Parc Astérix - fair weather theme park lacks Gallic flair

The original comic strip character Astérix who spawned this theme park was supposed to be a huge, proud hero of ancient Gaul. His creator, René Goscinny, had the inspired idea of turning him into a small, weedy warrior with low native cunning, while his collaborator, Albert Uderzo, came up with his inseparable friend Obélix, who is tall, enormously strong but incredibly stupid. This irresistible combination first appeared in the magazine Pilote back in 1959 and has since been translated into more than 80 different languages. Goscinny died in 1977, leaving Uderzo to continue the series on his own.

Astérix’s early adventures all take place in and around an unnamed village on the coast of Armorica, modern-day Brittany. The Romans have conquered the rest but somehow Astérix’s village always gets the better of them, helped by a magic potion brewed by the village druid that gives anyone who drinks it supernatural strength – but only for a few hours at a time. 

As the books gathered momentum, Astérix was supplied with a much more ambitious storyline.  He visits many other places in the ancient world, including Spain, Britain and ancient Rome, where he treats Julius Caesar as an equal in some hilarious exchanges. 

The theme park first opened in 1989 and remains largely faithful to the original concept, with a vast recreation of Astérix’s village, complete with all the best known characters.  However Parc Astérix seems unable to make up its mind whether it is a serious competitor for other parks where the emphasis is on bigger and bigger rides. The most formidable ride at Parc Astérix, known as Goudurix, has seven full reverse loops but at 75mph does not impress the real theme park aficionados. Rather more consistent with the concept of early Gaul is Tonnerre de Zéus, a wooden roller coaster reminiscent of those that ran in Victorian times, 30 metres high. At its top speed of 80 mph it makes a tremendous racket.

Other popular rides, such as La Trace de Houra, with a 60 mph slide, and the Menhir Express, which ends its run with a dizzy drop, seem unimpressive to adults and older children. Le Cheval de Troie, a giant Trojan horse swing, and La Galère, a huge swinging ship, feel outdated. Perhaps the best of the innovative rides is Trasdemonia, a ghost train that plunges deep into a castle dungeon. 

The audience shows, mainly held in Astérix’s village, lack flair and struggle to find a credible theme: there is a limit to the number of ways the battles between the Gauls and the Roman legions can be presented. Perhaps this is why the rather incongruous 2006 presentations include d’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers, and a gang war in Chicago where the villains intend to steal the painting of the Mona Lisa before it leaves for an exhibition in the United States.

Parc Astérix is extremely easy to find and reach. It lies 30 kilometres north of Paris on the A1 autoroute, with its own dedicated exit between junctions 7 and 8. For potential UK arrivals, it is 254 km from Calais, all by motorway. The park has its own hotel but neither the accommodation nor the food is particularly impressive.

There are no illusions among the management at Park Astérix that they can remain open in the winter months: the park closes from late October to mid April. Although in the warmer months it represents an excellent day out, especially for younger children, the park is heavily dependent on dry conditions. No refunds are given in wet weather, when a disconcertingly high percentage of rides and food outlets remain closed. The image is rather spoiled when a Roman legionnaire stands disconsolately under an umbrella.

Visit www.parcasterix.fr to find out more

From our September 2006 newsletter