's cultural activities, discover the transformation of the site and new views of the monument.


- Visit the "On the lookout" exhibition - Photographs by Vincent Munier
Opening times: 1.30pm to 5.30pm
Free access during the times indicated.
Come and discover the adventures of wildlife photographer Vincent Munier through a tour revealing anecdotes about his travels and the background to his photographs.


- Cluedo "The Director's Murder" at the Royal Saltworks
Schedule: 3pm
Registration required (by telephone)
For children aged 6 and over, accompanied by an adult, registration required.
This morning, at the Saline Royale, the lifeless body of the director, Jean Roux Montclar, was discovered. The circumstances of his death are unclear, suggesting that he was murdered. As a team, investigate this mystery, question the suspects, find the murder weapon and identify the culprit.


- Immersive visit of the Royal Saltworks with HistoPad
Opening times: 9am to 6pm
Immersive 360° 3D historical scenes and interactive 3D objects will take you back in time to the 18th-century Royal Salt Works, where you can meet the salt workers. A treasure hunt, a histoselfie and an electronic visitors' book complete the tour.


- Immerse yourself in Unesco World Heritage sites at the Centre des Lumières
Opening times: 9am to 6pm
Screenings every 15 minutes. Free access during the times indicated.
Through eight 8-minute films, travel to the very origins of our civilisations and take a trip to the four corners of the world. (Re)discover eight UNESCO World Heritage sites as you've never seen them before, in immersive 3D.

- Pôle Grands Prédateurs" association stand
Opening times: 1.30pm to 5.30pm
The Pôle Grands Prédateurs (or PGP) is an association governed by the French law of 1901, which initially supported the return of large predators (lynx and wolf) to the Jura mountains, in particular by protecting livestock. Since then, it has sought to extend its activities to other species such as the fox, in particular by communicating to everyone the importance of having these species in our ecosystems.

Admission includes: entrance to the monument, access to the exhibitions and gardens, a Histopad audioguide and participation in the tours and activities on offer.

More information about the programme is available on the website: https://www.salineroyale.com/evenement/journees-europeennes-du-patrimoine/