Boulevard Gambetta — The Vanished Statues of the Third Republic
Uncover the dark conspiracy behind Grenoble's demolished monuments. Decipher coded messages left by resistance fighters to expose a buried truth about occupation, erasure, and political vengeance.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
July 1888: A towering monument to Léon Gambetta, the architect of the Third Republic's defense, was unveiled in Paris
Delve into the shadows of Grenoble, where bronze statues melted during the Occupation, leaving behind specters of memory.
Step into the shoes of a Resistance archivist on a secret mission in 1943 Grenoble. Your objective: to reconstruct the history of the vanished monuments of Boulevard Gambetta, before oblivion erases them forever. Following in the footsteps of Paul Cocat, Mayor of Grenoble from 1941 to 1943, and figures like Hector Berlioz or Jacques de Vaucanson whose effigies were sacrificed, you will walk the city's streets. At each stage, open your phone: historical photographs appear on facades, augmented reality narratives reveal the fate of missing sculptures, and coded messages from the Resistance materialize on the historic pavements. In approximately 135 minutes over a 1.5 km route, you will trace your own itinerary through the republican heritage of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, an immersive exploration of the dark years of World War II. More than an outdoor escape game: an interactive visit immersed in 80 years of history, with anecdotes revealed at each stop and confidential sites that classic guides overlook.
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.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The story that haunts this land
Your quest for the vanished statues begins in Grenoble, at Place Saint-André. This medieval square, named after the Saint-André church built between the 13th and 16th centuries, was the seat of the Dauphiné parliament until 1790. It is here, 400 meters from Boulevard Gambetta, that republican ceremonies were held during the Third Republic, celebrating the values that the Occupation would soon threaten. The echoes of these gatherings still resonate, contrasting with the silence imposed by the Vichy regime and the gradual disappearance of national symbols in the city of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
A short walk away, the Isère Resistance and Deportation Museum, opened in 1960 on Rue Hébert, plunges you into the heart of local heroism in the face of oppression. This site, although post-dating the events of the statue melting, is an essential anchor point for understanding the context. It houses the testimonies of those who, like the Resistance fighters who saved the equestrian statue of Lesdiguières in 1941-1943, fought to preserve French memory and identity. It is in this spirit of preservation that your mission takes on its full meaning, through the history of Grenoble.
Continue towards the Marius Gontard Bridge, built in 1973, which spans the Isère and connects Boulevard Gambetta to the quays. Named in honor of Marius Gontard, Mayor of Grenoble from 1957 to 1973, this bridge symbolizes reconstruction and renewal after the war years. Ironically, it follows the era of Paul Cocat, Mayor of Grenoble from 1941 to 1943, who had to comply with Vichy's directives concerning the melting of artworks. The bridge offers you a perspective on the city's urban evolution, a modern pedestrian axis crossing the hyper-center district, about 1 km from Place de Verdun.
Place Grenette, a former herb market and the historic heart of Grenoble, takes you back to the city's origins. Near Boulevard Gambetta, this square was the scene of public executions before their transfer to the gallows of the Porte de France in the mid-16th century. It is a place that has witnessed eras and dramas, a reminder of the fragility of collective memory. Less than 500 meters from Boulevard Gambetta, it constitutes an essential landmark for your investigation into Grenoble's heritage.
Your journey concludes at Place de Verdun, a former parade ground transformed into a square in 1869. It was here that the equestrian statue of Lesdiguières was installed in 1856, and miraculously saved from melting under Vichy by Resistance fighters in 1941-1943. Surrounded by planted promenades bordering Boulevard Gambetta, this square is a symbol of resilience. The Jardin de Ville, with its Tritons fountain by Henri Ding partially spared in 1942, testifies to the desire to preserve art and history. This circuit will have allowed you to grasp the extent of the losses, but also the strength of Grenoble's collective memory in the face of oblivion, a true historical monument and republican heritage in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
The Route
8 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 · 15€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Ghost Hunt
Explore haunted places and uncover the mysteries of World War II spirits.
Historical Investigation
Untangle facts and legends surrounding Gestapo atrocities in Grenoble.
Soul Reconciliation
Your quest might bring eternal peace to the victims of the past.
The echoes of the past await your courage.
In Grenoble, history never quite sleeps.
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, WhatsApp, 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 to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
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Your turn to play
Delve into the shadows of Grenoble, where bronze statues melted during the Occupation, leaving behind specters of memory.
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
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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