Secrète Margeride, the new immersive escape game to (re)discover six cultural and historical places

Le QR-code dirige vers la première énigme. Midi Libre – Anaïs Da Silva

To highlight the Margeride, all the tourism stakeholders in Lozère, Haute-Loire and Cantal came together as part of the Margeride Territorial Concerted Action Plans (Pact) to create an escape game accessible using a QR code. An internet link, six locations, six puzzles to solve.

"If a young girl passes through the Fairy Gate on a full moon night, at midnight, she will marry within the year", tells Benjamin Guézet, director of the Margeride tourist office in Gévaudan, about the legend of this place which is the address of the first enigma of the new escape game Secret Margeride.

About twenty people were gathered. Midi Libre – Anaïs Da Silva

As part of the Territorial Concerted Action Plans (Pact), many tourism stakeholders from Lozère, Haute-Loire and Cantal came together to implement ;nbsp;value their territory in common. The escape game Secrète Margeride, officially launched on Friday May 24, 2024, results from this connection.

The Pact brings together all tourism stakeholders

Since 2023, the departments of Lozère, Cantal and Haute-Loire have been collaborating with the committeeé regional tourism and leisure department of Occitanie and the region's tourist offices to promote the Margeride. The Territorial Concerted Action Plan (Pact) aims to: promote this unique destination. It brings together the committeeé departmental tourism department of Lozère, the committeeé departmental tourism department of Cantal and the Haute-Loire tourism center, as well as the tourism committee. regional tourism and leisure center in Occitanie. It also includes five tourist offices: the Cœur Margeride tourist office, the Margeride tourist office in Gévaudan, the Langogne Margeride grand tourist office Lake Naussac, the tourist office of the Pays de Saint-Flour, the tourist office of the Gorges de l’Allier. But also the mixed union of the Monts de la Margeride.

The Fairy Gate is the first destination offered by this escape game. Midi Libre – Anaïs Da Silva

"Let's rack our brains a little"

This immersive novelty allows you to (re)discover six emblematic and historical places in the three departments straddling the territory of Margeride: the Porte des Fées, in Malzieu-Ville; the English Tower, in Châteauneuf-de-Randon; Lake Naussac, in Naussac-Fontanes; the Col des Trois Sœurs; at La Panouse; Mont Mouchet, in Auvers, in Haute-Loire; the Pierre-Allègre farm, in Val-d’Arcomie, in Cantal.

"Six puzzles are to be solved in the different places indicated to carry out this escape game. You can't do it from your couch", laughs Benjamin Guézet. Karine Decq, director of the intercommunity tourist office of the countries of Saint-Flour, adds: "We wanted to draw attention to the Margeride by developing an innovative approach. " "And our goal is also to interest the younger generation", informs Brigitte Renaud, vice-president in charge of tourism in Haute-Loire and departmental president tourism.

The launch of the escape game took place at the Porte des Fées. Midi Libre – Anaïs Da Silva

To access these puzzles, simply scan the flashcode positioned on each of the explanatory panels of the six locations. You must then create an account by indicating your name and email address. All that remains is to play. "We're racking our brains a little, it shouldn't be too easy either, says Karine Decq with a smile. What is interesting is that there is a part that relies on the visual and on observation. You must identify elements in the landscape and thus form the final enigma in the form of a rebus in relation to the legend of the Fairy Gate."

The Margeride landscape. Midi Libre – Anaïs Da Silva

A tourism of memory

Éric Debenne, director of the Lozère departmental tourism committee, explains that "these enigmas must bring to life this beautiful Margeride which still remains secret and wild . We want to highlight many stories, different heritages and have users travel throughout the region." Brigitte Renaud supports : < em>"It’s a tourism of memory, we want to perpetuate the history of the place and make it known. Mont Mouchet, for example, its existence is linked to the Second World War." Without forgetting the legend of the beast of Gévaudan which is, moreover, forward into the graphic universe of the escape game.

Players of Secret Margeride are not required to solve all the puzzles in one go. "They choose the number of mysteries they want to unravel, explains Éric Debenne. They can do one, then two, and then come back next time and continue the quest." If they want to solve them all, it will take a day, but be very quick. It is rather advisable to allow two days.

All the players in tourism, who participated in the creation of this game, want to perpetuate it over time and provide a great experience for today's investigators.

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