5 star entertainment at Puy de Fou, Vendee, France

Date: 2010.10.11 | Category: Been there, Places to go, Review 5 star | Tags: France,puy de fou,Vendee

With over 1.3 million visitors, the Puy de Fou is the 4th biggest theme park in France and is a great fun family day out.  Situated in the Vendee region of France, the park is a French favourite but it does cater well for its big number of foreign visitors each year.

Puy de Fou offers the visitors fun packed live entertainment shows  including Gladiators in a colleseum, Vikings battle over a village, the Musketeer spectacular, the knights on horse back  jousting and a birds of prey display.  Doing all of the shows will take most of your day as you rush from one to the next and they are all great value.  If you do not speak French do not worry, you can get MP3 style players with headphones at the entrance that translates all the important bits.

All of the shows are well put together and above all fun. We thoroughly enjoyed the Gladiators and the Vikings shows but have to say that the Musketeer show is truly spectacular and the top must see show.  From start to finish the Musketeer show was full of delightful surprises from villains appearing from chandaliers above the audience to the superb horse and light display as the arena filled with water… truly fantastic.

In addition to the shows you can explore the Medieval City, the 18th Century village, Town Square and the Forest.  There is plenty to see and do and of course you will find characters in traditional dress.

Through out Puy de Fou you will find places to get snacks and drinks and some fast food restaurants. Although there are picnic areas so it is worth taking some bits along with you to keep the costs down.

Some practical advice is that if its going to be a warm day don’t forget your hats and sunscreen – a lot of the shows are in the open and so there is not a lot of shelter when the sun is at its hottest.  Similarly, if rain is possibility, don’t forget your raincoat to keep you dry through the shows… we watched some of the shows through a downpour, they never stopped and we never minded – it just made it all the more authentic.

Puy de Fou also has two evening shows that make the most of fantastic castle and lake as backdrop to the evening entertainment.  The nights include, horse displays, fountains, fireworks and music.  If you are looking to do these shows you may want to buy a ticket for more than one day as we were so exhausted after doing the park we didnt have the energy to day for the night shows.

So will this apply to families of all ages?  Simply, yes.  Our children, one of who was in a pushchair the first time we went, absolutely loved it with so much happening all around them.  The shows are superb but the whole park is just great to explore. We have been to the Puy de Fou 3 times in recent years and have enjoyed it every time – it’s 5 star entertainment.

Accommodation near Puy de Fou

• Holiday parks in the Vendee, France
• Villa and apartments in Aquitane, France

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