French comic book hero Asterix overlooks the Paris-region theme park based on the series, June 2, 2021. STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP
A theme park based on the beloved French comic strip series Asterix is to open in Germany, the first time the adventures of the pugnacious Gaul are to be the focus of an attraction outside France, its operator said on Tuesday, December 2. The new attraction will be a twin of the vast Parc Asterix outside Paris, one of France's premier tourist attractions which opened in 1989.
An existing theme park called Belantis outside the east German city of Leipzig is to morph into an Asterix theme park by 2030 or 2031, operator Compagnie des Alpes said. The change at the park in Germany will take place gradually, with the first area dedicated to Idefix, the dog of Asterix's burly sidekick Obelix, opening as early as March 2026, the French group said.
In terms of the numbers sold of the Asterix comic books originally written and illustrated by the duo of René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, Germany is the second-largest market, just behind France. Compagnie des Alpes said that "this park has the potential to eventually welcome nearly 900,000 visitors per year." The second most visited amusement park in France after Disneyland Paris, Parc Asterix welcomed 2.9 million visitors during the 2024-2025 season. It is currently ranked eighth most visited in Europe.
