Puy du Fou: The best ‘theme park’ you’ve never heard of

An hour outside of Nantes I had a transformative experience. A place called Puy du Fou (pronounced pwee du foo) entices 2.26m visitors per year. It covers 55 hectares. It features performances and shows that top British newspapers call better than Disney’s. I’d heard all these things. But until I actually visited, I didn’t understand the magic of this attraction in France. It is one of the most popular family destinations in the country. Now I know why. Just don’t listen to the descriptions calling it a ‘theme park’.

Thinking of the words ‘theme park’. What do they conjure? Thrill rides. Gift shops filled with plush toys and plastic geegaws. Merchandising on everything from t-shirts to novelty cups. Food that runs the gamut from candy floss to chicken nuggets. In these ways, Puy du Fou is no theme park. But in other respects it is the one of the best damn ‘theme parks’ I’ve ever visited.

Puy du Fou is an easy hour’s drive from Nantes Atlantique Airport, which is small but efficient. From here you can arrange to a taxi or rent a car.

 

Better than thrill rides

Puy du Fou has no rides. Instead it has mind-blowing shows and walk-through experiences that draw on history and myths, using storytelling to create fantastic spectaculars. A ship rises from a lake then bursts into flame. Equestrians perform trick riding. Acrobats jump and flip. Light shows illuminate a lake at night. Fountains dance. It became a running joke within my group of fellow Influencers that fire would have to burst out in all the big shows…and it did!

But it’s the elements of ingenuity and creativity that make a real difference. In every case there was a surprise or development that had us gasping or laughing or, in a couple of instances, touching our emotions.

 

Not just a good visitor experience

I think one of the things that infuses Puy du Fou with passion is its ethos. A lot of places describe themselves as happy families, everyone in it together. Here they seem to really live it. Money is reinvested in the park, with new shows regularly introduced. More important than that, the owners have created an academy and school to educate and train the next generation of Puy du Fou’ers. That doesn’t just mean horse riders and dancers, but people at all levels and in a huge range of roles. In the Forge near Les Vikings show I saw a young apprentice firing and hammering metal. After the bird display called Les Bal des Oiseaux Fantômes, a group of primary pupils — all wearing matching hats — came in for what appeared to be a lesson on the different birds, with a large map showing where the animals were from. Can you imagine having this kind of science lesson at school?

 

 

Throughout the park you see these young people, performing in shows, doing crafts, being a part of the life of the park. This year, the park is expanding its education programme to include a secondary school as their pupils mature. And here’s something very cool: These training and education programmes are for Puy du Fou residents.  It’s not about recruiting super-talented theatre kids from Paris or London or Berlin — it’s about families and being part of the community. (See some of these kids in action in the Ballet des Sapeurs show on the bridge of the Bourg 1900 Village. It is a delightful display of silent-film style slapstick set to jazz music and made me that much more excited about everything Puy du Fou does.)

Different kinds of shopping

The care and passion shows even in the shops. We loved those in the Medieval Village — they are run by outside vendors who rent the space and sell a range of handicrafts and artisan goods. Rather than mass-produced tat, here you can buy affordable enamelled jewelry, sculpture, wooden crafts and the cutest pixie boots you ever saw (not just for girls — these look great on men; perfect when they have a hawk perched on their leather gauntlet too). We watched an artisan meticulously carve a full-size madonna and child statue, getting to close that he appeared to almost be kissing it.

 

 

 

The shows to see at Puy du Fou

Those aspects make Puy du Fou all the more enjoyable. But why you come is the shows. Here are some of the my favourites:

• Le Secret de la Lance — A woman is provided an enchanted lance to protect her castle. I loved the horsemanship, the aerial acrobatics…and then the entire set moved to expose a castle and even more theatrics…
• Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantômes — You’ve seen shows before featuring birds of prey. Have you seen one that features so many varieties? Where the handlers walk among the crowd and occasionally place a bird atop a spectator’s head? That ends with a riot of all manner of owls, vultures, falcons, even storks swirling overhead in a dramatic dance? I certainly hadn’t. The minute it ended I wanted to watch it again
• Le Signe du Triomphe — Relive the excitement of the Roman circus in an open-air stadium, with chariot races, fight scenes (including spurting blood!) and audience participation — you are either one of the Gauls or the Romans. Expect to boo, cheer and be amazed.
• Cinéscénie — This spectacular is not included in the regular ticket price but is a must-see — a live-action show spread over 23 hectares with 2,400 actors (yes, really!) featuring singing, dancing, animals, lights floating in the sky and breath-taking fireworks. It sells out so book these tickets quickly!

 

 

I’ll be sharing more about my visit soon. What do you think of Puy du Fou so far?

More about Puy du Fou

8 shows at Puy du Fou that will blow your mind – Globetotting

 

More in France

Maison de la Nature et des Mégalithes at St Just with Children