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What is France’s new heritage pass and is it the same as the National Trust pass in UK
The pass offers access to a range of heritage sites
Published
France has launched a new annual Heritage Pass for those interested in visiting multiple sites across the country.
The Pass Patrimoine, offered by the Fondation du patrimoine, an NGO that protects and promotes French heritage, includes more than 500 monuments, castles, museums and other heritage sites across the country.
Membership starts at €6.50 a month and gives access to a mixture of well-known attractions and lesser-known heritage sites.
These include the Palace of Versailles, Château de Chambord, Château de Fontainebleau, Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, Hospices de Beaune, Abbaye de Fontevraud, Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and the Théâtre antique d'Orange .
Meanwhile less well-known sites include the Maison d’Ernest Renan in Brittany, Château de Villandraut in Gironde, Château de Javarzay in Deux-Sèvres and Abbaye Saint-André de Valmagne in Hérault.
There are four membership options:
Solo: €6.50 a month for one person
Duo: €9.50 a month for one person and a guest at each visit
Family with one adult: €11.50 a month for one person and up to five children
Family with two adults: €14.50 a month for two adults and up to five children
The options come with a 12 month engagement.
The Fondation du patrimoine said the scheme is intended to encourage people to visit more heritage sites and help fund their upkeep.
For each entry using the pass, the site receives an average of 80% of its normal admission price.
How does it compare with the UK's National Trust?
The French scheme is similar to membership of the National Trust in the UK.
The National Trust is a charity caring for more than 500 sites across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its members receive free entry to the sites, as well as free parking at most National Trust car parks.
However, white the National Trust membership gives access to places managed by the National Trust itself, France's Pass Patrimoine brings together public and private sites operated by different organisations.
Current National Trust membership costs £100.80 a year for an individual aged 26 or over, while joint membership for two adults costs £168. Family memberships are also available.
Launch coincides with Heritage Days
The Pass Patrimoine launch arrives just before the 43rd edition of the European Heritage Days, or Journées européennes du patrimoine, on September 19 and 20.
In the span of these two days, over 20,000 events are taking place across France, with thousands of sites opening their doors for free visits and special events.
