Parc Astérix
French theme park based on the Asterix comics.
Parc Astérix, a theme park in northern France, draws its inspiration from the Asterix comic series created by Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny. It opened in 1989 and is run by Compagnie des Alpes. The park sits in the commune of Plailly, within the Oise department, about 35 kilometers northeast of Paris. During 2023, it attracted more than 2.8 million visitors, which placed it as the second most visited entertainment resort in France—only behind Disneyland Paris—and the eighth most visited across Europe.
The park is particularly known in France for its wide selection of roller coasters, which outnumbers those found in most other parks in mainland France. Its rides and themed areas draw from historic cultures such as the Gauls, Romans, Ancient Greece, and more recently Ancient Egypt, but always stay true to the visual style of the comic books, frequently reusing characters, scenes, and sounds from Asterix media.
The location was chosen because of its transport links: a private interchange connects the park directly to the nearby A1 autoroute, and a bus shuttle runs to La Courneuve's 8 Mai 1945 station on Paris Métro Line 7. Construction cost 850 million French francs and created 1,200 jobs, with major funding from Barclays and 20 other investors including Compagnie Générale des Eaux, the Havas group, Union des Assurances de Paris, and the Picardy region. Jack Lang, then Minister of Culture, officially opened the park on 30 April 1989 after two years of work.
When Disneyland Paris opened in 1992, Parc Astérix saw its attendance drop by 30% and revenue fall by 19%. Visitor numbers soon steadied at around 2 million per year. In October 2005, the park held La Fête des Druides ("The Festival of the Druids") as a deliberate alternative to Halloween. The 2007 season marked the first time the park opened during the Christmas holidays. For its 20th anniversary in 2009, it opened on weekends in September and October and introduced a Halloween event called Peur sur le Parc Astérix ("Fear at Parc Astérix"). In May 2018, Thomas Dubosc, then Head of Construction, announced on television that a new multi-launch roller coaster called Toutatis, built by Intamin, was planned for 2021; it eventually opened for the 2023 season due to delays from COVID-19 and woodcutting issues.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Plailly
- Owner
- Compagnie des Alpes
- Opening Date
- 30 April 1989
- Area
- 83 acre
- Rides
- 44
- Coasters
- 9
- Water Rides
- 7
- Attendance
- 2.8 million (2023)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Parc Astérix was largely funded by Barclays financial company, with 20 other investors including Compagnie Générale des Eaux, the Havas group, Union des Assurances de Paris and the Picardy region. The park cost 850 million French francs to build and generated 1,200 jobs. Jack Lang, then Minister of Culture, inaugurated the park on 30 April 1989 after two years of work. The location was chosen due to the transport network: a private interchange connects it with the nearby A1 autoroute and a bus shuttle service connects it with Paris Métro Line 7 at La Courneuve's 8 Mai 1945 station. The opening of Disneyland Paris in 1992 caused Parc Astérix's attendance to fall 30% and its revenue by 19%, but attendance soon stabilised to around 2 million visitors per year.
Reader's Guide
Parc Astérix is especially renowned in France for its large variety of roller coasters, which exceeds the amount of most other parks in mainland France. The park has begun incorporating rides and themes from historic cultures like the Gauls, the Romans, Ancient Greece and recently Ancient Egypt, always in the visual style of the related comic books. Notable attractions include Tonnerre 2 Zeus, a large wooden roller coaster built by Custom Coasters International (1997); Goudurix, a large steel multi-looping coaster built by Vekoma (1989); OzIris, an inverted roller coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard (2012); and Toutatis, a launched steel roller coaster opened in 2023 that holds the record for tallest and fastest roller coaster in France. The park has also run seasonal events such as La Fête des Druides in October 2005, Christmas openings in 2007, and a Halloween event called Peur sur le Parc Astérix in 2009. In January 2021, the park announced it was closing its dolphin and sea lion enclosure, the Delphinarium, to focus on rides and other shows.
Did You Know?
- In July 2004, an 11-year-old boy was hit by lightning at the foot of the Trace du Hourra bobsleigh, despite three lightning rods located less than 20m from him.
- On 5 July 2006, a 6-year-old Belgian child drowned on the Descente du Styx river rapids ride, which was later renamed Romus et Rapidus.
- Toutatis, opened in 2023, is the current holder of the 'Tallest and fastest roller coaster in France' record.
- The park scheduled recruiting around 2,000 people for the 2023 season, a record number compared to previous years.
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