French plan 'Napoleonland' theme park which will stage daily re-enactments of Battles of Waterloo and Trafalgar



£180million park to be built on site of famous battle and create 3,000 jobs

Park is being billed as a rival to Disneyland and could open in 2017

Napoleon has no national museum despite being the second most famous Frenchman after Charles De Gaulle

Celebrated: Napoleon Bonaparte will be commemorated with a new theme park to be built at the site of the Battle of Montereau - if funding can be secured

After almost 200 years, the last thing you would think the French want is a daily reminder of the devastating military defeats at Waterloo and Trafalgar.

But now a theme park is being planned in honour of Napoleon Bonaparte - and will stage daily re-enactments of the victories for Wellington and Nelson.

Dubbed 'Napoleonland', the attraction is likely to be built on the site of one of the military leader's most famous victories.



If funding is secured for the £180million park it is expected to create 3,000 jobs and could ultimately emerge as a rival to Disneyland.

There are plans to build it at the site where Napoleon defeated the Austrians in the Battle of Montereau in 1814 in Montereau-Fault-Yonne just south of Paris.

The six-day battle was the nation's last military victory over the Austrians.



The Battle of Waterloo, which put an end to Napoleon's rule in France, is expected to be recreated on a daily basis and visitors may even be able to take part in the reenactments.

They will also be able to take in a water show recreating the Battle of Trafalgar.

A museum, a hotel, shops, restaurants and a congress are all expected to be built at the park.

Planners are also hoping to recreate the killing of Louis XVI, France's last King, who died after being guillotined during the Revolution.

And in another attraction visitors may be able to ski around the bodies of soldiers and horses frozen on the battlefield.

Napoleon is the second most famous French and much-celebrated leader after Charles De Gaulle - so it remains to be seen how much room his countrymen give over to Lord Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.



French politician Yves Jego, who is backing the project, hopes that construction work can get underway in 2014 and the park open its doors in 2017.

It is expected to be based loosely on Asterix, a French theme park, and Puy du Fou a leisure park with Viking-themed attractions.



He is planning to unveil full details of what the attraction will contain on February 18 - the 198th anniversary of the Battle of Montereau.



Famous spot: The park is likely to be built at Montereau-Fault-Yonne - the site of the Battle of Montereau in 1814

Theme: The park is expected to be loosely based on Parc Asterix, a French theme park (pictured) just outside Paris

Napoleon is well-known in Russia and China and it is hoped the attraction will bolster French tourism.

Despite being one of France's most decorated leaders, there is no national museum dedicated to Napoleon and Mr Jego said he hopes that it will help the military leader retain his place in the French national consciousness.

Charles Napoleon, who is a descendant of the military leader's brother, told The Times: 'There is a huge gulf between his celebrity abroad and the few important events about him in this country.'

Mr Jego added: 'As well as being an instrument of economic development, this is a question of rediscovering our roots and our history.

'We are going to combine historical truth with pure entertainment.'

He added that Napoelonland would be 'unbiased' and eschew the dominant French view that the military leader was a great man.

Local government officials are supporting the ambitious project and Mr Jego is searching for private sector investors to help fund the project.

It is hoped that the park would attract around 1.5million visitors in its first year.



Reenactment: The park is expected to recreate the Battle of Waterloo on a daily basis. Here people re-enact the Battle of Montereau on the original battlefield - close to where the new park will be built