The Pilgrim's First Step
For a thousand years, the road to Compostela has begun here
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Le Puy-en-Velay is the most famous starting point of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Its cathedral, built on a volcanic pinnacle, seems to burst from the earth like a prayer of stone. Around it, the lava spires — the Rocher Corneille and the Chapel of Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe — defy gravity and reason.
The Fever Stone heals the sick — but what else does it hide?
The cathedral of Le Puy is unique: you enter by a monumental staircase that passes beneath the nave, as if penetrating the mountain's bowels. Inside, the Fever Stone — a basalt block on which the sick would lie to be healed — has been venerated since Roman times. Around it, the city clings to volcanic pinnacles like a nest of stone. The Rocher Corneille bears a colossal Virgin cast from cannons captured at Sevastopol, and the Chapel of Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe, perched atop a lava spire, is earned by 268 steps.
« "Ultreïa! Ultreïa! Onward, onward! God help us!" »— — Song of the Compostela pilgrims, 12th century
Le Puy-en-Velay — the stone city that sends pilgrims toward the stars
Since the 10th century, Le Puy-en-Velay has been the most prestigious starting point of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Bishop Godescalc of Le Puy was one of the first known pilgrims to take this route in 951, inaugurating the "Via Podiensis" that crosses southern France to the Pyrenees. Each morning, pilgrims receive a blessing at the cathedral before setting out — an unbroken ritual for over a thousand years.
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame du Puy, built between the 11th and 12th centuries on a volcanic pinnacle, is a Romanesque masterpiece. Its Black Madonna, venerated since the early Middle Ages, draws millions of faithful. The Fever Stone, a prehistoric dolmen integrated into the cathedral floor, testifies to an even older cult — Gallic druids may have already performed healing rituals there.
Around the cathedral, Le Puy offers a unique geological landscape. The Rocher Corneille (757 m), a basalt pinnacle crowned by a 16-meter statue of the Virgin, and the Chapel of Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe, built in 969 atop an 82-meter volcanic chimney, form an ensemble that seems taken from a fairy tale. The chapel, reached by 268 steps carved into the rock, is one of the most extraordinary Romanesque monuments in France.
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.
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Practical info
Why this route?
Camino de Santiago
Start from the most famous departure point of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage.
Volcanic pinnacles
Climb the lava spires bearing the cathedral, the Virgin, and the Aiguilhe chapel.
Exceptional Romanesque art
From the polychrome cloister to the Aiguilhe chapel, discover Romanesque art unique in Europe.
Fever Stone
Touch the miraculous stone venerated since antiquity in the heart of the cathedral.
Ultreïa — onward, pilgrim!
From the cathedral to the 268 steps of Aiguilhe, take your first step toward Compostela.
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 many stops are in The Pilgrim's First Step?
Eight stops total. At each stop you find a camera clue, solve the puzzle, collect a fragment of the final code. With all eight, you've got the answer.
Q03Is The Pilgrim's First Step suitable for a challenge-seeking teen?
Absolutely. The puzzles aren't obvious — a curious teen will sweat just enough to be proud of cracking them. Progressive hints prevent frustration: if stuck, unlock hint level 1, then 2, then 3.
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, Le Puy-en-Velay · Cathedral, volcanic pinnacles & medieval lanes is less crowded, and the light is better for camera clues.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Climb the 268 steps, touch the Fever Stone, and decipher the Romanesque cloister — an outdoor escape game on the volcanic pinnacles of Le Puy-en-Velay, where the road to Compostela has begun for a thousand years.
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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