The Palace of the Popes
The exile of the popes and the Great Schism
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
For 67 years (1309-1376), the Popes lived in Avignon, not Rome. The Great Schism split Christianity in two. The world's largest Gothic palace hides secret crypts, coded frescoes, and the traces of a power struggle that nearly destroyed the Church.
The world's largest Gothic palace guards the secrets of the schism
The Palace of the Popes in Avignon is the world's largest Gothic building — 15,000 m² of surface area, walls 5 meters thick, towers 50 meters high. Seven popes reigned here for 67 years, making Avignon the capital of Christendom. When the papacy returned to Rome in 1376, the Great Schism split the Church: one pope in Rome, one antipope in Avignon. The palace's frescoes, secret passages, and crypts preserve the memory of this power struggle.
« "Avignon is a city where it never rains but the wind always blows." »— — Petrarch, Italian poet, Avignon resident in the 14th century
Avignon — when Christendom had two capitals
In 1309, Pope Clement V, a Frenchman close to King Philip the Fair, transferred the papacy to Avignon. What was meant to be temporary lasted 67 years. Seven successive popes built a colossal palace, attracted the greatest artists — including painter Simone Martini — and made Avignon the intellectual and spiritual center of Europe. Petrarch met Laura here, the muse of his sonnets.
In 1376, Gregory XI returned the papacy to Rome under pressure from Catherine of Siena. But upon his death in 1378, the cardinals split: the Italians elected Urban VI in Rome, the French elected Clement VII in Avignon. This was the Great Western Schism — for 39 years, two popes (then three) fought over legitimacy. Europe was torn between obediences.
The Pont d'Avignon — the Pont Saint-Bénézet — has become a universal symbol. Built in the 12th century, it lost most of its arches by the 17th century. The nursery rhyme "Sur le Pont d'Avignon" dates from the 15th century — but historians suspect people danced "under" the bridge, on the Île de la Barthelasse, not on it. The bridge, the palace, the rock — everything in Avignon tells a story of power and mystery.
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.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
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?
Monumental palace
The world's largest Gothic palace — 15,000 m² of power and mystery.
Great Schism
Relive the war of popes that split Christendom in two.
Bridge of Avignon
Walk on the 4 remaining arches of the world's most famous bridge.
Papal frescoes
Decipher political messages coded in the palace paintings.
Two popes, two palaces, one secret.
Unlock the mysteries of the Great Schism at the heart of the world's largest Gothic palace.
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
Q01Do I need an app or a paper guide?
Neither. Everything plays in your browser (Safari, Chrome) after you tap your activation link. No PDF to print, no download. The trail lives in your phone, that's it.
Q02How far do you walk in Avignon · Palace of the Popes, Bridge & Rocher des Doms?
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 play The Palace of the Popes as a couple?
Great two-person format. Narration is dramatic without overdoing it, puzzles are designed to spark conversation. Ideal for new relationships or anniversaries — you discover the city and coordinate on puzzles simultaneously.
Q04Do we need 4G data to play?
Intermittent 4G is plenty. Maps are cached at startup. Narration and clues load per stop, so a so-so signal between stops is fine. GPS itself uses no data.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
From the Grand Tinel to the Bridge of Avignon, from the Rocher des Doms to the Rue des Teinturiers — relive the war of popes in a monumental escape game at the heart of the papal city.
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
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