European Heritage Days

For this year's European Heritage Days, Aulps Abbey is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its restoration!

The programme includes tours, lectures and the exceptional participation of the various trades involved in its restoration. - EXPLORE THE ABBEY" WORKSHOP - Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September at 11.30am, 3pm and 4.30pm. Meet up around the excavation trough to unearth the remains buried underground and discover the mysteries of the abbey. In the shoes of an archaeologist, budding researchers will discover this scientific practice that allows us to go back in time. Special for families, with children aged 6 and over (children must be accompanied by an adult). Registration: booking recommended, number of places limited. - From farm to museum" - Saturday 20 September at 2.30pm. Take a fascinating tour of the monastic farm, restored under the guidance of heritage architect Guy Desgranchamp. Using previously unpublished documents, he will reveal how his ideas led to the restoration of this building. Booking recommended - CONFERENCE "In the footsteps of Saint-Guérin... 2000-2025. A look back at the development of the museum programme for the Abbaye d'Aulps estate" - Saturday 20 September at 4pm Malika Bordes-Boudellal, ethno-museographer, was commissioned 25 years ago to imagine the museum that would inhabit the monastic farm. In her talk, she reveals how the figure of Saint-Guérin inspired her approach. Booking recommended - 10 preconceived ideas about Aulps Abbey" - Saturday 20 September at 5pm Historian Arnaud Delerce will be taking a look at the abbey's historical sources to help you sort out what's true and what's not. More than a lecture, it's a real fact-checking exercise designed to dispel preconceived ideas! - VISIT ‘Microhistorical tour’ - Saturday 20 September at 5.30pm Take an exclusive tour with Arnaud Delerce, a historian specialising in the site, and find out more about Aulps Abbey than you've ever known before! Thanks to his in-depth knowledge of the site, he'll reveal some astonishing events that have been kept quiet until now... not very monastic! Booking recommended - TOUR ‘From abbey to cabaret’ - Sunday 21 September at 11am This guided tour will take you up the abbey stream to discover the life of the monks. From the ingenuity of water collection to the end of the monastic era, the abbey's heritage will hold no secrets for you. Booking recommended - TOUR ‘Discover the secrets of the abbey's construction’ - Sunday 21 September at 2pm This tour of the remains of the abbey church invites you to read through the stones of this architectural gem, a perfect example of medieval architecture. From the construction to the often discreet decorations, discover all the secrets of the abbey! Booking recommended - TOUR ‘Discover the monastic gardens’ - Sunday 21 September at 4pm From the medieval kitchen garden to the courtil des Simples, via the conservatory rose garden, discover the gardens of the estate. Find out all about the monks' diet, medieval medicine and plant symbols in architecture. - ANIMATION ‘Reading the food landscape’ - Sunday 21 September The CPIE Chablais-Léman will be on hand to organise activities as part of the Food Days. Workshops and discussions will punctuate this afternoon in the autumnal setting of Aulps Abbey. - Musée Numérique / Micro Folie du Haut-Chablais - Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September Visit the Musée Numérique at the Micro-Folie du Haut-Chablais, using immersive and virtual reality devices. Discover the masterpieces of medieval architecture, including an exclusive visit to Notre-Dame de Paris. - Contemporary art: the "La Haute Chasse" exhibition by Mina MOND - Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September Mina Mond is used to epic scenes with strong symbolism, and in this exhibition she tackles fantastic hunts. Inspired by medieval illuminations, her works combine a variety of techniques: decoupage, painting on canvas or inverted glass, tempura... - Abbaye d'Aulps 3D - Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September Discover the abbey as it was before it was destroyed in 1823. A unique experience to be discovered with virtual reality helmets or tablets available to hire from reception.