France: Heroïc Land – New Amusement Park to be Built in Calais

Spring 2018 is expected to see the opening of a new amusement park coming to Calais in northern France: Heroïc Land. This was communicated by the mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart, also chairman of the economic development agency Calais Promotion, during a press conference last week. In addition to announcing the official name of the park – until now the project went under the working title “Calais Park” – and the park logo, the overall project was presented last Wednesday. Plans call for a 40-hectare large amusement park on an international level featuring 32 attractions in six theme zones. Theme areas include “Seaworld”, “Steam Punk Fantasy”, “Heroic-Fantasy Land”, “Science Fiction Zone”, “Manga City” and “Adventurer’s League”. In addition, a new neighborhood (“Heroic City”) with shops and restaurants as well as a four-star hotel (“Heroic Hotel”) are planned. The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled to be carried out in the second half of 2016. More than one million visitors are expected to come to the amusement park in its first year of operation.

Explanation: Calais was chosen as the final destination for the long-scheduled Spyland theme park, which was previously planned to be built in Aragon/Spain (cf. EAP, issue 2/2008). Finally, the French company Noraparc had tried to realize the project in Calais. However, Noraparc had withdrawn from the project in mid-2014. The project Heroïc Land, which is now being realized in Calais instead, is supported by a group of several public and private partners, led by project manager Jean-François Thibous. (eap)