European Heritage Days 2026
The Niépce House will participate in the European Heritage Days which will be held on September 19 and 20, 2026. You will be able to visit the place where the very first photo in the world was taken by the inventor of photography in 1824: Nicéphore Niépce.
About the Niépce House
Niépce’s house in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes is the singular place where Nicéphore Niépce invented photography under the name of Heliography then Physautotype, in 1824.
It is also in this property that he invented with his brother Claude the first explosion engine (Pyreolophore) and that he perfected the vélocipède.
Exceptional visits
Guided tours will be organized:
- on Saturday 19 September, from 2pm to 6pm,
- on Sunday 20 September, from 2pm to 6pm.
During the guided tour, you will relive the history of this place. You will be able to handle the exact reconstitution of the first camera in the world and observe the heliographs made by a CNRS researcher according to the original processes of the inventor: images with Judean bitumen and lavender oil on glass, copper, tin and silver.
A faithful copy of the velocipede that Niépce used on the paths of the village will be at your disposal to practice around the property.
The Niépce House is financed by Spéos, the international photo-video school.
Practical information
The house is located at 2 rue Nicéphore Niépce, 71240 Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, France.
Tickets will be sold on site.
