ARCHE Agglo wants to develop the Domaine du Lac de Champos, in the north of Drôme. As a first step, the urban community decided to entrust 3.8 hectares of forest behind the D6 to a former kayak instructor, after a call for projects. Based in Romans-sur-Isère, Julien Fayol founded a company, Fabulus, to be able to build this theme park. “La Forêt des Champos” has one objective: to entertain families, without destroying the environment, while raising awareness of the importance of mushrooms.
A world of games and mushrooms
“The Champos forest” will be located at the foot of the protected area on the hill known as “La Sablière”, classified Natura 2000. On the site, wooden platforms are already appearing in the trees, with a view of the lake and in the distance, the Vercors. A aerial walk which can be used without a harnessthanks to nets stretched on the sides and below, with a view of Lake Champos. There will also be a slide with sleds and a path designed for walking barefoot between the trees. “We did not want to modify the natural topography of the site, we relied on it while keeping them alive and I committed to not authorizing motorized activities so that human leisure was not to the detriment carbon impact“, explains Julien Fayol.
Leopold Picot
Entertainment and tales to raise awareness of the world of mushrooms will also be regularly implemented. “The goal is not at all to do a workshop to recognize edible mushrooms from bad ones, but really to promote the interest of mushrooms for ecosystems, by talking about the three families: the “caprofits” for the parasites, the “necrosaurs “for the necrotrophs, and the “symbiosites” that we will discover along the way” says Julien Fayol, his eyes shining. He hopes to attract families, but also seniors’ clubs and even school groups.
In front of the few trunks of chestnut trees placed at the edge of the forest, the former instructor wants to be reassuring: “The trees cut down were either diseased or dangerous. We are calling on a local company to reduce this into chips which will be placed on the ground, and to build picnic tables, posts and arbors.” Ecologists evaluated the project, and Laura Didier, pruner from Bathernay, ensured that the operations went smoothly.
50,000 visitors expected
There was a lack of parking spaces closer to the valley in which the theme park will be located. It is the main environmental impact of this project : asphalt will be needed to consolidate the ground, and thus allow 70 cars to park, with access for people with reduced mobility. It is the community of the municipality which will pay this part, 208,000 euros excluding taxes, but the cost will gradually be passed on to the rent paid by Julien Fayol. The lease is for a period of fifteen years, renewable.
Leopold Picot
120,000 visitors are already flocking to the Domaine du Lac de Champos, 20,000 are expected in the first year of the opening of the theme park, 50,000 in the medium term. For Claude Fourel, vice-president of the agglomeration in charge of tourism, the interest of this theme park is to continue to energize the region: “It’s a win-win. The park will attract people to the lake, and vice versa”. Other stages will be implemented at the lake itself, including a soft sports area and new rental chalets, as part of a multi-year investment plan of four million euros.
ARCHE Agglo and the entrepreneur are still looking for the formula to link the two spaces: a double ticket? A reduction if you buy an entry at one, to go to the other? Julien Fayol wishes that the price of the ticket in its park will not exceed 15 euroswith reduced rates for the youngest and oldest. This private project will cost more than 725,000 euros (excl. VAT), not including the extension of the parking lot.
