The Grand Parc de Miribel Jonage, which is located just 15 minutes away from Place Bellecour, is considered one of the main peri-urban parks in Europe. The park boasts 2200 hectares of grounds, 350 of which consist of various water features, and acts as the city’s lungs, serving an urban area with a population of 1.5 million. This natural space has been adopted by a whole range of bird species which use it as a favourite stopover during their seasonal migration between northern Europe and either Africa or southern Europe.
For the last five years this stunning site has established itself as a venue for meetings, incentives and events. According to Alexandra Vitali, the site’s corporate sales manager, it has been relatively successful. “We handle approximately 80 meetings and incentives every year, most of them choosing the venue for its outdoor activities. On average the groups consist of between 60 and 80 people from companies in the Grand Lyon area, as we don’t offer any on-site accommodation”. Most of the events are organised between April and October with clients professing themselves very satisfied with the quality of the facilities and services offered by the staff at the Grand Parc.
“For the work sessions we offer two rooms,” continues Alexandra Vitali. “The largest of them, with space for 200 people, can be divided into two. The smallest room has capacity for 25 people. We also have a covered area that is ideal for exhibitions or shows as well as a catering area for 130 to 150 sitting down or 200 for a cocktail party. The restaurant, which uses caterer Koeberle Rossez from Les Échets, looks out over the Lac des Eaux Bleues. When the weather is warm our clients really enjoy the BBQs or spit roasts”.
The main reason for the Grand Parc’s popularity is its natural setting and the range of outdoor activities that can be organised on-site. The Multi-Sports area is where most of the activities take place, 15 hectares on the edge of the Lac des Eaux Bleues. Activities range from golf, archery, windsurfing, climbing, sailing and mountain biking, with qualified instructors on hand to provide help.
Clients using the Grand Parc can choose from a range of packages, including the multisport challenge (canoeing, orienteering, archery, climbing, golf, mountain bike trial etc), the « Robinsons » challenge which requires participants to build a raft using logs in order to explore the lake’s islands, or a nature rally which involves spotting the site’s fauna and flora. Half a day for a group of 50 people, including a multisport challenge costs 2000 € (ex VAT). Prices start at 35 € (ex VAT) per person for a meal. Room hire starts at 800 € (ex VAT).
A novel introduction to the Grand Parc can be had by entering a team of four in the “Raid des Entreprises” on 26 May. Each company can enter either one or several teams. There are three tests on the programme with a canoe relay race, a 5 km bike’n run involving two team members running and two cycling, and an orienteering course. The raid starts at 6.30 pm.
Le Grand parc de Miribel Jonage, in Miribel Jonage (RhĂ´ne)
Tel.: 00 33 (0)4 78 80 23 64
