France: Plans for Medieval Theme Park to be Built Near Chartres

The French city of Chartres (Centre-Val de Loire region), located around 90 kilometers south-west of Paris, is well known for its impressing cathedral. Every year, more than one million visitors come to the Gothic church. Also the “European Meeting Place Franz Stock“, dedicated to the German priest Franz Stock from the archdiocese of Paderborn, who was ministering to Catholic prisoners during WWII in Paris and is today regarded as a pioneer of Franco-German friendship, is located near to Chartres. Now the city is also to become home to a medieval theme park, which according to media reports, has been in planning for months.

The Frenchman Raphaël Geslan and his company Graals, founded in 2013, primarily specializing in the development of events and attractions around the theme of the Middle Ages, support the project. After having received positive feedback from the municipality of Chartres, the project initiators are currently looking for a piece of land in the size of between 160 and 200 hectares, of which the theme park will occupy around 60 hectares. Approximately ten possible locations have been identified in the greater Chartres area so far, and a choice could be made by the end of this year. While there is talk of a mixed economy company (in the sense of a public private partnership) to finance the acquisition of land, the actual construction costs of the theme park, which are estimated at around 150 and 200 million Euros, is to be financed by private investors. The park is expected to welcome at least 500,000 per year. A similar type of project had already been abandoned years ago with the “Weltentor” project in Germany (cp. EAP news f. 29 June 09). (eap)