In France I visited a rural theme park without any rides… and it was a fantastic experience, I even stayed there for 2 days. Puy du Fou is an historical theme park in Les Epesses, in the heart of the Vendée region, in Western France. It took me 4 hours of driving from Paris and it’s totally worth the visit. The history of the park started in 1977 when a student discovered the ruins of an old renaissance castle of the Puy du Fou and decided to create an original show named “Cinéscénie” with a story spanning from the fourteenth century until World War II. The Grand Park of the Puy du Fou opened in 1989 and today is one of the most popular theme parks in France. The park is split into 26 main shows, each running for approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Puy du Fou is focused on the spectacular theatrics of general history.
In the park you will find restaurants, picnic areas, souvenirs stores, reconstructed historic villages and hotels. Since the park is located in the forest it is very green with several ponds, fountains, music shows and even animals in the barns. Unlike many theme parks, le Puy du Fou is not part of a large corporate enterprise, but is a joint effort run by a grouping of local businesses and non-profit associations – and is thus a self-financing venture that is firmly anchored in local life.
The main show Cinéscénie is taking place in the evening and is only performed during peak season. It is bookable separately and has a separate entrance from the park. Cinéscénie is the largest night-time show in the world. This magnificent after-dark spectacular of light, fireworks, sound and action is set on a huge outdoor stage behind the ruins of the old Château du Puy du Fou. It is performed by over 1,500 volunteers, in front of a 14,000 people crowd in attendance.
