France's Neighboring Amusement Park: Nigloland 🎢

🎡Nigloland is a theme park located in Doué-la-Fontaine, a commune in the department of Aube, France, about 200+ KM from Paris. It's a little over a 2-hour drive and is one of the most visited parks in France after Disneyland Paris and Parc Astérix. Founded by brothers Paul and Philippe Gelis, it officially opened on June 1, 1987. The park's name "Nigloland" is derived from its mascot, a hedgehog named "Niglo," which means "hedgehog" in the Romany language. The park is divided into four areas: "Canadian Village," "Rock Village," "Magic Village," and "Swiss Village." 🎡Nigloland was created on June 13, 1987, by the Gelis brothers, Patrice and Philippe, who were inspired by the ticketing methods of American amusement parks. In the early 1980s, the two brothers visited Walt Disney World Resort and decided to invest seven million francs on eighteen hectares of family land in Doué-la-Fontaine to build a theme park. Initially, the park included a small crepe shop, a restaurant, and seven attractions, including "Western Train," "Vintage Cars of 1900," "Adventure Land," "180-Degree Movie Show," "Niglogolf," "Vintage Carousel of 1900," and "Haunted House." 🎡The number of visitors increased with each season, and the annual number of visitors gradually reached the break-even point. In 1988, Nigloland opened its first spinning roller coaster, "Bayern Express," also known as "The Lost City of Gold," and the pirate ship "Pirate Captain." The following year, "Canadian River" was introduced, followed by "Nigloland Loop" in 1990, an attraction where visitors drive guided vehicles on a track, and "Wing Ship of Jacques Cartier." 📍On the fifth anniversary of the park's establishment, it welcomed its one millionth visitor and unveiled "Niglo Show," an animatronics show inspired by Disney Parks' "Country Bear Jamboree." #FrenchAmusementPark #Nigloland #France #FamilyFun