The European Heritage Days manifestation was established in 1991 at the European Council initiative and with the help of European Community.
The general idea of the manifestation is the presentation of monuments and significant sights in order to:

- help all the Europeans to get to know and understand each other through cultural heritage, despite their cultural and language differences;
- draw attention to the need of constant cultural heritage protection, and to increase the level of awareness, at both the individual and in institutions, of the necessity and significance of the task;
- fight against racism, xenophobia and intolerance through opening up to differences and at the same time to bear a key role in seeking the identity and affirmation of our collective mind;
- make us ready for the future by investigating, interpreting and rendering meaningful the cultural monuments.

From the very beginning, the European Heritage Days have a great role in shaping awareness about European identity, not in a cultural sense, but in social, political and economic, as well.
Discovering a common heritage, enriched by differences, make Europe a place where recognition, understanding and acceptance of mutual differences are possible.

In order to co-ordinate individual countries' activities, several principles have been set:

- the manifestation is to be held in September;
- the programme is to include areas and sights which are not accessible to the public all year round, and even if they are, this time they are to offer special programmes, such as guided sightseeing tours, concerts, lectures, etc.;
- admission is either to be free, or of very low fees;
- the idea is to attract as many people as possible, especially the young and the schoolchildren;
- the official title is to be the European Heritage Days;
- the manifestation logotype is to be set on all the promotion material.

Since 1999 the manifestation slogan is "Europe - a Common Heritage".

www.coe.int/Heritage/EHD