The activity was designed for children, but adults quickly get caught up in the game. First essential step: download the application to your mobile phone from the App Store or Google Play.
The operation only takes a few seconds.
Activate the geolocation parameters of your smartphone and go on an adventure on one of the 30 sets of tracks available.
From the rose garden of Provins (Seine-et-Marne) to the English gardens of Fontainebleau (Seine-et-Marne), through the Tuileries park in Paris and the street art frescoes of Vitry-sur-Seine (Val-de -Marne), the Paris Ile-de-France regional tourism committee (CRT) has endeavored to offer a wide range of routes.
Read alsoHeritage: here are the new protected Parisian and Ile-de-France sites
For our test, we chose to head for Essonne and the Château de Dourdan.
The adventure begins in the city center.
After having parked my car in the small parking lot in the hall, I grab my phone and launch the first mission.
I choose my character and let's go for an hour of a life-size game!
Dourdan, Tuesday May 25, 2021. To validate the steps, just scan the clues.
Florian Garcia
The instructions are simple: with my smartphone, I have to go to the location of the riddles using the map and scan with the camera of my phone the precious clues that will allow me to access the next test .
In the footsteps of Jeanne II of Burgundy, Queen of France
The first stage takes me around the castle. My mission ? Find the dungeon. Easy, the imposing tower arranged at one of the angles of the surrounding wall is visible from the street. With my phone, I aim for the building and validate my choice. Problem, the application refuses. A message asks me if I am sure I have found the right item to scan. Yes, no doubt, it is the dungeon that is in front of me. I step back and try again. Bingo! The first mission is validated.
I gain "a character" and discover a historical precision.
Jeanne II of Burgundy was imprisoned for a year in this dungeon after a story of adultery in the 14th century.
Deemed innocent, she will eventually become Queen of France.
The castle will serve as a royal prison in 1672 and will accommodate prisoners until the mid-19th century.
Before moving on to the next step, I was asked a question: what is the name of the fine vertical openings of the dungeon which allowed the enemy to be attacked.
Machicolations or walls?
I validate the first answer and go to the second mission.
Read alsoTourism: how Ile-de-France wants to emerge from a “nightmarish” year
She takes me to the entrance to the castle.
Again, I have to find and scan the requested clue.
Facing the imposing red door, the operation is not instantly validated.
However, I am in the right place.
“The application was developed for children,” says the director of strategic activities of the Paris Ile-de-France regional tourism committee, Sandrine Chausson.
Older adults should tilt their phones to simulate a shot taken by a smaller child.
Once the index has been validated, I discover a new historical precision and a second vocabulary question is asked.
I validate and pass the next mission.
In total, the operation will be repeated six times.
Suitable for children
During this test, the card supposed to allow me to reach the next stage never worked.
But thanks to the clues, I was able to easily guess the places of the missions, namely the market hall, the 12th century church, a magnificent half-timbered house on rue Haute-Foulerie and a charming little washhouse.
Close to each other, these steps are perfectly suited to a child's walking.
Read alsoHow to preserve the unique heritage of the city of Brunoy?
New adventures and themes should soon complete the application.
A remote play module is also under study… ideal for rainy days!
Dourdan, Tuesday 25 May 2021. For children to discover the heritage of the Ile-de-France region, the Paris Région Aventures application includes 30 treasure hunts. One of them is dedicated to the medieval city of Dourdan. Florian Garcia