The Fortress of Sedan
Three wars, one castle, a thousand secrets
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
The Castle of Sedan, Europe's largest fortress at 35,000 m², was the scene of three wars. Napoleon III's defeat in 1870, the trenches of 1914, the German breakthrough of 1940 — each conflict left its marks in stone and its secrets in the underground passages.
Europe's largest fortress witnessed three wars — and kept their secrets
Sedan is a city marked by military history. Its castle, founded in the 15th century and continuously enlarged until the 17th, covers 35,000 m² — a world record for a fortified castle. Its seven-meter-thick walls, bastions, and underground passages have weathered five centuries of conflict. In 1870, Napoleon III surrendered here to Prussia. In 1940, the Panzers crossed the Meuse here. Each war left traces that time has not erased.
« "Unable to die among my troops, I have no choice but to surrender my sword." »— — Napoleon III to Wilhelm I, Sedan, September 2, 1870
Sedan — the fortress that saw three empires fall
The Castle of Sedan was founded in 1424 by Évrard de La Marck. For two centuries, the Principality of Sedan remained independent, protected by this colossal fortress. Louis XIV finally annexed the city in 1642. The castle became a barracks and a prison — Turenne, the greatest general of the 17th century, was born here.
On September 1, 1870, Napoleon III's French army, surrounded by the Prussians, fought the Battle of Sedan. The defeat was total. The next day, the Emperor surrendered and was taken prisoner. This event caused the fall of the Second Empire and the birth of the Third Republic. The castle served as a prison for French officers.
In May 1940, the Wehrmacht broke through the French front at Sedan — at exactly the same spot. Guderian's Panzers crossed the Meuse and opened the road to Paris. France collapsed in six weeks. The castle, bombed, preserves in its walls the impacts of three wars — 1870, 1914, 1940 — layered like the strata of a military archaeology.
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 game downloads to your phone on start. Once the "✓ Downloaded" indicator appears, everything works without data — narration, AR, GPS and puzzles. Perfect abroad without a data plan.
The Route
5 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?
Largest fortress
35,000 m² of fortress — a European record.
Three wars
1870, 1914, 1940 — three conflicts etched in stone.
Napoleon III
Relive the surrender that toppled the Second Empire.
Meuse riverbanks
The river three armies tried to cross.
Three wars, one fortress, a thousand secrets.
Decipher five centuries of military history in Europe's largest fortress.
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
Q01What's the difference with a regular indoor escape room?
Outdoor escape game format: no physical locks, no actor, no fixed time slot. You start when you want, progress through Sedan · Castle, ramparts & Meuse riverbanks with your phone, and the city itself is the set. More immersive on local history, more flexible in pace.
Q02How long does it take to finish The Fortress of Sedan?
Plan 1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. Some finish in 1 h 10, others take 3 h in slow-mode. No pressure: the clock only counts for the leaderboard, you play at your tempo.
Q03Does The Fortress of Sedan work for team-building?
Yes — it's actually one of our main use cases. Outdoor escape game format, teams of 4 to 6, live ranking possible between groups. For companies above 12 participants, contact us: we can issue linked codes.
Q04What happens if it rains in Sedan · Castle, ramparts & Meuse riverbanks?
The game is playable in light rain — just keep your phone under a hood. For heavy thunderstorms, your code stays valid, you can postpone to another day at no cost.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
From the drawbridge to the ramparts, from the Tower of Princes to the Meuse riverbanks — explore Europe's largest fortress in an escape game that spans three wars and five centuries of secrets.
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
🪙+15 TripCoins granted with your booking
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