The Junta de Extremadura is set to launch the 2026 European Heritage Days, which will focus on the preservation of cultural assets, traditional crafts, and the memory of local communities. The event is themed 'Heritage at risk: revive, resist, reimagine', and is organised by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports through the General Directorate of Cultural and Documentary Heritage.
This year’s programme includes 26 free activities designed to connect citizens with cultural heritage and traditional knowledge that require conservation and transmission to future generations. The initiative brings together proposals from local action groups, cultural associations, archives, artisans, and other entities across the two provinces of Extremadura.
Scheduled for November, the programme will particularly focus on traditional crafts and their preservation. Highlights of the activities include:
- A route exploring heritage at risk in the Vegas Altas del Guadiana, in Medellín.
- A guided tour of the Palacio de Paredes Saavedra in Cáceres.
- A visit to the Doña Leonor cheese factory in Alburquerque, which highlights intangible cultural heritage.
- A paleography workshop titled 'When letters resist' at the General Archive of Extremadura in Mérida on 10 November, and at the Historical Archive of Badajoz on 17 November.
- Visits to the beehives in Valencia del Mombuey and the Historical and Cultural Interpretation Centre of Campo Arañuelo, featuring historical reenactments.
- A proposal in Burguillos del Cerro focusing on traditional crafts and vernacular architecture.
- A route on the culture of water in Puerto de Santa Cruz.
- A lecture on San Miguel de los Fresnos in Fregenal de la Sierra.
- An educational activity for children titled 'Do you know the goblin Jampón?' aimed at creating characters and stories.
- A visit to a livestock farm to learn about native breeds of Extremadura.
Through these initiatives, the 2026 European Heritage Days invite participants to recognise the value of local heritage and to engage in the conservation of the buildings, landscapes, and knowledge that are integral to community life. Some activities have already taken place in October, including a route tracing the footsteps of Charles V in Salvatierra de Santiago and a visit to the Royal Monastery of Yuste in Cuacos de Yuste. All activities are free, and interested individuals can register at jepextremadura.es.
