European Heritage Days

This year, Heritage Days have the theme "Heritage at risk: revive, resist, reimagine", a subject that speaks to us in a very particular way.

Fondation Fernet-Branca is not just a space for art: it is the silent witness of several generations, the reflection of a know-how and a history that belong as much to its walls as to our entire region. The distillery that brought this place to life for nearly a hundred years has witnessed many things. Preserving this essence means safeguarding a collective memory. Sharing it means allowing everyone to reclaim this heritage and understand its value.
Preserving a listed building does not mean freezing it in place. The European Heritage Days are an occasion for us to think about exactly this tension: how to keep a building alive, how to keep filling it with new content, and what very material questions this raises, for stone, metal and substance.

And let's not forget our eagle, the emblem of the building, which very concretely reflects this approach: after more than a year of work, it is ready to once again watch over the surroundings from the rooftops. It has always been part of the place. Restoring it is a way of saying that this heritage still matters, and that we continue to take care of it.

For the occasion, we have prepared a wonderful program for you: workshops, guided tours of our temporary exhibition, as well as exceptional visits to our cellars, talks… Plenty to (re)discover Fondation Fernet-Branca in every detail!

An exceptional industrial and artistic heritage in the heart of Saint-Louis.

For the occasion, Fondation Fernet-Branca will exceptionally open its doors from 11am to 6pm.

On the program:

- Guided tours of the cellar. Discover a place steeped in history: the former cellars of the Fernet-Branca distillery.
Every hour between 12pm and 5pm, on Saturday September 19 and Sunday September 20.

- The secrets of plants: open workshop. Fernet-Branca owes its unique character to a clever blend of plants and spices, carefully measured according to a recipe kept secret for generations. During a playful, sensory workshop, our guide Coralie Oberlaender invites you to unravel part of this mystery.
September 19 from 2:30pm to 3:30pm
September 20 from 2pm to 3pm

- New wings for the eagle: meeting with Nicolas Tassart. The Fernet-Branca eagle, an iconic emblem watching over the site for generations, is about to regain its full splendor. For European Heritage Days, come meet Nicolas Tassart, president of Alsacienne de Métallerie, Ferronnerie d'Art, the company in charge of its restoration.
September 19 from 3:30pm to 4:30pm

- Vuelvo al Sur, Concert. We invite you to immerse yourself in the spellbinding world of tango. More than just a music or a dance, tango is a living heritage. The Quatuor Silencio de Tango brings this fascinating history back to life — from nostalgic classics of the golden age to the bold, modern sounds of tango nuevo. This concert traces the evolution of a genre that has conquered the whole world, to the point of being inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
September 19, at 7:00pm

- Finishing of the exhibition Tempesta
All day on September 20

- Guided tour of the Tempesta exhibition with Olga Osadtschy, artistic director
September 20 from 11:30am to 12:30pm

- To the Rhythm of Tango, Dance Workshop. Discover the world of tango through a unique experience blending live music, theatricality, and dance. Designed as an immersive crescendo, this event alternates moments of artistic contemplation with phases of active participation.
September 20 from 3:30pm to 5:30pm

On the occasion of European Heritage Days, and to celebrate the return of the Fernet-Branca eagle after its restoration, admission to the Foundation is free this weekend.