Open Alvar Aalto Route Days Brought Architectural Heritage Closer to the Public

In September 2025, the European Heritage Days were celebrated along the Alvar Aalto Route, offering the public a diverse programme of architectural experiences. The events included open houses, guided tours, exhibitions, workshops, and family-friendly activities at sites connected to Alvar Aalto’s architectural heritage.

The European Heritage Days are the largest participatory cultural event in Europe, highlighting the diversity of our shared cultural heritage. The 2025 theme, Architectural Heritage, invited people to reflect on which buildings and environments should be preserved for future generations. The sites along the Alvar Aalto Route demonstrated how architecture can become an integral part of the landscape, the community, and everyday life – bringing a human scale and beauty that resonates across generations.

The Open Alvar Aalto Route Days event series was part of a project coordinated by the Cultural Route on Aalto’s Architecture and Design Heritage Association, together with members of the Alvar Aalto Route across Europe. Almost 30 European Heritage Days events were organised at architectural sites along the route in Finland, France, and Italy. The month of events culminated in the Alvar Aalto Week in Rovaniemi.

As part of the project, a video documenting the event series was produced, offering viewers an opportunity to experience the atmosphere of the Alvar Aalto Route Days and the unique architectural destinations across Europe.

The project was funded by the joint programme of the Council of Europe and the European Union, European Heritage Days.