Instead of the fantasy that most theme parks are built around, this 37-year-old park in the Pays de Loire out west, just under four hours from Paris, is built entirely around European history — not in the form of museums or displays, but through large-scale live performances staged throughout the grounds. The history here is broad and theatrical: Roman gladiatorial games; Viking raids along the Atlantic coast; medieval knights and fortresses; Renaissance courts; and episodes from French royal and religious history. Rather than learning through plaques, visitors encounter history as spectacle. In one arena, a Roman chariot race unfolds with surprising intensity; in another, a Viking longship appears to sail directly out of a lake as a village burns around it. Birds of prey perform in open-air shows inspired by medieval falconry, while nighttime productions combine thousands of performers, music, fire, and water into something closer to epic cinema than traditional theater. There are no rides at all — the movement comes from walking between eras, letting one historical world give way to another. Plus you can stay overnight at appropriately themed accommodations. (By the way, there´s also a Puy de Fou Spain just outside the city of Toledo, an hour south of Madrid.)
Read more in my post 5 of the World's Best Theme Parks Without Rides.
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