Parc Saint Paul in Saint Paul close to Paris, is a small, family-run amusement park in Hauts-de-France. Since its opening in 1983, the park offers an interesting selection of amusement rides, larger playgrounds, as well as a bunch of extraordinary roller coasters. However, the park has a safety issue. During the past 15 years, four accidents on the park’s roller coasters happened. Three of them concerned the roller coaster Formule 1 (s. picture), whereby two persons died.
Compagnie des Alpes
(since 1985 Part of the Walibi Group)
Walibi Rhône-Alpes in Les Avenières near Lyon in the beautiful Rhône-Alpes region is a medium sized family theme park in France. Founded in 1979 as Avenirland, the amusement park can look back on an eventful past. Two years after its opening, Eddy Méeus (founder of the Belgian theme park Walibi) took over a major share of the park together with a French manufacturer of amusement rides. Differences of opinion between the two parties led to Meeùs holding all the shares by the end of 1985.In 1989, the park changed its name to Walibi Rhône-Alpes. With the take over by Premier Parks in 1997, the park was expanded massively. In the past years and under leadership of the Compagnie des Alpes, the park regained its decision-making authority. Since then, the park surprises on a year to year basis with the addition of interesting rides and attractions.
Fun Fact #1: The water park Aqualibi, situated right inside the theme park, was the first water park of the group.
Fun Fact #2: The Walibi brand was known throughout France through extensive advertising on the Luxembourg radio station RTL – although the advertising was always aimed at the Francophone Belgians. The Radja River was on everybody’s lips. One year later, Avenirland changed its name and opened their own Radja River. A successful move, which secured the future of the theme park.
Nigloland in Dolancourt is a medium sized, family-run theme park in the Grand Est region of France. The park opened in 1987 by the showman Patrice und Philippe Gélis. Since then the park developed into a beautiful theme park with picturesque gardens and themed areas. It currently houses six roller coasters and a bunch of very interessting flat rides and other attractions.
Fun Fact #1: The rotation of the gondolas of the ghost train Manoir Hanté are driven by gravity only. Due to the inclination of the track to one of the sides, the gondolas rotate smoothly to always focus the big scenes of this factastic dark ride.
Fun Fact #2: There is a bar on the King of Mississippi boat tour. The relaxing ride on the big lake in the Canadian section of the park offers a nice little escape of the hustle and bustle of the park.
Parc Saint Paul in Saint Paul close to Paris, is a small, family-run amusement park in Hauts-de-France. Since its opening in 1983, the park offers an interesting selection of amusement rides, larger playgrounds, as well as a bunch of extraordinary roller coasters. However, the park has a safety issue. During the past 15 years, four accidents on the park’s roller coasters happened. Three of them concerned the roller coaster Formule 1 (s. picture), whereby two persons died.
Walibi Rhône-Alpes
