Le Petit-Paris, Miniature park in Vaïssac, France
Le Petit-Paris is a miniature park in the village of Vaïssac, in the Tarn-et-Garonne department of southern France, displaying scale replicas of some of Paris's most recognized buildings. The models include the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, all arranged within a landscaped garden setting.
Gérard Brion began building the park in 1983 and opened it to the public 14 years later, after more than 25,000 hours of work. It holds over 40 models of Paris monuments at a scale of 1:130, plus a Petit-Louvre section with copies of 500 works from the Louvre and a puppet stage showing the Moulin Rouge. A move near La Rochelle, onto about 3 hectares, is planned.
The scale of the models lets visitors look at architectural details up close in a way that is rarely possible when standing in front of the real buildings in Paris. Children and adults often stop to compare one replica with another, drawn in by the differences in style between each structure.
Le Petit-Paris lies near the village of Vaïssac in Tarn-et-Garonne, reached by road from the surrounding towns. The park holds more than 40 miniatures of Paris monuments at a scale of 1:130, so allow time to walk the whole circuit. A relocation near La Rochelle, with an expansion to about 3 hectares, is planned.
The park also holds a Petit-Louvre section with copies of 500 famous works from the Louvre, plus a puppet stage representing the Moulin Rouge. Plans call for moving the park near La Rochelle and expanding it to about 3 hectares.
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