Added: 03/06/2006 |
Mythological roller coasters at Parc Asterix ParisBased on the comic books by Goscinny and Uderzo, Parc Asterix Paris is a beautiful reproduction of its scenes and illustrations, featuring medieval villages and a Roman amphitheater, live chase shows and splendid playgrounds for kiddies. The park has six breathtaking roller coasters, which are not only impressive with their rides and thrill experiences, but with the mythology and story, laid almost into each construction.
Vol D' Icare is Parc Asterix Paris roller coaster, celebrating the flight of Ikarus. It is a steel roller coaster, operating since 1994 and of 410 m length and 10.7 m height. The theme of the roller coaster is based on the Greek legend, which is the following. Daedalus was a genius inventor, who lived in Athens. He killed his nephew by accident and fled to Crete with his son Icarus. Once Minos, the King of Crete, asked Daedalus to build a cage for the Minotaur, a half-man, a half-bull creature. Daedalus designed a labyrinth, which nobody was able to escape, but to protect the labyrinth's secrets, the king imprisoned Daedalus, Icarus and the Minotaur in the labyrinth. However, Daedalus with Icarus managed to escape through a secret exit and flew by means of wooden wings, covered in feathers and adhered with wax. Ikarus, impressed by the flight flew too high, the wax melted and he fell in the sea. A large sun is placed at the crest of the Vol D'Icare's lift hill to represent the sun in Icarus' flight.
Another roller coaster at Parc Asterix Paris is Tonnerre de Zeus, a wooden construction of 1232.6 m length, 29.9 m height and 83.7 km/h speed. The roller coaster has a 29.9 m tall lift hill, a tunnel and two helixes of 572° and 256°. "Tonnerre de Zeus" is French for the "Thunder of Zeus" and fully corresponds to the theme of powerful Zeus, who was the king of gods. His weapon was a thunderbolt, which he hurled at those, who displeased him.
Parc Asterix Paris boasts Goudurix, a breathtaking roller coaster of 950 m length, 36 m height, 32.9 m drop, seven inversions of different kinds, including a butterfly, a loop a double sidewinder and 90.1 km/h speed. The name "Goudurix" is based on "Goet du risque", which means "The taste of danger". In one of the comic stories, Asterix met the Vikings, who conquered Europe before the middle ages. In the story, the Vikings never felt "fear" and came to France to experience it. The sign at the ride's entrance features a drawing of the Viking leader, saying "Faites-moi peur!" that means "Scare me!"
Trace Du Hourra is a steel roller coaster of 900 m length and 60 km/h speed. "Trace du Hourra" means "Trail of Hurray" and the story is taken from stone ages before a man could walk on two feet. One day, a caveman learns to walk on two feet and excitedly runs down a hill, shouting "Hourra" (Hurray) to tell his friends of his discovery.
Ronde des Rondins, formerly known as the Serpentin, is a family steel roller coaster of 60.2 m length, 3.3 m height with the trains, riding along an oval track at 26 km/h. The roller coaster is located in "La feret des Druides" (the forest of the druids), a children's play area.
The last one, Poriferix is a steel roller coaster of 199 m length, 6 m height and 32 km/h speed. "Poriferix" is a reference to "Le Poriferique", a circular highway around.
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