|
IN BRIEF
|
Good news for lovers of stones and stories: the 2025 selection of the Heritage Lottery reveals 102 jewels, one per department, ready to receive a spotlight — and a paintbrush! Carried since 2018 by Stéphane Bern with the Française des Jeux and the Ministry of Culture, the initiative turns each ticket into an act of preservation: €1.83 per ticket to restore endangered monuments. Already more than a thousand sites supported and more than 70% of projects completed: enough to scratch curiosity as much as tickets, from regions to hidden villages.
Discover the 102 jewels selected for the “Heritage Lottery” 2025! Here is the edition that makes the hearts of lovers of old stones and living stories beat faster. Supported by the Française des Jeux and launched in 2018 by Stéphane Bern, this program aims to finance the restoration and maintenance of threatened monuments throughout France (including Overseas). In 2025, a new wave of 102 monuments — one per department — joins the adventure, alongside 18 “emblematic” sites highlighted at the regional level. On the agenda: a lottery and scratch card game where part of the proceeds supports these projects, inspiring getaways… and already visible successes, with more than 70% of projects initiated since the launch now completed.
Since 2018, the Heritage Lottery has rhymed the thrill of gaming with a public interest mission. The idea is simple: transform your ticket into a concrete helping hand for endangered monuments — forgotten castles, cracked churches, lighthouses battered by the winds, historic factories, historic gardens… At the helm, the Française des Jeux and the team led by Stéphane Bern, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Culture.
The result: more than a thousand sites have already been helped across the territory, and more than 70% of the projects are now delivered or well advanced. In 2025, the new selection aligns 102 departmental gems — local stories to rediscover — and keeps the spotlight on 18 emblematic sites chosen by region, whose images will appear on the famous tickets.
Discover the 102 jewels selected for the “Heritage Lottery” 2025! How does the selection work?
Every year, a list is established with the Ministry of Culture according to precise criteria: state of conservation, urgency, heritage interest, local dynamism, potential for reuse. In spring, one emblematic site is chosen in each of the 18 regions and becomes the ambassador of the edition; it is accompanied by a vast galaxy of departmental sites, equally captivating, which also benefit from the returns.
This mechanism has a virtue: it sketches a sensitive map of heritage across the entire Hexagon and the overseas territories. It features medieval treasures, classical masterpieces, industrial feats, modernist architectures, and places of memory that tell a thousand lives.
What happens to your ticket
The game works like a classic lottery and scratch card games: you play, you can win, and part of the profits is returned to the projects. Specifically, €1.83 per ticket sold is intended for the selected projects. A small gesture for a big effect: added together, these euros turn into scaffolding, stonemasons, new frames, painstakingly restored gildings… and in much-anticipated reopenings.
Discover the 102 jewels selected for the “Heritage Lottery” 2025! 18 regional emblems, 102 local gems
The 2025 edition is a two-tier showcase. At the top, the 18 regional ambassadors: their photos will adorn the tickets and catch the eye. Alongside them, the selection of 102 departmental sites enriches the diversity of projects and anchors the operation closer to the people. Together, they form a mosaic of artisanal trades, know-how, and architectures.
If the list is national, the experience is local: witnessing the rebirth of a framework, seeing a painted decor reappear under the dust, or understanding how a building can reinvent itself to accommodate contemporary uses. These are all meetings that transform a visit into a memorable memory.
Focus on visit inspirations
Want to combine heritage and the art of living around Île-de-France? Head to a historic weekend near Paris: a chance to mix a stroll in royal park, an intimate museum, and a gourmet stop, while visiting one of the selected sites not far from the capital.
Towards Occitanie, the region unfolds a backdrop of ramparts, cobbled streets, and artisan workshops. For an immersion in the medieval spirit, let yourself be guided to the medieval city near Montpellier and extend your experience with the discovery of a supported monument nearby.
The French heritage also shines in the Overseas territories. In Guadeloupe, the memorial tourism at Petit-Canal reminds us of the power of places of memory: a strong milestone for understanding history and honoring those who have traversed it.
Prefer slow travel? Many sites lend themselves to discovery by bike, via greenways or gentle elevation routes. Get inspired by this accessible cycling route in Europe to imagine a heritage getaway with little legs and big smiles.
And if your curiosity pushes you beyond borders, a leap to Ireland and its Georgian facades may feed your desires for stones loaded with soul: in this respect, take a look at the must-sees for a weekend in Cork. Travels shape perspectives: you return better equipped to understand our own monuments.
Discover the 102 jewels selected for the “Heritage Lottery” 2025! Prepare your getaway
Before you leave, consult the practical information: some buildings are under renovation, others are partially open with guided tours available. Inquire about access conditions, the state of progress, and occasional events (open houses, workshops, participatory projects). Good to know: since 2018, the movement has allowed a large part of the supported sites to be saved and rehabilitated; the 2025 edition continues this optimistic continuity.
Routes and best practices
Compose a “themed” route: lighthouses on the coast, fortifications, industrial architectures, remarkable gardens, or places of memory. Combine one emblematic site with a nearby departmental site for a rich and balanced day. Prioritize low-carbon transport when possible (train + bike), and support local artisans and producers around the visited monuments.
Discover the 102 jewels selected for the “Heritage Lottery” 2025! Follow the projects and participate
To follow the progress of the projects, turn to official channels (institutional and associative), tourist offices, and local media. You can contribute in several ways: buy a dedicated ticket (with, for the record, €1.83 refunded per ticket to the projects), make a donation to the leading organizations, join a heritage preservation association, or simply visit and talk about these places around you.
Every scratched ticket, every shared photo, every visit counts: this is how walls are straightened, roofs shine again, and villages regain a beating heart. Heritage is written in the present; in 2025, it literally extends you the ticket.
