A river town, a cliff and the man who invented the saxophone
The Dinant scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk from landmark to landmark, solve a riddle at each one by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories and legends behind it. Squeezed between the Meuse and the cliff, the 10 stops lie close together: 1.8 km in all, roughly 25 minutes on foot, and about 2 hours once the riddles and stories are added, from whenever you choose to set off.
Highlights include the Pont Charles de Gaulle over the Meuse with its colourful saxophones, the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame below the citadel cliff, the Maison de Monsieur Sax, where the inventor of the saxophone was born, and the memorial to the civilians killed in August 1914. Dinant lies in a narrow strip between the river and the rocks, so every stop is only a short walk from the next.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 25 min · 1.8 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
What a game along the Meuse looks like
Painted saxophones and a bronze Sax
Every stop hides its riddle in something you can see: the giant saxophones in European colours lining the Pont Charles de Gaulle, the onion-shaped tower of the collegiate church, Adolphe Sax himself sitting on a bench outside his birthplace. The answers come from noticing details, and no musical knowledge is assumed.
1914, de Gaulle and a rockfall
Solved riddles open the stories behind Dinant: the 674 civilians shot on 23 August 1914, the young French lieutenant wounded here a week earlier who would later lead France, and the falling rock that flattened the old church in 1227. If you are busy photographing the saxophones on the bridge, the audio narration can tell each story while you shoot.
Short hops beside the water
Dinant is a thin strip of town between river and rock, so the 1.8 km are covered in about 25 minutes of walking, split into brief stretches. Google Maps takes you across the bridge and along the streets to the cultural centre at the end.
Couques, cafés and a break
No timer is running: stop for a coffee by the Meuse or try a couque, the town's hard honey biscuit, and pick up the game again later or the next day. If you came for the citadel or a boat trip too, the hunt slots in around them easily.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who comes to play in Adolphe Sax's home town
A day out in the Meuse valley
Many visitors come to Dinant for one day, and in about 2 hours the game shows them the bridge, the collegiate church, the Sax sites and the memory of 1914. That leaves the afternoon free for the citadel, a river cruise or a walk along the water.
Saxophone spotters
Children enjoy hunting for the saxophone painted in their own country's colours on the bridge, sitting down next to the bronze Adolphe Sax and working out how the water clock combines music and time. Each team includes an adult, and no stretch between two stops takes more than a few minutes.
Clubs, classes and colleagues
Music societies, school groups and company outings can split into teams of up to 5, every player with the game on their own phone, and start from the memorial a few minutes apart. The cultural centre at the finish makes an easy place to count everyone back in, and no hall has to be hired for the game.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
Anonymous (verified owner) –
Very nice activity
Anonymous (verified owner) –
Super way to explore the city!