The Stained Glass of Metz
6,500 m² of light and a coded message
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Metz Cathedral has the largest surface of stained glass in the world — 6,500 m², including works by Chagall. During the Prussian annexation, coded messages were hidden in stained-glass restorations to transmit information to France.
In the cathedral of light, stained-glass windows carry messages Prussia never read
Metz is a city of light. Its Cathedral of Saint-Étienne, nicknamed "the Lantern of God," has 6,500 m² of stained glass — a world record. From the 13th century to Marc Chagall, each era added its vision of light. But between 1871 and 1918, when Metz was German, the artisans restoring the stained glass were also French patriots. They concealed in their restorations messages intended for France — color and form codes that the Prussian authorities never knew how to read.
« "Light has no border — and neither do the messages it carries." »— — Attributed to a Metz master glazier, annexation period
Metz — the cathedral of light between France and Germany
Metz Cathedral was built between 1220 and 1520. Its special feature is the exceptional height of its nave (41 meters) and the immense surface of its stained glass. The Gothic architects reduced the walls to a minimum to let in maximum light. The result is a cathedral that seems made more of glass than stone.
In 1871, after the French defeat, Metz was annexed by the German Empire. For 47 years, the city lived under Prussian domination. Kaiser Wilhelm II built a neo-Romanesque "Imperial Quarter" to Germanize the city. But the people of Metz resisted culturally — particularly through the art of stained glass, a field where the French tradition is unmatched.
In 1960, Marc Chagall was invited to create new stained-glass windows for the cathedral. His north transept windows — Old Testament scenes in flamboyant colors — have become one of the treasures of 20th-century sacred art. Chagall said the light in Metz reminded him of Vitebsk, his hometown.
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?
Chagall's stained glass
Admire the master's stained glass in the world's largest glazed surface.
Medieval heritage
Porte des Allemands, Place Saint-Louis — eight centuries of architecture.
Cultural resistance
Discover how the people of Metz resisted annexation through art.
Imperial Quarter
Imposed Germanic architecture, hidden French resistance.
Light has no border — and neither do the messages it carries.
Decipher the messages hidden in 6,500 m² of stained glass.
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 Metz · Cathedral, Temple Neuf & Imperial Quarter?
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 Stained Glass of Metz 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 Chagall's stained glass to the Porte des Allemands, from the Temple Neuf to the Imperial Quarter — crack the code hidden in the light of Metz, the most luminous cathedral in the world.
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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