The last day of Thierry Miss: The man who made miniature Europe great

These continuous marketing efforts have paid off. Mini-Europe receives 400,000 people every year, most of them adults, most of them from abroad. The park is very popular with Indians who still attend in large numbers today. Some women wearing saris want to have their photo taken with the director. Meeùs poses willingly. This is what he likes to do most: walking in the park, chatting with visitors, and seeing what they like.

Painful moment

He looks at the models, his gaze lingering on the place behind the Acropolis where Océade stood until six years ago. The closing of the water park is the most painful moment of his career. For years, Meeùs has battled with the city of Brussels, which owns the land in Hessle and wants to implement the Neo project there – housing, a large shopping mall and a new theme park. The original lease ran until 2010 and the Meeùs had to move heaven and earth to get a few more years. The same scenario in 2013 and 2016. Meeus did not hesitate, and each time, with a great sense of drama, he summoned the press, announced the closure and threatened to move to another Belgian or foreign city, as far away as Montenegro, Azerbaijan and China, who would be interested in his gardens. At the last minute he got a small extension each time.