The Citadel of Navarre
When a kingdom became a star of stone
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Pamplona's Ciudadela is one of Europe's largest star fortresses. Built to subdue a proud kingdom, it became the very symbol of Navarrese resistance. Uncover the secrets of this perfect military architecture.
A fortress against a people
When Philip II of Spain ordered the Ciudadela's construction in 1571, it was not to protect Pamplona — it was to control it. The Kingdom of Navarre, forcibly annexed in 1512, had never accepted Castilian rule. This pentagonal fortress, a masterpiece of Renaissance engineering, was as much a weapon as a message: resistance was futile.
« "The Navarrese does not submit — he waits." »— — Navarrese proverb
The Ciudadela — when Spain smothered a kingdom with geometry
The Kingdom of Navarre was the last independent kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula. In 1512, Ferdinand the Catholic invaded and annexed it to Castile, ending centuries of sovereignty. But the Navarrese never resigned themselves: revolts, conspiracies and restoration attempts followed one another for decades. The crown needed a permanent solution.
That solution took the form of a perfect star. In 1571, Italian engineer Giacomo Palearo, known as "El Fratín," designed a pentagonal citadel with angular bastions — a design inspired by Vauban-style fortifications, capable of withstanding modern artillery while controlling the city. The Ciudadela became the permanent garrison that maintained Spanish order in the heart of Navarre.
In the 19th century, the citadel played a crucial role during the Carlist Wars. Besieged, bombarded, never taken, it resisted every assault. Now transformed into a public park, its bastions and moats offer one of the finest examples of Renaissance military architecture in Europe. The nearby Gothic cathedral and the Museo de Navarra complete the picture of a kingdom that resisted through the centuries.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
The Route
4 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Star architecture
Explore one of Europe's largest pentagonal fortresses and its perfect geometric bastions.
Royal memory
Trace the history of the Iberian Peninsula's last independent kingdom through its monuments.
Rampart walk
Walk the medieval and Renaissance ramparts with views of the Arga River and mountains.
Military strategy
Decode the citadel's defense plans — firing angles, escape lines, deadly traps.
A kingdom does not die — it turns to stone.
Cross the bastions. Resurrect the kingdom.
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01The Citadel of Navarre — is it a guided trail or a free-form hunt?
It's a semi-guided trail: GPS points you to the next stop, but you find the camera clue and solve the puzzle yourself. No app to install, everything runs in your browser.
Q02How far do you walk in Pamplona · Ciudadela, cathedral & ramparts?
Usually 2 to 4 km of total walking, within 1.5 km as the crow flies from the start point. The route is designed to be walkable at a relaxed pace, no public transport needed.
Q03Can we do The Citadel of Navarre as a family with kids?
Yes, from age 6 with an adult reading puzzles aloud, and from age 12 on their own. Kids love the "find the camera clue" part — it's very visual, gets them genuinely involved.
Q04What's the best time to start?
Morning between 10 and 11, or early afternoon around 2 PM, is ideal. You still have daylight ahead, Pamplona · Ciudadela, cathedral & ramparts is less crowded, and the light is better for camera clues.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Explore the star citadel and ramparts of Pamplona. An outdoor escape game where military architecture, the cathedral of kings and the remnants of a lost kingdom are pieces of a fascinating historical puzzle.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+12 TripCoins granted with your booking
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