The Château des Énigmes or Castle of Mysteries is a tourist attraction with a difference:
The owners of this Renaissance château realised that for some children a visit to a château or stately home can, frankly, be somewhat dull. So they decided to make the château and its 8.5 hectare park the site of mystery and fun. The object is to solve the final mystery of the château through a series of 21 games. Hence the name Château des Enigmes to describe what is in fact really the Château d’Usson. The themes changes each year too.

It’s a fun day out for kids – the games take about three hours – as they explore the castle and its grounds tackling the challenges and riddles. These include fishing for corks, recognising the smell of an aromatic plants and solving the mystery of the Templar Code (see below left). All the signs are in English as well as French so English-speaking youngsters can take part without any problems.

Once they have finished, the children go to an interactive screen with their results; for each correct answer they receive a clue to the château’s final mystery …

The games also give adults a chance to explore the château, its grounds and its mini-farm, which is suitable for kids who may be too young for the mystery hunt.

It’s a beautiful location and building, and the Château d’Usson/Château des Enigmes has a fascinating history. Perhaps the most remarkable fact is that this structure used to be located in a neighbouring commune!

When William Augereau bought the château in 1879 it was in ruins. Wanting to restore it, he chose to do this where he then resided, a few kilometres away. So over four years every single stone was taken down and re-erected on the current site.

The château was rebuilt in its original Renaissance style but with a few new features, including the striking winter garden. Its architecture was inspired by the Universal Exhibition of 1889 and the railway station halls of Gustave Eiffel, the architect of Eiffel Tower fame.

A restaurant – La Taverne de Willy – is provided for visitors, as are picnic areas.

Please note: dangerous dogs are now allowed. Those judged non-dangerous must be kept on a lead.

Discount available for pre-ordering tickets online.

Address and Contact Information
Le Château des Enigmes – Château d’Usson
Route de Fleac
17800 Pons

Tel: +33 5 46 91 09 19
Email: willy@chateau-enigmes.com

Cover photo by Furcifer pardalis / CC BY 2.0 image cropped