The escape game, this game consisting in escaping from a room in a given time, nowadays attracts more and more people in search of a change of scenery...
…And personally, I am one of them! Absolute fan of escape games, I love, for an hour, being able to feel like a fearless and blameless explorer, a mad scientist or even… A monk! It is in any case the promise of the new unusual escape game housed within the walls of the Abbey of Ambronay, in Ain. So when I learned that the latter was preparing to open its doors, I rushed to book my session!
Allegory of me appealing to friends to book an escape game.
Obviously, my friends were not asked. Trying to escape from an authentic abbey, this kind of unusual outings does not happen every day! As a bonus, the village of Ambronay is only 45 minutes from Lyon and 10 minutes from Ambérieu-en-Bugey by car. Convenient to meet when your friends don't all live in the same city as you! (sniff)
A little bit of history
Founded in the 9th century, the abbey of Ambronay has since shone on the surrounding lands. The peak of its power dates from the 15th century. At that time, many lands belonged to him and his monks actively participated in the life of the city, notably by founding schools and hospitals. Since then, after the end of monastic life, the walls of the abbey have served in turn as a prison, barn, hospice, school, garrison building, social housing... But the Abbey of Ambronay resists this, nothing can shake it.
Today the Abbey welcomes an artistic project around music, dedicated to creation, outreach to audiences, research and training of young talents. Moreover, we cannot omit mentioning his baroque music festival which takes place there every year, for more than 40 years now!
Our escape game experience at the abbey
So it was on a sunny morning that we all found ourselves in the parking lot of the Abbaye d'Ambronay. As we crossed a vaulted passage to reach the reception, it was then that the abbey church appears before us in all its glory. Although I've seen it before, I stop for a moment to admire its facade under a beautiful light.
We are then welcomed by our future game master, Married. Moreover, you have certainly met him, as a guide, if you have already participated in one of the guided tours of the Abbey. We chat for a moment. Marie gives us a debrief on the history of the place to immerse us in the atmosphere. By the way, she confirms that we are going embody monks in diversion in the abbey. Good news for my inner James Bond!
Allegory of my inner James Bond. Yes, mine is "old fashioned".
Let's go for a trip back in time!
Thus, we follow Mary in the corridors of the abbey, our voices reason and break their silence. Our game master tells us that from now on we are no longer in 2023, but… in 1317! Ah! (It does not make us younger…) We pass a row of doors. Listening to our steps resound in the midst of the abbey silence, I imagine myself already on a mission, ready to hide behind one of the doors, if necessary!
Once at the end of the corridor, our eyes fall on a rack with monks' robes. We look at each other, amused and… You guessed it right, our game master tells us thatin order to succeed in our infiltration mission, we will have to blend in with the crowd! No sooner said than done ! We trade our clothes for these “so 1317” clothes.
NB: today, the mask is no longer mandatory to play the game.
We are now ready for infiltration and we are listening.
So, this is the story of a priest...
…which is not one, because it is an abbot! The person we have to save during our infiltration is none other than Amblard de Briord, abbot at Ambronay between 1308 and 1317. As the war rages between Savoy and Dauphiné, he decides to join the camp of the Savoyards. No luck, he is immediately accused of treason! The Dauphin then sends his emissaries to seize the Abbey. They find the abbot and lock him up in the Tower of Archives until dawn to execute him. Our mission will therefore be to infiltrate the Archives Tower and save this brave M. Amblard from hanging. All this in 1 hour, according to the law of the genre. The door opens and we enter the Archives Tower.
You can imagine that I cannot describe the course of the game here. so as not to “disclose” you (the word counts double!) experience. On the other hand, I can give you a hint on the result of our mission...
Allegory of us after 43 minutes of the game.
Once the abbot is saved, we are slowly recovering from our emotions. The game master explains to us that it is a 100% “homemade” project. It is the mediation team that set it up thanks to donations of objects from individuals. It also tells us that Amblard de Briord really existed and the story of the game is based on the historical facts. In addition, some documents that we manipulated during the escape game are based on real historical documents. Awesome! We chat for a moment to debrief our experience.
And now what do we do?
This is how, the clothes no longer making the monks (sorry, that pun was unavoidable), reality catches up with us at the exit of the abbey. We all have a bit of a peck. And yes, brains that think intensely, it takes energy! In Ambronay, it is possible to have lunch at Abbey Inn, a starred restaurant that offers lunch at a fairly affordable price. Or at the press, restaurant offering traditional dishes and wood-fired pizzas.
However, we prefer to enjoy the outdoors and picnic with sandwiches planned in advance. Looking for a picnic spot, we are drawn to a small park right next to the Abbey. My friends are intrigued by a castle seen through the trees. As we approach, we see that it is the town hall of Ambronay! We settle in front of this pretty building to have a bite to eat and share our opinions on the experience we have just had.
Our opinion on the Ambronay escape game
It's time to take stock! In the end, we liked:
- The authentic setting and unique! An escape game in an abbey, you had to think about it.
- The story, based on real events, which adds a certain cachet to the plot.
- Dressing up as monks, which makes the experience even more unusual.
- A benevolent "presence" and the sound environment that accompany the game.
- The undeniable charm of the abbey and its village. Advice for lovers of old stones: take advantage of this outing to discover the village of Ambronay, listed "little town of character "!
We liked less:
- Room decor is quite ascetic and not as immersive than in “traditional” escape games, which risks disappointing the great regulars of these games.
- History lovers will find some anachronisms at the level of the objects present in the room (at the same time, authentic items from the 14th century are becoming rare lately)
In short, I recommend this escape game to those who want to try an unusual experience with friends or family, those who are new to the concept of an escape game or those who wish to (re-)discover this beautiful abbey! I recommend it less to regular escape gamers, looking for surprising puzzles or immersive room decors.
Practical information for booking your escape game
Who is it for?
Without any prerequisites, the escape game is open to everyone from 11 years (accompanied by an adult up to 16 years old), per group of 6 people maximum.
When?
Sessions are scheduled during school holidays (except summer). Visit the official website of Ambronay Abbey.
How much does it cost ?
From 2 to 6 participants: from €17 / player (decreasing price).
How to book?
Reservation required by phone at 04 74 38 74 04.
As a bonus
If you want to enjoy this experience during a weekend with family or friends, could you do like Lucky Sophie and stay at the House of Ambronay, the trendy and unusual address, or at the Valentine Barn, haven of serenity in the middle of a wooded park.
-
* – an English phrase that literally means "haters will hate", "haters will hate" or "haters will hate".
