For ten years now, the Association pour la mise en valeur des espaces fortifiés de la région Nord Pas-de-Calais has been organizing Euro-regional Fortified Heritage Days in France and Belgium during the last weekend in April, offering local residents and visitors an opportunity to discover or rediscover an exceptional heritage that has been handed down through the centuries.

Once confined to their role as military heritage, fortified sites have since opened up to recreational and cultural activities, thanks to a series of restoration and accessibility policies initiated by local authorities and municipalities. These sites generally feature nature areas within easy reach of residential zones and play host to veritable eco-systems, boasting exceptional fauna and flora.

Since 2011, an Interreg project, within the framework of the European 2 Seas programme, has mobilized 22 French, British, Belgian and Dutch partners, including 8 members of the Association, to implement actions for rehabilitating, mediating and promoting vulnerable fortified areas. Entitled “Walls and Gardens”, the project aims to bring together the partner sites, allowing them to exchange know-how and experience in the various areas of action, and encourage the creation of shared tourist and cultural mediation products.

It is therefore in conjunction with the Association that the “Walls and Gardens” partners are organizing the 11th edition of the Euro-regional Fortified Heritage Days on 26 and 27 April 2014. As is the case each year, a programme of specific activities will be on offer during the weekend, consisting of free or reduced-price visits, festivities and events, designed around the theme of the hidden wealth of fortified heritage.

The Département du Nord, Lead Partner of the “Walls and Gardens” project, and the Association pour la mise en valeur des espaces fortifiées de la région Nord Pas-de- Calais are delighted to be sharing this event, which fosters exchange between these two town and city networks with complementary objectives.

We would like to thank the heritage day partners and hope you all enjoy your weekend at our fortified sites!

Patrick Kanner

President of the Conseil Général du Nord

Bertrand Ringot

President of the “Association pour la mise en valeur des espaces fortifiés du Nord-Pas-de-Calais”