The Miniature France Inside France

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  • Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
  • In a small suburb an hour west of Paris, there is a park shaped exactly like a miniature France. But why is it there? Who let a bunch of geography nerds build a park? I went out into the wild western suburbs to find out more...
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Комментарии • 1,4 тыс.

  • @Lioness99a
    @Lioness99a 9 месяцев назад +2849

    If there isn’t a mini version of France Miniature within France Miniature then I will be very disappointed! 😂

    • @thetwistedsock3253
      @thetwistedsock3253 9 месяцев назад +76

      I was thinking the same 😊

    • @adrien5568
      @adrien5568 9 месяцев назад +182

      Unfortunately no, Versailles, which is at 10km of it, takes its spot.

    • @imightbebiased9311
      @imightbebiased9311 9 месяцев назад +326

      @@adrien5568 *shakes miniature fist in rage*

    • @100dampf
      @100dampf 9 месяцев назад +66

      Always remember the second rule of model railways!

    • @yetzt
      @yetzt 9 месяцев назад +40

      you beat me to it. there needs to be modelception happening.

  • @Kenionatus
    @Kenionatus 9 месяцев назад +1379

    "The beautiful island of Corsica is represented by a lump of mud in a pond." is such a powerful dig at the politics of geography displayed in the park.

    • @CallieMasters5000
      @CallieMasters5000 9 месяцев назад +104

      At least it's in mud. The entire city of Nice is missing!

    • @PineappleSkip
      @PineappleSkip 9 месяцев назад +186

      @@CallieMasters5000Well, that’s not Nice

    • @stepheneyles2198
      @stepheneyles2198 9 месяцев назад +12

      @@PineappleSkip *boom boom* as Basil Brush would say!!

    • @joehoe222
      @joehoe222 9 месяцев назад +12

      *Angry Napoleon murmur noises.

    • @bertilhatt
      @bertilhatt 9 месяцев назад +14

      They had something, but… It got disappeared.
      There was a loud bang, and that’s it. Nothing suspicious. Go back to sleep.

  • @AverytheCubanAmerican
    @AverytheCubanAmerican 7 месяцев назад +31

    There's a mini-Indonesia inside Indonesia as well, but sadly without the scaled models. It's part of an educational park just like this one called Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in East Jakarta. The park opened in April 1975 as a synopsis of Indonesian culture, with virtually all aspects of daily life in Indonesia's provinces encapsulated in separate pavilions with the pavilions designed in the different styles of the many ethnic groups (rumah adat), clothing, dances and traditions are all depicted impeccably. There is a mosque, Catholic church, Protestant church, a Aliran Kepercayaan temple (native religions), Hindu temple, Buddhist temple, and a Confucian temple to represent the different religions of the country.
    At the time in April 1975, Indonesia had 26 provinces, so 26 big pavilions were constructed surrounding a lake with the mini-Indonesia in the middle. When Timor Leste was annexed in December 1975, they built a smaller pavilion for it (which is now just the Museum of East Timor after East Timor got its independence in 2002) and as other provinces were created (currently 34), other smaller pavilions were built.

    • @user-fg9hs5ue7w
      @user-fg9hs5ue7w 2 месяца назад +1

      And this is the location on Google Maps.
      Area Tmii Jl. Taman Mini Indonesia Indah No.7, Ceger, Kec. Cipayung, Kota Jakarta Timur, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 13820, Indonesië

  • @bernard832
    @bernard832 9 месяцев назад +258

    An amusement park made by geography nerds? The perfect place for Tim. I hope you make videos on all of the sites you haven't visited yet.

  • @jpaulc441
    @jpaulc441 9 месяцев назад +643

    I want to see a Vatican City version where the park is actually larger than the country.

    • @LucaPasini2
      @LucaPasini2 9 месяцев назад +73

      You can see a reproduction of the Vatican at the similar "Italia in Miniatura" park, located in the suburbs of Rimini. After passing by its entrance hundreds of times (I live just a fey minutes away) I realize only now that it should really be called "Italia e San Marino e Vaticano in Miniatura" instead.

    • @thaifoodtakeaway
      @thaifoodtakeaway 9 месяцев назад +5

      @@LucaPasini2 there is also MiniItalia near Bergamo. It was first opened in 1971, and now it is part of a amusement park called Leoandia

    • @martinc.720
      @martinc.720 9 месяцев назад +2

      @@LucaPasini2 I "think" it was just a joke....

    • @firesurfer
      @firesurfer 9 месяцев назад +4

      That's called Italy.

    • @landsgevaer
      @landsgevaer 9 месяцев назад +7

      Yeah, with St.Peter in 30:1 scale such that the real St.Peter fits into the model.

  • @carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102
    @carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102 9 месяцев назад +465

    Toronto has a museum called Little Canada, which started out as one man's ambition to create an authentic true to scale miniature replica of all of Toronto's neighborhoods & now incorporates other Canadian cities as well.
    I've never seen a park shaped like a country before though.

    • @theotherohlourdespadua1131
      @theotherohlourdespadua1131 9 месяцев назад

      You should look up on Freedomland USA which is shaped like... The US...

    • @sadmanh0
      @sadmanh0 9 месяцев назад +3

      is the one at the corner of dundas and yong? is it any good? Kind of just looked like a weird thing in the basement when I saw the sign.

    • @carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102
      @carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102 9 месяцев назад +3

      @@sadmanh0 it's a very interesting exhibit

    • @Zachruff
      @Zachruff 9 месяцев назад

      Ive always seen signs for this and have been meaning to go, is it any good?

    • @garrick3727
      @garrick3727 9 месяцев назад +10

      In Luxembourg there's a miniature park that's actually bigger than the country itself.

  • @tuxlu1761
    @tuxlu1761 9 месяцев назад +290

    Tim never failing to put Kraftwerk's covers as musical puns , these make my days :)

    • @counterfit5
      @counterfit5 9 месяцев назад +20

      I knew I knew that melody!
      🤔

    • @demathieuxmerwan9225
      @demathieuxmerwan9225 9 месяцев назад +25

      Those to be exact (The model and Tour de France are used in the video)

    • @Potsie
      @Potsie 9 месяцев назад +5

      Is the use of Kraftwerk in the soundtrack hommage to historic German 'holidays' in France .. say in 1939?

    • @DeGoosey
      @DeGoosey 9 месяцев назад +8

      So glad to see other Kraftwerk fans here!

    • @wellurban
      @wellurban 9 месяцев назад +11

      Could have had some Trans Europe Express as well!

  • @audreyb1269
    @audreyb1269 9 месяцев назад +103

    This parc opened when I was very young, and it's exactly where I learned about canal locks. I'm glad it's still there 30 years later, the miniatures are amazing and it's a delightful visit.

    • @erikthehalfabee6234
      @erikthehalfabee6234 7 месяцев назад

      So you had the patience. Tim doubted kids would have it

  • @automotivetales
    @automotivetales 9 месяцев назад +218

    Can we all take a moment to enjoy Tim’s wonderful pronunciations as a none native French speaker and flipping back and forth to his regular way of pronouncing words. I’d end up saying the French words all English or start speaking English while maintaining a French accent if I tried!

    • @martinc.720
      @martinc.720 9 месяцев назад +2

      You have to tell people what to think after watching a vid? lol
      I know... a "Can we all take a moment..." comment will get you a bunch of thumbs up. Congrats.

    • @automotivetales
      @automotivetales 9 месяцев назад +31

      @@martinc.720 I want to tell Tim that I appreciate his work and his efforts yes? Isn’t that what the comments are for? Thats my way of letting Tim know that the effort he’s put in does not go un-noticed. I put massive detailed effort into some of my videos and no one notices and it’s deflating so want to spread positive energy when I notice the little things (although his command of many languages is far from little!)

    • @alles_klar
      @alles_klar 9 месяцев назад +26

      Gentlemen, you can't comment in here, this is the comment section!

    • @apveening
      @apveening 9 месяцев назад +8

      That is one of the advantages of being fluent in multiple languages and one of the first things you do when learning another language, especially when visiting the country, is to learn to pronounce place names correctly in the local language.

    • @phil2544
      @phil2544 9 месяцев назад

      @@automotivetales i think the hyphen is not necessary in un-noticed

  • @markstott6689
    @markstott6689 9 месяцев назад +383

    I think a trip to the castle being built at Guédelon should be on your list, Tim.
    I've been following the build online, but in many languages that I don't understand, lol.
    The fact that skills learned during the build are now being used to rebuild Notre Dame is, to me, at least quite exciting. 😊❤😊

    • @stepnow
      @stepnow 9 месяцев назад +55

      I was going to say that he's done it already, but turns out that it was Tom Scott 😅

    • @taterkaze9428
      @taterkaze9428 9 месяцев назад +10

      I second this motion.

    • @Xiphoseer
      @Xiphoseer 9 месяцев назад +37

      ​@@stepnowhaving seen the tom scott video on it and having asked Tim to visit Guédelon before I still think it'd be a better fit for this channel. More focused on the people and why they had this mad plan and how fast/slow it goes.

    • @stepnow
      @stepnow 9 месяцев назад +4

      @@Xiphoseer I fully agree

    • @tenalafel
      @tenalafel 9 месяцев назад +19

      Reaching Guédelon with just public transport is going to be /the/ challenge. Tim prefers sites that doesn't require a car.

  • @jernulf268
    @jernulf268 9 месяцев назад +19

    Fort Boyard is actually really familiar to me as a Swede because they used to shoot a reality show called Fångarna På Fortet (captives in the fort) there!

    • @Rob2
      @Rob2 9 месяцев назад +5

      Yes, I think several countries ran such shows at that location, but usually only one or two seasons, while in France they never get enough of it.
      Kind of "des Chiffres et des Lettres"...

    • @Lostouille
      @Lostouille 8 месяцев назад

      Yes a lot of countries shot their TV show here.

    • @moussesucree
      @moussesucree 8 месяцев назад +1

      @@LostouilleSuch a unique location, nowhere there is something comparable.

    • @Nimroc
      @Nimroc 8 месяцев назад

      I wouldn't say "used to", since the swedish version is currently airing it's 24th season. lol

    • @soly-dp-colo6388
      @soly-dp-colo6388 6 дней назад

      The Fort Boyard TV game was created in 1990 or 1991 in France and it's still running. Very popular to watch and challenging for people who do it.

  • @SupremeLeaderKimJong-un
    @SupremeLeaderKimJong-un 7 месяцев назад +9

    Myanmar has something similar called the National Landmark Garden in Naypyidaw. It's a 400-acre park in the shape of the country and showcases Myanmar's grandest sites in miniature. There are even some amusement rides like bumper cars and a Ferris wheel. There's an impressive mock-up of all of Naypyidaw, including pagodas, hotels and government buildings (about as close as you'll get to the gated-off epicenter of power). However, all of it has pretty much deteriorated, not all the amusement-park rides are functioning and many of the models are beginning to fall apart, which makes it pretty symbolic of Naypyidaw itself!
    To describe Naypyidaw, it's like the Tatmadaw (their military) played Cities: Skylines for a few hours and then said "You know, I'm something of a civil engineer myself". Myanmar's capital used to be Yangon, but the military moved it because they wanted a more centrally-located capital. It was felt that a stronger military presence could provide stability to nearby chronically turbulent regions. And this has led to some bizarre urbanism, like a TWENTY-lane highway in front of their legislature so that aircrafts could land in case of protests or other upheavals. There's also no public spaces to prevent protests too. Transit is also limited between neighborhoods, with only rush hour government ministry buses.

  • @bobsrailrelics
    @bobsrailrelics 9 месяцев назад +144

    This is amazing. The Model, a bit of Rosie and Jim sneaking in. My vote btw is someone just wanted an excuse to build a giant model railway 🚂

    • @Tiekorolivier
      @Tiekorolivier 9 месяцев назад +9

      No.
      That is the Swiss Vapeur Park, witch stated as a giant miniature railway and became a mini Swizerland 😁

    • @TrippingtheBrightFantastic
      @TrippingtheBrightFantastic 9 месяцев назад +4

      Thank you for mentioning Rosie and Jim. As an American, I have heard that melody before and did not know what it was from.

    • @bobsrailrelics
      @bobsrailrelics 9 месяцев назад +3

      @@TrippingtheBrightFantastic An integral part of my childrens TV growing up. 😁

    • @hotelmario510
      @hotelmario510 9 месяцев назад +8

      I didn't hear Rosie and Jim. I got "The Model" and "Tour de France" by Kraftwerk.

    • @K-o-R
      @K-o-R 9 месяцев назад +2

      @@hotelmario510 R&J plays at the canal lock scene, since they live on a canal boat.

  • @erpatitube
    @erpatitube 9 месяцев назад +19

    Can’t get enough of the background songs and how they tie to the content of the video.😊

    • @declanmcardle
      @declanmcardle 9 месяцев назад +5

      Yes, that tune at the end is kraftily werked into the background....et aussi, it sounds like it's being played on an accordion by someone in a striped black and white t-shirt..

  • @moteroargentino7944
    @moteroargentino7944 9 месяцев назад +75

    I can imagine this would've been a HUGE attraction back in the time when leisure travelling was not as common. Getting to know your country's landmarks without spending that much time and money. Kinda like Google Maps today.

    • @sirBrouwer
      @sirBrouwer 9 месяцев назад +4

      in a lot of places it is still a big attraction.

    • @demathieuxmerwan9225
      @demathieuxmerwan9225 9 месяцев назад +14

      It’s still very fun. I remember going there as a kid and being amazed at all the reproductions, and especially running after trains.
      You can see there are people going there on Tim’s video. It’s not Disneyland or Parc Asterix but it’s still a very nice amusement park

    • @moteroargentino7944
      @moteroargentino7944 9 месяцев назад

      @@demathieuxmerwan9225 Of course, it looks like an amazing place to visit! It's just that nowadays it has more competition, if currently is a big attraction, in the past it would've been HUGE.

    • @PrincesseKes
      @PrincesseKes 9 месяцев назад

      It still is. I bring my nephews every year.

    • @charptho
      @charptho 9 месяцев назад

      The reproduction are very cute and beautifully done. Spent a day there and it was great.

  • @OliveOL_98
    @OliveOL_98 9 месяцев назад +12

    Fun fact, I lived the first 15 years of my life in Élancourt, just one kilometer away from France Miniature, and the road you showed on screen was the one I used countless times to go to school!
    It’s so nice to see someone covering this park on RUclips, and talking about my good old town ❤
    And you wanna know the craziest thing in all of this? I’ve been to France Miniature only once in my entire life. 😂😭

  • @cyrilio
    @cyrilio 9 месяцев назад +222

    I demand you visit the Dutch miniature called Madurodam. While not an exact copy of The Netherlands it’s a very cool attraction.

    • @Aelsenaer
      @Aelsenaer 9 месяцев назад +11

      I love how the French went 2 steps further.

    • @otterylexa4499
      @otterylexa4499 9 месяцев назад +7

      I was reminded of the many times we visited Madurodam growing up in the Hague in the 80s.

    • @OntarioTrafficMan
      @OntarioTrafficMan 9 месяцев назад +6

      There's also miniworld Rotterdam

    • @mikaoleander
      @mikaoleander 9 месяцев назад +12

      and while you're at it, you might as well pay a visit to miniatur wunderland in hamburg

    • @tijmen131
      @tijmen131 9 месяцев назад +27

      @@Aelsenaer The French based this off Madurodam actually, Madurodam opened in 1952. It is the oldest miniature of a country in the world.

  • @Rob2
    @Rob2 9 месяцев назад +46

    Of course the big question is: is there also a miniature version of France Miniature inside that France Miniature parc?

  • @haraldhechler3557
    @haraldhechler3557 9 месяцев назад +8

    Since 1959 there is a similar (but not Swiss-shaped) park in Switzerland, named Swissminiatur, located in the town of Melide at the lake of Lugano.
    But it's in 1/25 scale and it has even more trains (about 3.5 km in track length) and cable cars - well, it's Switzerland...

  • @dancoroian1
    @dancoroian1 9 месяцев назад +20

    Man, once you mentioned the landscaping with the mountains and rivers, that just seems really frickin cool and impressive! (and like something EVERY country could and absolutely should do!)

  • @Zarkovision
    @Zarkovision 9 месяцев назад +27

    Very pretty! There is also an "Italia in Miniatura" near Rimini and Madurodam, a mini-Holland near The Hague.

    • @apveening
      @apveening 9 месяцев назад +1

      Yup, the latter being the inspiration for all the others.

    • @kwarts
      @kwarts 9 месяцев назад +1

      ​@@apveeningMadurodam was inspired on Beconscot 😊, including the charity objectives.

    • @whytecold
      @whytecold 9 месяцев назад +2

      There is a Suisse Miniature near Lugano.

    • @LucaPasini2
      @LucaPasini2 9 месяцев назад +5

      Italia in Miniatura is just a few minutes away from where I live, I've been there many times as a child. It even has the same kind of model railways running across the "country", but with Frecciarossa trainsets. Besides the miniatures there are also other attractions, such as a larger scale recreation of Venice that you see from small guided boats and some roller coasters.
      And there's also a similar theme park in Switzerland, it's called Swissminiatur and it's located near Lugano.

    • @frontenac5083
      @frontenac5083 9 месяцев назад +2

      No freaking way!
      If only someone had told us this before in the comments!

  • @malthuswasright
    @malthuswasright 9 месяцев назад +16

    Another great video, Rosie and Jim and Kraftwerk Tour de France (as well as The Model of course). Lovely stuff.

  • @MrAlsachti
    @MrAlsachti 9 месяцев назад +22

    Now I know why there are always giants around monuments when I travel in France and visit places. I live inside the miniature France!

  • @stekikun6854
    @stekikun6854 9 месяцев назад +49

    A couple years back when my son was 6 I took him to an actual lock on the Marne river to show him how locks work... well, it went exactly as you described X)

    • @renerpho
      @renerpho 9 месяцев назад +6

      When my younger brother was about 10, and a huge football fan, we took him on a trip. We told him we were going to watch some ships pass through a lock. He was bored before we even left the house.
      His excitement only grew when he realised that we were entering the car park at the football stadium, and when he found out we had actually taken him to watch his favourite club's public training session.

  • @DanielThirion
    @DanielThirion 9 месяцев назад +6

    OMG! How did I not know of the existence of that.
    I love how you switched to a piano theme of Fort Boyard during that section 😁

  • @TrevorMoses312
    @TrevorMoses312 9 месяцев назад +5

    4:00 "The beautiful island of Corsica is represented by a lump of mud in a pond": ouchies 😳😆😆
    5:26 "Catch a #420 bus in the direction of well.........never mind" 😂😂😂😂

  • @gevatter1949
    @gevatter1949 9 месяцев назад +17

    There is something similar near Klagenfurt in Carinthia, Austria. It's called Minimundus. It's not a miniature version of Austria, because Austria is very small already, but is' models of sights from around the world, complete with minature boats and trains and at least 20 years ago, they even had mini Tourmaster buses going round.

    • @EcceJack
      @EcceJack 9 месяцев назад

      Yup, been there.... probably also around 20 years ago 😅

    • @MrInsdor
      @MrInsdor 9 месяцев назад

      something like that exists in the city of lichtenstein in saxony as well

  • @HenrysAdventures
    @HenrysAdventures 9 месяцев назад +27

    This is fantastic! As someone who has been involved with Bekonscot Model Village in England for 18 years I always love to see another Model Village. I'll definitely endeavour to visit this one. Love their Model Railway with The Cassandra Crossing viaduct!

  • @stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369
    @stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369 9 месяцев назад +8

    I remember seeing adds for this in the Paris subway, now I guess Ill finally get to see what its all about lol
    post video: Ok, now I have seen, lots of cool stuff I didnt even know about, I kind wanna go there now

  • @GojiMet86
    @GojiMet86 9 месяцев назад +122

    But does France Miniature have a mini-France Miniature inside as well? And does that mini-France Miniature have a mini-mini-France-Miniature? And does that mini-mini-France-Miniature have a micro-mini-mini-France-Miniature? And does that micro-mini-mini-France-Miniature have a nano-micro-mini-mini-France-Miniature?......

    • @GalootWrangler
      @GalootWrangler 9 месяцев назад +10

      Droste effect France, it must be done!

    • @jonasbetzendahl5757
      @jonasbetzendahl5757 9 месяцев назад +16

      Fun Mathematics Fact: if you have a smaller map of a larger territory inside the territory (like France Miniature inside France), then under very reasonable assumptions you can mathematically guarantee that there's a point somewhere on the map that is identical to the point in the territory. A point in France Miniature that maps exactly to that same spot in France.

    • @adrien5568
      @adrien5568 9 месяцев назад +7

      Unfortunately no, Versailles, which is at 10km of it, takes its spot.

    • @ZGryphon
      @ZGryphon 9 месяцев назад +4

      "You're very clever, young man, but it's Frances all the way down."

    • @gazzaman28
      @gazzaman28 9 месяцев назад +1

      Fractal France FTW

  • @denisvermeirre1024
    @denisvermeirre1024 9 месяцев назад +11

    Tim, once again, you've been very clever. "Das Model" is both a personal favorite and such an appropriate musical accompaniment. Well done!

  • @chazzyb8660
    @chazzyb8660 9 месяцев назад +5

    You've just reminded my of why I got so annoyed in Orléans, where I found the cathedral shut. On a Sunday morning! On asking why it wasn't open I was met with a shrug, and the reply, "Well it's a Sunday". I've never quite got to the bottom of that one.
    Otherwise brilliant!

    • @j_taylor
      @j_taylor 9 месяцев назад +1

      Haha! That sounds like a perfectly Gallic explanation.

  • @loveyourword
    @loveyourword 9 месяцев назад +45

    France really is a particulary diverse and beautiful place. Thanks for the video! Now I want to go again 🙂

    • @unpseudopascommelesautres997
      @unpseudopascommelesautres997 9 месяцев назад +2

      So true. Diverse landscape from the south to north ! Heavy rain in Britanny and sunshine in the south !

    • @exvagoergosum
      @exvagoergosum 9 месяцев назад

      @@unpseudopascommelesautres997 Apprends à écrire Brittany en anglais d'abord, et ensuite remballe tes clichés de parisien. En Bretagne, la pluie ne mouille que les cons, j'espère que t'as un sèche-linge...

    • @user-bx1mf3zb8y
      @user-bx1mf3zb8y 9 месяцев назад +7

      It is one of the only country I know where people in north cook with butter and south with olive oil and both are masters

    • @imbsbnfb
      @imbsbnfb 8 месяцев назад +2

      I live in Versailles near Paris, and I have to say that it is actually really cool to be able to find nearly any kind of nature at maximum 8 hours of car in my own country ! France is really cool for that, and for the diversity given by our neighbor Germans, Brits, Spanish, Swedish and the Belgians, as soon as we get closer to one of these countries, it is felt in the local culture, which is why there is so much cultural and culinary diversity in France. But one of my biggest dream still is to visit USA i'd looove to go to Yosemite park.
      Anyway have a good day !

  • @Sim0nTrains
    @Sim0nTrains 9 месяцев назад +7

    My money is on building a giant train set! But a lovely mini tour of France Miniature

  • @lucienmeunier2270
    @lucienmeunier2270 9 месяцев назад +20

    We used to go there with the "centre de loisirs" (which is kind of a summer activity centre, I guess)! If you want to see more stunning models while staying in Paris, you should try the Musée des Plans-Reliefs in the Hôtel des Invalides. They have a recreation of the Mont Saint Michel as well

    • @Eccoriens80
      @Eccoriens80 8 месяцев назад +1

      Oui, les Plans Reliefs, ça vaut véritablement le voyage !!! j'y suis allé il y a quelques mois, c'est le "Google Earth" en réalité ... réelle !

  • @NTLyesYT
    @NTLyesYT 9 месяцев назад +35

    Just wanted to quickly thank you for putting the wheelchair accessibility info ! Although I'm no longer in a wheelchair, I actually once went to France Miniature in a wheelchair because of an illness I had. Listening to the wheelchair info was pretty weird for me this time :P ! It has some rough mountainous slopes, and IIRC, there is a little section which is not accessible by wheelchair, but, otherwise it's a very cool park to go to by wheelchair !

    • @JHaven-lg7lj
      @JHaven-lg7lj 9 месяцев назад +3

      One of the things I love about this channel, definitely

    • @galactica604
      @galactica604 9 месяцев назад

      "although im no longer in a wheelchair"
      bro is Johnny Joestar 💀

  • @stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369
    @stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369 9 месяцев назад +5

    They always make the Fort Boyard look so far from any land on TV but its just off the coast lol

  • @pontiuspilates
    @pontiuspilates 9 месяцев назад +35

    Arc-et-Senans salt mines - one of the first modern factory towns in the world built in the 1700s. Learnt about this during my uni years. Such an interesting place.

    • @soly-dp-colo6388
      @soly-dp-colo6388 9 месяцев назад

      It's a gorgeous place.

    • @TheEstampe
      @TheEstampe 9 месяцев назад

      At 1:20 in case you don't know it.

  • @themetalslayer2260
    @themetalslayer2260 9 месяцев назад +9

    strange! i'm french and i didn't know this park but i know other parks that Tim can be interested to visit (an early 1900's village in Dordogne named Le Bournat, a antique gallic village named Coriobonna, and a medieval castle still being buold nowadays called Guédelon and in all of these places people are dressed with time accurate clothes)

  • @alloallie
    @alloallie 9 месяцев назад +12

    Hi, Tim ! I think the Philippines used to have a mini-Philippines amusement park too (called Nayong Pilipino). The original one closed for a while because the airport needed a new terminal, and there's apparently a new version outside Manila. Not sure if it's still open, though.

  • @pigrulo3364
    @pigrulo3364 9 месяцев назад +12

    Finally, a place on this channel I visited! I grew up a few kilometres from there, I visited this place a couple of times as a child.

  • @piuthemagicman
    @piuthemagicman 9 месяцев назад +43

    In Finland we have a Finland shaped lake called Neitokainen at Kittilä, Lapland. The lake was the idea of a local travel business owner Esko Sääskilahti in 1991. Today the lake is popular for taking cool drone shots from above :)

    • @Rob2
      @Rob2 9 месяцев назад +5

      So that lake is not natural but it was dug by humans?
      Are we on something, what about the other 1000 lakes?

    • @piuthemagicman
      @piuthemagicman 9 месяцев назад +8

      @@Rob2 It's man made, we didn't have a natural miniature lake Finland ☹️

    • @Rob2
      @Rob2 9 месяцев назад +1

      @@piuthemagicman Ok but (most of) the other 1000 (or many more) lakes at least are natural?
      Or are you Finns like us Dutch, and shaping the entire country to your liking?

    • @KalleKilponen
      @KalleKilponen 9 месяцев назад +6

      ​@@Rob2 Out of the around 168 000 lakes in Finland, some 50 are manmade.

    • @jaakkoiswatching6437
      @jaakkoiswatching6437 9 месяцев назад +3

      That Finland shaped lake was supposed to become a huge tourist attraction and make money. The tourists and money part didn't happen.

  • @rustinpieces
    @rustinpieces 9 месяцев назад +10

    Speaking of giant train sets, all those trains move WAY too fast considering their scale. Very common mistake. Only Miniatur Wunderland do it exactly right IMO. Splendid vid, never knew this existed!

    • @zsideswapper6718
      @zsideswapper6718 9 месяцев назад +3

      The monuments are purposedly too big in the first place.
      And the TGV ones maybe aren't "too fast" 🤭

    • @rustinpieces
      @rustinpieces 9 месяцев назад

      I was in Madurodam recently, for the first time in decades - just look it up - and wow, their trains are running at "proper" speeds, too. There's even a Thalys-service (Amsterdam-Paris IRL) and yes, those ARE fast. Everything running on functional catenary, as well. @@zsideswapper6718

    • @irov5884
      @irov5884 8 месяцев назад

      The French trains are the fastest commercial trains in the world (TGV) with a max speed record of 574.8 km/h (~360mph)

    • @zsideswapper6718
      @zsideswapper6718 8 месяцев назад

      @@irov5884 574.8 km/m was only during a test run. The actual commercial speed is up to 320 km/h, with an average of 270 km/h

  • @LuPoj
    @LuPoj 9 месяцев назад +1

    Hats off to Tim for the soundtrack choice! Kraftwerk's Das Model and Tour de France put a smile on my face every time I hear them.

  • @albevanhanoy
    @albevanhanoy 9 месяцев назад +5

    I am French and I never heard about this. I LOVE IT.

  • @marcbeebe
    @marcbeebe 9 месяцев назад +8

    Much easier way to tour the country than schlepping all around the real thing! 😁 Now if we did that in Canada you'd still have to traverse 100 kms!

  • @unpseudopascommelesautres997
    @unpseudopascommelesautres997 9 месяцев назад +2

    Mais mdrrr. C'est génial ! Je n'étais même pas au courant d'une telle chose c'est merveilleux.
    Vive notre France ! 🇫🇷

  • @AidanEyewitness
    @AidanEyewitness 9 месяцев назад +2

    Very nice! Reminds me of Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, smaller scale, indoors, very big!

  • @metropod
    @metropod 9 месяцев назад +40

    We don’t have the entire USA in miniature, but one of the only remaining attractions from the 1964 New York World’s Fair still in it’s original location is the “Panorama of the City of New York” a 9,335-square-foot (867.2 m2) 1:1200 scale model of the city.
    It’s basically prerequisite that kids in Queens in fourth grade (about 10 years old) go there on a field trip (that’s usually the year when social studies class focuses on local history)

    • @andyjay729
      @andyjay729 9 месяцев назад +2

      The last time I visited NYC (which was in the spring of 2019, so I guess I timed it somewhat well) I made a point of seeing that.

    • @theotherohlourdespadua1131
      @theotherohlourdespadua1131 9 месяцев назад +5

      There used to he a miniature of the US back in the 1960's. It's called "Freedomland USA" and was built in the Bronx...

    • @AndrewAMartin
      @AndrewAMartin 9 месяцев назад +2

      There was a place called Roadside America along I-78 about halfway between Allentown and Harrisburg in a little PA Dutch town called Shartlesville. It was a huge indoor model railroad. I passed it many times in the 30-odd years I've lived in PA, but never went inside. Sadly, it was closed recently and the building sold, and I believe there was a model railroad club trying to save the layout...

    • @metropod
      @metropod 9 месяцев назад +1

      @@AndrewAMartin I went there once, it was basically a very large free style Lionel layout. Not really a scale model of anything.

    • @AndrewAMartin
      @AndrewAMartin 9 месяцев назад

      @@metropod Thanks for the info. Mobile Instinct here on RUclips visited a huge layout in NJ, but it was also not a model of anywhere in particular IIRC.

  • @formallyvalidusername5262
    @formallyvalidusername5262 9 месяцев назад +4

    Fantastic musical choices as per usual.

  • @falsemcnuggethope
    @falsemcnuggethope 9 месяцев назад +2

    Gotta love the outstandingly accurate realism with the sea monsters.

  • @carlosfurukawa6133
    @carlosfurukawa6133 9 месяцев назад +1

    “And take a bus in direction of.. well, never mind!” 😂

  • @FAB1150
    @FAB1150 9 месяцев назад +10

    Hey, I remember visiting the Italian equivalent of this when I was a kid! No idea where it is or of it's still operating though
    Edit, it is, it's in Rimini! Apparently you can get on a small boat in mini-venice too

    • @urbanfile3861
      @urbanfile3861 9 месяцев назад +1

      There is even another near Bergamo

  • @Rihnoswirl
    @Rihnoswirl 9 месяцев назад +4

    I have never paid attention to a tv during my visits to France, but here in Sweden we *also* have a long-running tv show filmed at Fort Boyard, so seeing it was definitely a moment of instant recognition.

    • @LeafHuntress
      @LeafHuntress 9 месяцев назад

      Same in the Netherlands.

    • @Clery75019
      @Clery75019 5 месяцев назад +1

      Fort Boyard was initially a French tv show that ultimately got exported in no less than 35 countries (including Morocco, Russia, South Korea and China). Yet Sweden is somehow special as it's the country where it's been broadcasted the longest after France.

  • @zJoriz
    @zJoriz 9 месяцев назад +1

    That TGV in the outro was one of the few trains shown that carried any kind of realistic speed. ..

  • @ifitrollsrideit530
    @ifitrollsrideit530 9 месяцев назад

    The use Kraftwerk covers The Model and Tour de France as background music are SO satisfying. This does not go unnoticed!

  • @soly-dp-colo6388
    @soly-dp-colo6388 9 месяцев назад +11

    Très bonne idée d'activité avec les enfants. Merci, Tim !

    • @psirvent8
      @psirvent8 9 месяцев назад +1

      Tiens un français !
      Au moins je suis pas le seul...

    • @soly-dp-colo6388
      @soly-dp-colo6388 9 месяцев назад

      @@psirvent8 Une Française, oui 😊 J'adore les vidéos de Tim. Elles sont toujours intéressantes.

  • @shodan2958
    @shodan2958 9 месяцев назад +5

    As someone who hasn't visited France since at least 2007, this sounds like a place to go to get ideas in a very fun way about where to go in France if your visiting Paris (Which I'm planning to do). Especially since I want to have a ride on their TGV network.

  • @DannyMNL
    @DannyMNL 9 месяцев назад +2

    The Netherlands has a similar park called Madurodam, which opened 39 years earlier. The park is not shaped like the country, but the miniatures look just as nice, if not better in some cases. Might be worth a visit if you're into this sort of thing!

  • @GeneraleRus
    @GeneraleRus 9 месяцев назад +2

    Very cool! We have a similar "miniature" in Italy too, near Rimini, in Emilia-Romagna

  • @ndeso_yo_ben
    @ndeso_yo_ben 9 месяцев назад +7

    There's also a miniature Indonesia inside Indonesia called Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (lit. "Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park"), but sadly the currently viewable aerial imagery on Google Maps is from when it was under renovation last year. It's not as elaborate as this, though.

    • @apveening
      @apveening 9 месяцев назад +1

      And there is a Mini Siam in Thailand.

    • @theotherohlourdespadua1131
      @theotherohlourdespadua1131 9 месяцев назад

      At least that park has a "Children's Castle" that would make any Disney Park blush due to its size...

  • @TheHylianBatman
    @TheHylianBatman 9 месяцев назад +4

    I think every country ought to have one of those!
    That's really cool!

    • @urbanfile3861
      @urbanfile3861 9 месяцев назад

      Many countries have it, actually

    • @AixlaachenPax1801
      @AixlaachenPax1801 9 месяцев назад

      Only France have such a parc that represent the country geography with precise topology too and others countries obviously don't have much to fill compared to France.@@urbanfile3861

  • @Romain_Chap
    @Romain_Chap 9 месяцев назад +1

    I grew up in the suburb of Elancourt, nice to see you talk about our small amusement park France Miniature !

  • @Nuggets2
    @Nuggets2 9 месяцев назад +1

    I am French 🇫🇷 and I am really happy to see that you love our culture🥖, monuments 🏰 ...

  • @DavidBeddard
    @DavidBeddard 9 месяцев назад +3

    Thanks Tim, I wish I'd known about this place when I had family in Paris! I grew up close to Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, UK, which is home to Beckonscot Model Village, one of my favourite places in all of time and space. MiniEurope in Brussels is also pretty cool.

  • @LaHypeDuTrain
    @LaHypeDuTrain 9 месяцев назад +3

    One of my best childhood memories on one of my favourite RUclips channels, what a great day to be alive ❤

  • @ElDJReturn
    @ElDJReturn 9 месяцев назад +2

    Me, an American, realizing Miniature is obviously a French word and that in the first minute of a Tim Traveller I've learned something that Tim never intended me to feels great. Me learning I can take bus #420 to a miniature France in France is just a bonus.

  • @ElectariumTunic
    @ElectariumTunic 9 месяцев назад +1

    2:58 - As a Swede, I recognise Fort Boyard too. It is television history.

  • @danielstrandby3678
    @danielstrandby3678 9 месяцев назад +3

    Bus 420 to Pissaloup is iconic

    • @stephenhartley375
      @stephenhartley375 9 месяцев назад

      “... before catching the 420 bus in the direction of... well, never mind!” Tim’s scriptwriting up to its usual high standard! 👍🏻

  • @joshuasims5421
    @joshuasims5421 9 месяцев назад +10

    How delightful! Any chance we can see Carcassonne or more of the south of France on the channel? I've always wanted to visit myself.

    • @renerpho
      @renerpho 9 месяцев назад +1

      I'd love to see more of that pile of mud called "Corsica".

  • @BeerMatt96
    @BeerMatt96 9 месяцев назад +1

    Me, a cycling fan: "Ahh, Kraftwerk's The Model - top choice! Now, what's that VERY FAMILIAR 80s tune being played on the piano, while he does his tour of (Mini) France...? I just can't think what it is..." (repeat for the duration of your tour of France, before the centime finally drops). Chapeau, Sir, for double Kraftwerk!

  • @2008tourer
    @2008tourer 9 месяцев назад +1

    Your Kraftwerk's cover of "Das Model" is genious, Tim. Love these little (hehe) details in your videos

  • @user-hs8yi8mj4s
    @user-hs8yi8mj4s 9 месяцев назад +4

    Trop bien ! Je ne connaissais pas. Merci pour cet épisode, vraiment.

  • @mrschimmel
    @mrschimmel 9 месяцев назад +11

    We have something similar in the Netherlands called Madurodam. A bit more well known, though

    • @TrabberShir
      @TrabberShir 9 месяцев назад

      Well, that is two places on the list for my next long stay in Europe.

    • @flp322
      @flp322 9 месяцев назад +3

      Tragically, it’s not in the shape of the Netherlands :(

    • @Rob2
      @Rob2 9 месяцев назад +1

      @@flp322 That would be difficult, as the shape of the Netherlands changes all the time 😃

  • @respie1751
    @respie1751 9 месяцев назад +2

    There is a mini Italy inside a lunapark called Leolandia, it's near Bergamo. The cool thing about it is that fact that there are some interactable statues that explains how they were.

  • @51lv3rm4n
    @51lv3rm4n 9 месяцев назад +1

    Happened to be driving across France back from the Alps on Thursday when I got the notification for this video and figured if Tim's been then it's probably worth a look without even watching it! Had an excellent couple of hours wandering around learning about French geography, absolutely worth stopping in of you're nearby 👍

  • @doxielain2231
    @doxielain2231 9 месяцев назад +6

    Gosh, I've never been a first viewer before. Also, neat place! Not that it matters in any way at all. Being first, not the place.
    Also, the mini place needs a rampaging goose.

  • @sschmidtevalue
    @sschmidtevalue 9 месяцев назад +8

    We visited Mini-Europe near the Atomium in Brussels in 2002. Is it still there? If so, you should give that a go!

    • @Amaury29
      @Amaury29 9 месяцев назад

      I was there last year! So yes it's still there!

  • @jypeps
    @jypeps 9 месяцев назад

    I live in Rambouillet and let me tell you that this park is one of my best childhood memories! There also is a small area when children can play so it was the perfect place for sunday afternoon fun.

  • @phillscott5221
    @phillscott5221 9 месяцев назад

    One thing (but definitely not the only thing) I love about your videos is the music! It always makes me smile after the 10 seconds or so it takes my brain to work out what it is.

  • @Diegomax22
    @Diegomax22 9 месяцев назад +6

    Hope you enjoyed your trip in our beautiful country, Tim!

    • @nzd3742
      @nzd3742 9 месяцев назад +6

      Pretty sure he lives there anyway (France, that is, not the miniature version of it).

    • @CptJistuce
      @CptJistuce 9 месяцев назад +1

      ​@@nzd3742It'd be kind of amazing if he lived in the miniature version of it.

  • @kazmumtaz2184
    @kazmumtaz2184 9 месяцев назад +9

    There's a similar thing in Indonesia. "Taman Mini Indonesia" or "Mini Indonesia Park" is this big sort of theme park, there's a giant lake in the middle with a bunch of islands recreating the entire Indonesian archipelago, and there are 30+ pavilions around the rest of the park for each of the country's provinces with traditional houses and other cultural stuff on display and shown there

  • @MrCimryadeal
    @MrCimryadeal 9 месяцев назад +1

    The Model and Tour de France eh? I was almost disappointed not to have a cover of Trans Europe Express! Great video!!!

  • @Kasaye1
    @Kasaye1 9 месяцев назад

    I don't know why i'm here, but i'm very happy, i used to go there a bunch when i was a kid because my brother would do rugby near it, so i'd wait with my mom at that park during his practice.
    Thanks for the memories !!

  • @EladLerner
    @EladLerner 9 месяцев назад +50

    What about French Guiana, and all the other territories? If they were REAL geography nerds they would have bought land around the park at the correct scale and made them part of the experience.

    • @TheTimTraveller
      @TheTimTraveller  9 месяцев назад +64

      They actually have a model of the Ariane launchpad in French Guiana! It's on the other side of the "Atlantic" from La Rochelle. The other territories, however, get nothing more than information panels...

    • @Eppu_Paranormaali
      @Eppu_Paranormaali 9 месяцев назад +20

      Some say there's an upside down model of Tahiti in the sewers under the Miniature France...

    • @renerpho
      @renerpho 9 месяцев назад +2

      @@TheTimTraveller That is actually quite impressive.

    • @comentedonakeyboard
      @comentedonakeyboard 9 месяцев назад +1

      Well the distances would have to be up to scale, so the Kergueles Islands would be en Algerie

    • @JeanAnonymous
      @JeanAnonymous 9 месяцев назад

      As a French i can say that nobody cares about the other territories.

  • @jarivanv
    @jarivanv 9 месяцев назад +4

    If these kinds of Parcs are interesting for a video, you might want to check out Mini Europe in Brussels (right next to one of the most impressive monuments on the continent in my opinion, the Atomium). Although not geographically accurate, the models are all very impressive and it might close for good in a few years so now's the time to visit!

  • @SquirrelSeb84
    @SquirrelSeb84 9 месяцев назад +2

    There are a couple relief maps of Colombia, one in the Jaime Duque park in Briceño, and another one in Parque Nacional in Bogotá. It’s amazing to see the mountains in a size that’s easier to grasp even when you’re in the middle of them. Neither of them have any scale models of cities and places in them, but still you can argue they show all the best parts of the country.

  • @johnstevenson1709
    @johnstevenson1709 9 месяцев назад

    The fact rose and jim starts to play when tim opens the lock is precisely why i keep coming back

  • @seancannon7718
    @seancannon7718 9 месяцев назад +3

    I love miniature attractions like this, and it looks like this is near where I'll be staying to see the Olympics next year, so will definitely try and go! You should check out Mini-Europe in Brussels if you want to see the next level up!

  • @garrick3727
    @garrick3727 9 месяцев назад +6

    That's very impressive. Instantly greatly multiplied the number of places in France I'd like to go to. Particularly Carcassonne. That's a real town? I'm from York in the UK and it makes York look like a walled beer garden (which it basically is). If that's a real place, I'm amazed I've never even heard of it. Definitely high on my list of places to visit.

    • @tonysimister4825
      @tonysimister4825 9 месяцев назад +3

      Carcassonne is way cool Well worth a visit.

    • @renerpho
      @renerpho 9 месяцев назад

      Carcassonne from above really looks like a fantasy town.

    • @tixien
      @tixien 9 месяцев назад +2

      Carcassonne is definitely a real town😂 Most of the time, they’re busy waging wars on Toulouse and Castelnaudary - and vice versa - about who invented cassoulet first. Hence the double-fortified wall😂

    • @kelvinp.coleman563
      @kelvinp.coleman563 9 месяцев назад

      I'm amazed you've never heard of it if you're from York, because I'm from just down the road in Nottingham and it's one of THE destinations of note, after Paris. Although that might only be because there are direct flights from East Midlands Airport.

    • @sianwarwick633
      @sianwarwick633 9 месяцев назад

      It's beautiful. Go.

  • @Vash878
    @Vash878 9 месяцев назад +2

    I adore your channel. It's perfectly tailored to all my 'nerdy' interests and your sense of humor is delightful. Thank you so much Tim, looking forward to what you come up with next ❤

  • @K-o-R
    @K-o-R 9 месяцев назад +2

    1:02 _L'Attaque des Titans!_

  • @emmanuelc.8694
    @emmanuelc.8694 9 месяцев назад +5

    I went there a few times as a kid, fun seeing it there!

  • @ericschout8058
    @ericschout8058 9 месяцев назад +8

    I've been there, also been in Madurodam (The Hague, The Netherlands) and Italia in Miniatura (Rimini, Italy). Madurodam was the best in my opinion.

    • @martinc.720
      @martinc.720 9 месяцев назад

      Yay!!

    • @LucaPasini2
      @LucaPasini2 9 месяцев назад

      I live really close to Italia in Miniatura, so I've seen it many times, I really loved the model trains when I was a child! Besides the miniatures, unlike its French counterpart, it also has other attractions, such as a few roller coasters and a replica of Venice. It also used to have a nice monorail loop, but it has been recently dismantled.

  • @Amaury29
    @Amaury29 9 месяцев назад +1

    Fun Fact:
    in brussels just next to the atomium there is a park like this but for all of europe called: mini europe.
    Personally as a French i visited both France miniature and Mini Europe and it's really cool!

  • @_yerf
    @_yerf 9 месяцев назад +1

    Absolutely adore the Kraftwerk themes in the background

  • @JeffreyJakucyk
    @JeffreyJakucyk 9 месяцев назад +3

    But Tim, did you climb the highest mountain in Miniature France?

  • @thesteelrodent1796
    @thesteelrodent1796 9 месяцев назад +5

    This is a really nice big little park, so much nicer than Mini France, which I honestly don't know if still exist; we were last there in 1987. And not sure if that was the actual name in French, just remember we happened upon it in the guidebook one time we flipped through it during a lunch stop, but we were promptly disappointed once we went there - a few sad model buildings in bit of grass, and not much else (that I remember, anyway. I was 11 and couldn't care less back then). But might be something for Tim to investigate
    And while we're on model parks in parks: In Knuthenborg park in southern Denmark, they have a model of Lolland (the island they're on) and surrounding islands. Along with model steam trains you can ride, which are a totally different scale than the model island

    • @MrCimryadeal
      @MrCimryadeal 9 месяцев назад +1

      I think it's the same one. Went there around 1990/91. It's just that it evolved with time!

  • @Tzoreol
    @Tzoreol 9 месяцев назад +1

    There is the same spirit with the Loire Valley Castle near Amboise called "Le parc de mini châteaux"

  • @kaitlyn__L
    @kaitlyn__L 9 месяцев назад +1

    One of the things I love about your piano Kraftwerk covers is how they highlight all the ways they used a deep understanding of harmony in their work.
    Not that that was unique for influential electronic musicians, but some people have a hard time "hearing past" the unique instrumentation to notice how much classical influence there really was on electronic music. While a piano cover does the job of "hearing past" the synthesisers, and highlights the compositional decisions even more starkly!

    • @timschulz9563
      @timschulz9563 6 месяцев назад

      Yes, they are really in the line of the European "classical" composers! Beautiful melodies and harmonies.