Pays de la Loire Region

Located in the Pays de la Loire region of western France, about an hour from Nantes, you’ll find the delightful theme park of Puy du Fou in Les Epesses, France. We were transported back in time to experience French history by walking through several period villages, interacting with skilled tradespeople, and watching the most incredible live shows we’ve ever seen. Twice voted “World’s Best Theme Park,” this magnificent park was one of the absolute gems of our 3-month trip to France!

History of Puy du Fou

Puy du Fou (pronounced PWEE - DEW - FOO) was founded by Philippe de Villiers, father of the theme park's current president Nicolas de Villiers. In June of 1977, Philippe discovered the ruin of the Château of Puy du Fou in an awful state. He set out to create something special utilizing the foundation of the old castle. A year later, he hosted the first Cinéscénie performance. The show involved over 600 cast members and entertained over 80,000 visitors in the inaugural year. For over 40 years, the show has grown, along with the park. Today, Cinéscénie is still the park’s most popular show, with visitors reserving a seat many months in advance.

An educational celebration of French culture and history, Puy du Fou visitors are treated to unbelievable dramatic storytelling by professionally trained cast members. The park boasts 500 acres of natural landscape, 1500 animals, 4 period villages, 20 incredible shows, and 6 themed hotels. For 4 decades, the park has continued to grow and prosper. Today, it is one of France's most popular attractions, and welcomes 2.3 million visitors a year.

As a result of its popularity, it is finding success beyond France with its unique approach to historical storytelling. Puy du Fou España opened in Toledo, Spain in 2021, recreating more than 1,500 years of Spanish history. The company has had success with immersive shows in the UK and the Netherlands as well.

Plans are currently in motion to bring the concept to China with multiple projects in the works this decade. Using their special recipe for live shows that include special effects like lights, water, and high-tech machinery, Puy du Fou plans to bring Chinese history to life for visitors. Contracts were signed in 2020 for Puy du Fou to create an immersive show in downtown Shanghai with an opening targeted in late 2023 or early 2024. In addition to the immersive show, an international resort is in development as well. Phase one is expected to open in 2026 or 2027.

Plans are even underway for a show to open in the Great Smoky Mountains of the United States. Puy du Fou is planning to tell the authentic story of the heroism of the Cherokee Indians who served during WWI. The show is part of a project called “The 407, Gateway to Adventure.” The project is currently under construction at exit 407 in Sevier County, Tennessee (near Knoxville) and will open in 2024. You can read more about that here.

Despite having no rides, Puy du Fou topped our list of theme parks for so many reasons. Shows and attractions that combine creative artistry and mechanical ingenuity left us spellbound! We learned so much about French history through truly unique shows and immersive attractions. While Kevin chose this park mostly due to Rachel’s fascination with period costumes and history, we found that each of us immensely enjoyed this visit. From the shows, to the creative and humorous storytelling, even the food, we were hooked! We’re even hoping to try Puy du Fou España soon, and possibly visit the future show in Tennessee someday.

Period Villages

Puy du Fou has several period villages throughout the park that each have their own personality and purpose. We enjoyed strolling through each of them.

1. Le Bourg Berard – Located at the entrance to the park, this village features a vintage carousel as its centerpiece. Set in the early 1900’s, the music, costumes, and architecture of the buildings are inspired by the Art Nouveau style. Here, you can shop for toys, sweets, and other treasures. Visitors can also find delicious food at the Bistro or dine at Le Café de la Madelon, complete with entertainment.

2. Chasseloup – Stroll through the narrow streets of this village, featuring craftspeople with a wide range of skills on display. We encountered an illustrator, a blacksmith, a baker, and several others using techniques that have remained unchanged for centuries. There are at least 3 restaurants in this village as well. Set in the 18th century, this village offers visitors the opportunity to explore gardens, a wash-house, and an authentic barn. We particularly enjoyed the “Grand Carillon” concert performed on the 16-meter-high Carillon (a tower of bells) that serves as the centerpiece of the village.

Click on photo to enlarge and see descriptions.

1. Saint Philbert le Vieil – Inspired by the first millennium, this Viking village provides a relaxing atmosphere surrounded by nature. Stroll around the different huts and learn about how the villagers lived at this time. This area features a fast food restaurant called Le Chaudron where we dined on some delicious fish and chips for lunch. (Ellie is still talking about the amazing tartar sauce we had here.)

1. Font-Rognou – In this village, inspired by the Middle Ages, we encountered more craftspeople utilizing tools and techniques of the time period to create. One tradesman was carving small sculptures out of stone, another out of wood. A woman was cutting leather for jewelry, belts, and bookmarks. You can even purchase one of their handmade items. We stopped for a photo session and had several shots taken with prop swords and crossbows. We had the option to purchase a photo package afterwards. More restaurants are located here including La Taverne, where you can enjoy the Véndée garlic bread or Arthur’s platter, and Estaminet which provides salads and sandwiches.

Nature Areas

Throughout the park, visitors will also find several peaceful locations to observe and enjoy nature. These areas are a great place to rest and recharge between shows. Le Labyrinthe des Animaux (the animal maze) is located on the perimeter of the lake and is a maze of beautiful gardens where statues come to life and spray water on visitors. Le Monde Imaginaire de La Fontaine (the imaginary world of La Fontaine) is inspired by poetry and fables. It is a tree-lined garden, featuring wild flowers, water features, and twisted trees. Over 40 animals reside here, bringing the literature to life. Le Val de la Marienne (the Marienne Valley) is located in the heart of the forest. Along with large water features, you’ll find over 250 varieties of plants and flowers in this area. Les Jets Sauteurs (the jumping jets), is fun for families. Kids can try to grab one of the water jets before they disappear. Nestled in a shady area of the park, it’s a great place for a family to take a break and cool off. Nearby, children will find Le Repaire des Enfants (the children’s den), a uniquely designed playground with features that mimic the shows and themes found around the park but that are built especially for kids. La Roseraie de Ronsard (the Rose Garden of Ronsard) is located near the “Le Secret de la Lance” (the secret of the lance) show. Here, you can walk through the gigantic rose garden, featuring over 5,000 plants.

Immersive Attractions

One of the unique features of Puy du Fou are its immersive attractions. These were like walk-through exhibits with a combination of live actors, mannequins, period sets, and special effects. Guided by written history, music, and sound effects, we walked through several of these exhibits.

One transported us into the middle of the First World War. Smoke fills the tunnels, the ground shakes with each new explosion, and sirens wail. Actors playing soldiers could be seen looking over plans and some even passed us as we made our way through, leaving us wondering which sets featured mannequins and which were live actors. This one scared Sophie a bit. At 9 years old, she had never experienced such a realistic, immersive experience. Having just toured the D-Day beaches and museums, she had acquired a keen sense of how many real soldiers lost their lives in war, even if it was in a different World War. While she was a bit shook-up, she was also left with a lasting impression that had her researching more about WWI. To this day, she loves reading historical fiction and much of that passion stems from these experiences in France.

Another one took us to the fifth century during the fall of the Roman Empire. Here, we followed Clovis, the first King of the Franks who was torn between the traditions of his people and an entirely new path. We experienced his battles and encounters with creatures from Norse mythology and the voyage to Valhalla.

We even boarded a ship on the high seas for an expedition under the command of King Louis XVI! We got to take part in the discoveries from Cape Horn to Alaska while we endured raging storms! The visual special effects of this portion were so realistic that Rachel actually began to get seasick while walking on solid ground.

Captivating Shows of Puy du Fou

This is where Puy du Fou truly shines. With over 20 shows to see, it’s impossible to see them all in one day. We selected the ones that sounded the most fun and tried to get to as many as we could. We are determined to return to the park and see more in the future, including some new ones that have been added since our visit. Below is a description of the ones we were able to see.

• Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantômes – Our first show was one of the most unique shows we’ve ever experienced. Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantômes (the ball of the ghost birds) was a ballet of birds in the sky overhead. There was drama and words we couldn’t understand but, holy moly, the birds were incredible! It started with a whole bunch of owls making us feel like we were on the set of Harry Potter. There were doves, falcons, and buzzards. We even got to see a BALD EAGLE in flight! (This was a first for all of us and we’ve marveled many times since that we had to go all the way to France to see our nation’s bird in flight over our own heads.) An egret looking bird with a duck bill just walked around the set within inches of spectators. Everyone in the whole arena had at least one flyover that nearly touched their head! It was INCREDIBLE! We’ve never seen anything like it. In all, over 330 birds were used in the show that culminated in a finale with all of them swirling around the sky in an incredibly choreographed spectacle. This show, alone, was worth the price of admission!

• Le Signe du Triompe – Our next show, Le Signe du Triomphe (the sign of triumph) was in the colosseum. It was huge and the characters were determining the fate of prisoners. The captain of the army was defending his lady and stood up against the leader of the government. He was arrested and put in a cage and a beautiful male white lion jumped on the roof of the cage to stand guard. Other citizens were taken prisoner and put into a carriage to be “eaten alive” by a tiger. In addition to the tiger and male lion, three female lions and a hyena all appeared in the arena. At one point, 16 horses raced around the arena, side-by-side, for many laps until very realistic, choreographed “accidents” took place and 1 charioteer was proclaimed the victor. In the end, the captain of the guard convinced the crowd and soldiers that he was right and the soldiers turned on their emperor and took him away. There were gladiator battles, chariot races, and realistic bloody moments - just wow!

• Le Secret de la Lance – Ellie picked our next show, Le Secret de la Lance (the secret of the lance). It was set during the Hundred Years’ War and had us rooting for Marguerite, a young shepherdess, who finds herself alone at the château. The story featured jousting scenes where the riders did many cool tricks on horseback. One of the most exciting parts of the show featured a moment where an entire wall of the huge set sank into the ground to reveal the full castle in the background, along with sword fights and people on ropes rappelling up and down towers. The castle turned completely around to reveal a new design and then the wall went back up with new country flags on it.

• Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde – We went to Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde (the knights of the round table) just as it was getting dark. The comedic actor who introduced the show lip synced the announcer’s translations. As the language changed, he changed costumes and props to match. When the announcer spoke Italian, the actor wore sunglasses and a chef’s hat while tossing a pizza. He lip-synched super fast as the announcer spoke Spanish. During the Russian portion, he wore a fur hat and did a Russian dance. He took pictures on his camera phone (which was attached to a strap around his neck) while speaking Japanese. He also held a cup of tea and talked in a British accent for a while. The crowd was captivated and laughing. We found his routine to be absolutely hysterical but noted that it was a skit that would no longer be welcomed in the US as we seem to have lost the ability to laugh at cultural stereotypes.

  The show itself was great with more sword fighting and water attractions. The famous round table rose from the depths of the water and Arthur was crowned by Merlin only to disappear and reappear on top of the castle moments later. The action featured a mermaid swimming in the moat of the castle. We were also mesmerized by a horse and rider that appeared to emerge from under the water, as if by magic.

• Les Noces de Feu – Our last show was on the water just after sunset. They warmed us up with an old Tour de France experience with cars, motorcycles, and bikes flying around the lake. Then the lights went off and we were treated to classical music and characters lit up on the water for a romantic wedding. Les Noces de Feu (the fiery wedding) featured giant sets and props that rose from the depths of the lake, including a piano and a giant pipe organ. Even a chariot and horse rose up out of the water! The artistry of this show far surpassed any live show we’ve ever seen, including any Disney production. We were baffled by the special effects that were utilized in the show. It truly left us speechless as we tried to figure out how they accomplished so many stunts involving water.

Takeaway

One thing we would note is to be aware of restaurant hours. As with all of France, many of Puy du Fou’s restaurants are closed during portions of the day and most of them close 30 minutes to an hour before the park actually closes. We found that our American mindset of being able to eat whenever we were hungry, left us with no options for a late dinner in the park. (There’s nothing like ending a fantastic day filled with fun and history by stopping at the local McDonald’s because everyone is hangry… Don’t be like us! Plan your meal times better when visiting Puy du Fou.)

One day at Puy du Fou was not nearly enough! We couldn’t possibly get to all the shows and attractions and I can’t even get to all we did experience in this post! We were fortunate to have experienced it during the time when France was enforcing the use of a passe sanitaire (health pass) for entry to all public buildings and attractions during the Covid pandemic. Crowds were so much lighter and we were able to experience way more than could have been possible with longer lines at each attraction.

This is how Ellie summed up her Puy du Fou experience: “Truthfully, I was a little apprehensive about going to this park. As a major lover of amusement park rides, I wasn’t keen on the fact that there were no rides in this park. I thought it was just going to be a neat experience for Rachel who loves all things Renaissance-esque and/or Medieval, but I thought I would just be bored. Boy was I 1,000% WRONG!!!”

The park was beautiful and the shows were incredibly creative and captivating. Despite our limited understanding of the French language, we were able to follow much of what was being presented. We encountered some very friendly staff members who loved hearing where we were from and why we came to France. We also squeezed in some delicious food and desserts during our visit. One thing we did not experience firsthand, was a stay in one of the onsite hotels. There are several themed hotels, offering guests the opportunity to extend their immersive experience after park hours. If we find ourselves in this part of France in the future, we will definitely return to this park and likely stay overnight at one of the hotels before returning to our favorite French Family Farm Stay for another visit there. We would also love to experience Puy du Fou España in Toledo, Spain when we travel there one day.