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France Miniature is situated in ?lancourt, and is an outdoor
park that covers an area of approximately 12 acres, so it is a place you would need to
visit in the nice weather and hence why it is closed during the winter.
France Miniature opened to the public in 1991 and is the biggest miniature park in Europe
and it is owned by the same group that operates the Parc Ast?rix amusement park, which is
situated to the north of Paris.
One of the good things about this theme park is that it is only just outside of Paris,
only 10 minutes away from the Ch?teau de Versailles
and near to Mont Saint Michel.
There are some of the country's most famous monuments and different places that are on
show, such as the Eiffel Tower, Ch?teau de
Versailles, the Place Bellecour, which is in Lyon and is one of the biggest squares in
Europe, the beautiful promenade at St Tropez, The
Stade de France, the Mont St Michel, the Roman ampitheatre at Arles, Chateau
Chenonceau and Fort Boyard to name but a few.
There are around 50 model makers and landscape artists at France Miniature, that have
created this wonderful miniature version of France and there is an amazing amount of time
spent with the detail of the recreations, and to give you a quick idea, the spectators
that you can see in the Stade de France have all been hand painted!
Some of the displays are animated and there are over three and a half kilometres of
railway line laid out, with model trains, plus animated boats on the Atlantic Ocean and
the Mediterranean Sea and ski lifts that trail up the many mountains in France.
There are over 30,000 bonsai trees that adorn the landscape of lawns and curving paths,
which you walk along to get to see all the models and there are also different villages
and scenes from French life, in miniature of course, that will also keep you occupied
rather than continually looking at churches and other monuments.
However, specifically for the children, there is a small funfair of different rides
including a wavy slide that you go down on a mat and a tower where you can go to the top
and look down at the France Miniature below. There is also an area where children and
adults can get to steer a small boat.
As with many tourist attractions in France,
there is a restaurant on site called Les Provinces, which offers authentic traditional
French cooking based on regional products and chef's recipes with a variety of menus,
including a menu specifically for children.
However, if you prefer to bring your own picnic, then there is a fully equipped covered
area designed for this and of course, it is free.
There is also a shop on the site that is able to offer lots of different regional and
traditional specialities, plus there is a wide range of souvenirs available that are all
related to the world of miniatures.
The France Miniature Park is open every day in April, July and August. It is only
open on a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, plus school holidays and national holidays
during the months of May, June, September, October and November, but is closed the rest of
the time.
The entrance ticket will provide you with full access to the whole range of miniatures and
attractions in the park and the latest you can get into the park is one hour before it
closes.
The park is open from 10am to 7pm in July and August, but at any other times it is only
open from 10am through to 6pm.
To get to the France Miniature Park via public transport you would need to take the La
Verrere train from la Defense or Paris Montparnasse station and then get the 411 bus or if
travelling by car you would need to take the A13 motorway from Paris, then the A12 to St
Quentin en Yvelines and follow the signs to Elancourt.
Address & Contact Details:
France Miniature
25 Route du Mesnil Boulevard Andr?-Malraux
St-Quentin-en-Yvelines
78990
Elancourt
France
Telephone: 1 30 16 16 30
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