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The Enchanter's Grimoire (quick version)
Merlin the Wizard had secretly recorded all his spells in a grimoire which he had so well hidden that no one knows where it is today, since Viviane, the fairy, imprisoned the Wizard for eternity in an invisible tower.
According to legend, Merlin left clues to help find the place where he hid his precious grimoire…
So, let’s go in search of the Wizard’s Grimoire!
The wizard’s grimoire
In the 12th century, a Trojan named Chrestien recounted the chivalrous epic of young Arthur Pendragon who, with the help of a magician named Merlin, became King of Brittany… the Arthurian romance was born!
The enchanter Merlin was endowed with great magical powers: he could metamorphose at will, know the present and the future, make prophecies, cast spells…
All his spells were secretly recorded in a grimoire so well hidden that no one knows where it is today, since the fairy Viviane imprisoned the enchanter for eternity in an invisible tower.
According to legend, Merlin left clues to help find the place where he hid his precious collection…
So set off in search of the Enchanter’s Grimoire!
Find the Wizard’s grimoire by answering riddles scattered around the streets of the historic heart of Troyes, known as the “Champagne Cork”.
Depart from Troyes La Champagne Tourism and don’t forget to get a city map with you. This quest will take you to 22 locations in the city.
At each location, you’ll be asked a riddle to find a word that will eventually lead you to the grimoire!
If you don’t solve a riddle, don’t panic! The solution will be given to you!
The 22 words in a crossword puzzle that you’ll discover at the end of your search will help you find the place where the Wizard’s Grimoire is hidden.
Are you ready? Go!
Did you know?
The covered market of Troyes was built in 1874 by the municipal architect Edmond Bailly in the pure Baltard style, combining iron, cast iron and glass.
. In 1900, for a town of 38,000 inhabitants, Troyes’ covered market, with its futuristic design, was one of the largest in France.
Did you know?
The Hotel Dieu, founded in 1157 by Henry I the Liberal, Count of Champagne, was designed to accommodate the poor, the sick and foundlings.
Disused in 1988, it now houses the university campus of the Counts of Champagne, temporary exhibition rooms, the Apothicary as well as the “Cité du Vitrail” (“The stained glass city”).
Step 04 / 21
Did you know?
The “Maison du dauphin” (“House of the dauphin”), located at no. 4 in the street “rue Céléstin-Philbois”, is one of the oldest houses in Troyes; the date 1472 is inscribed on its mantelpiece.
The house is so named because the coat of arms of the Dauphin of France, eldest son of King François I, is engraved on the corner post at the corner of the streets “rue Célestin-Philbois” and “rue Kléber”.
In France, during the monarchy, the title of dauphin (“dolphin” in English) was awarded at birth to the eldest son of the reigning King of France.
Did you know?
The house called “Maison du Pont-Ferré”, at no. 36 in the street “rue de la Cité” (a former Roman road known as Decumanus maximus), owes its name to the nearby bridge over the river Meldançon, which no longer exists but the route is marked on the ground by a difference in the colour of the cobbles…
Step 07 / 21
Did you know?
Since 1794, the Aube prefecture, representing the central executive, has occupied the site of the former Benedictine abbey of Notre-Dame-aux-Nonnains, founded in the 7th century and rebuilt and enlarged by order of King Louis XVI in 1778.
Step 09 / 21
Did you know?
Before it was named rue Emile Zola, rue Notre-Dame was the street of booksellers and printers.
Troyes, city of books
Troyes was the place where the first novel was written by Chrestien de Troyes (12th century), where the paperback book was invented (1602) and where the first public library was built (1651)…
Step 11 / 21
Did you know?
Answer: At the intersection of the streets “Rue Emile Zola” and “Rue Turenne”, you will find the onions market well, a remake of the 15th-century original and a rare example of its kind with three pulleys.
Between the 15th and 19th centuries, the town had around 70 public wells. With the arrival of running water in the town in 1850, the wells were disused and very often destroyed because they interfered with traffic…
Today, the city of Troyes has reinstalled wells built from old plans, often on the same spot as their distant predecessors.
Did you know?
Since 1919, the former Place de la Bonneterie has been named after this eminent French politician, MP for Carmaux (Tarn), socialist and pacifist, who was assassinated in Paris on the eve of the First World War.
douard Herriot (1872-1957), who was Mayor of Lyon, President of the Council and President of the National Assembly, was born at number 28 Place Herriot.E
Did you know?
The “Halle à la bonneterie” (hosiery hall) was built in 1837 so that manufacturers from all over the department could sell their products there.
From 1906 to 2006, the building, renamed the Bourse du Travail, housed the Troy trade unions.
Did you know?
Created in 1848 after the demolition of the ramparts and the filling in of the moats, the Jardin du Beffroi takes its name from the former Porte du Beffroi or Porte de Paris, which closed off the western end of the rue du Beffroi, now rue du Colonel Driant.
Did you know?
The Jardin de la Vallée Suisse (8,000 m²) was created in 1860 following the demolition of the ramparts and the channelling of the Viennes.
It was designed to be very hilly, due to the fact that it was set in part of the town’s former moat. The mayor of the time sent the talented Trojan draughtsman Charles Fichot to copy the plans of the Vallée Suisse in Paris… hence its name! Charles Baltet, a famous local horticulturist, then took charge of the floral decoration…
Did you know ?
Between the Swiss Valley Garden and the Rock Garden lies the Théâtre de la Madeleine.
Originally called La Comédie, the theatre was destroyed by fire in 1775, rebuilt in 1777 and subsequently renamed the Théâtre de la Madeleine.
After changing owners several times, it was bought by the municipality in 1814.
This Italian-style theatre has excellent acoustics and seats 400 spectators. Its intimate layout encourages the artist to be close to the audience, one of the main characteristics of the “conventioned stage”.
Did you know ?
Built in 2002, it is a masterpiece of contemporary architecture that was awarded the Equerre d’Argent.
Its ancient collections, comprising 50,000 printed books from former ecclesiastical libraries, are on display in the Great Hall (open for guided tours only) and in an exhibition trail.
In particular, the media library holds the manuscripts of Clairvaux Abbey, listed in UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” register, and a unique collection of booklets and almanacs from the Blue Library in Troyes.
Did you know ?
Built in 1905 to replace the first wooden circus, which was completely destroyed by fire in 1892, Henri Schmit’s new municipal circus mainly hosted equestrian shows, boxing matches (including Marcel Cerdan’s last fight on 27 October 1949, the day before he died in a plane crash between Paris and New York) and even cinema.
Listed as a historic monument in 1975, it was converted into a theatre in 1978. Today, the Théâtre de Champagne hosts a wide range of shows.
Did you know ?
In 1892, swing bridges were built to allow barges to navigate the Upper Seine.
Destroyed at the end of the war in 1944, they were rebuilt in fixed positions. Two of them disappeared when the canal was covered in the 1960s.
Only the bridge in the rue de la cité remains. On both sides of the bridge, you will see white cobblestones in semi-circles marking the site of the old swing bridge…
Did you know ?
It is from this type of small cobbled street with a central gutter used to evacuate rainwater and dirty water that a famous expression derives: tenir le haut du pavé!
It’s easy to imagine that walking down these sloping streets was neither easy nor very clean. Passers-by therefore got into the habit of walking on the upper part of the street, alongside the houses, to avoid getting their feet in the dirt from the sewage.
As these alleyways did not allow people to pass each other by staying on the upper part along the facades, the etiquette of the time dictated that when two people passed each other, the poorer of the two would walk in the middle, leaving the richer to walk on the “top of the pavement” so as not to get dirty.
This expression has retained its original meaning, referring to high social status. By extension, today it also refers to a person who stands out in society.
Troyes La Champagne Tourisme hopes to see you soon on its online games platform to discover the secrets of the region’s communes.
