Most people climb Borobudur, take the photo, and leave. They saw a famous temple, but did they understand it?

That question is why Marie Lavandier is in Indonesia this week. She leads France’s Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN), the team that looks after the Arc de Triomphe. Her mission is to help plan the Borobudur Museum, a project meant to turn a quick visit into a real story.

At a glance

• 100+: historic monuments managed by CMN in France
• 18 to 24 October 2026: dates of the CMN visit to Indonesia
• 22 April 2026: date the CMN and InJourney Destination Management MoU was signed in Paris
• 4: pillars guiding Borobudur’s management (conservation, spiritual, education, tourism)

What Is the Borobudur Museum Project?

The Borobudur Museum project is a joint plan by France and Indonesia to create a museum that makes visiting Borobudur more meaningful. The partners are the Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN) and InJourney Destination Management (IDM). The first assessment takes place from 18 to 24 October 2026. No budget has been announced yet.

Who Is Involved and Why Now?

The idea began at the top. On 29 May 2025, Presidents Macron and Prabowo adopted the Borobudur Declaration on Joint Cultural Strategy. It named museums and cultural heritage as priorities for both countries.

Things moved fast after that. A first Strategic Cultural Dialogue took place in Paris in July 2025, followed by a task force of leading French cultural institutions. Then on 22 April 2026, CMN and IDM signed a MoU in Paris. French Minister of Culture Catherine Pégard and Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon were present. The Borobudur Museum is the first flagship project under that deal.

What Will the Team Do This Week?

Here’s the surprising part: no one is drawing a building yet. This week is about listening and looking.

Lavandier and her delegation will meet IDM and the Indonesian Heritage Agency. They will study visitor facilities, the tools used to explain the site, cultural programming, and who actually visits. They will also check the site’s infrastructure and daily operations.

Picture the setting. Grey stone terraces, warm under the early sun, and visitors walking past carved reliefs without knowing what they show. That gap between seeing and understanding is what the team wants to close.

How Will the Museum Change Your Visit?

The plan is for the museum to become part of the visit itself, not a side stop. IDM wants better learning tools, easier access, and a smoother link between the museum and the temple site. It also wants more varied cultural experiences for both domestic and international visitors.

Febrina Intan, President Director of InJourney Destination Management, put the goal simply:

“Visitors can go beyond admiring the monument to discover its stories.”

She also stressed that better visit experiences must go hand in hand with protecting Borobudur’s heritage.

What Happens Next?

The October findings will shape early recommendations for the museum’s content and visitor experience. More missions and working sessions are planned for 2027. Those will refine the program, develop visitor routes and interpretation tools, and support the architectural design phase.

France brings experience in explaining monuments to the public. Indonesia brings local knowledge, priorities, and leadership. The project is designed to combine both.