Secrets of Hellevoetsluis Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour

Secrets of Hellevoetsluis is a self-guided walking tour built around the old fortified harbour. You start on the Plein Fort Haerlem and walk on to the Kustbatterij, the mill De Hoop and the statue of Jan Blanken. Every stop comes with a puzzle first and an explanation afterwards, so the town slowly fills in as you go. Along the way it plays like a scavenger hunt through Hellevoetsluis, with something to find at every stop.

It suits families, friends and work groups who like to walk and think at the same time. A team of one to four people works from a single phone; more than four and you are better off making two teams. Solo play is common as well, and with no guide and no fixed departure you can start early or late in the day, whichever suits you.

How to play

Four steps and you are on the route in Hellevoetsluis.

1. Book the Exploration Game
2. Check the instructions email
3. Download the Loquiz app
4. Start playing whenever you like

The tasks range from riddles and questions to photo assignments that send you looking at gates, waterlines and brickwork. Past the Oude Machinistenschool the game explains what the buildings around the harbour were used for and how the water was managed. It is the sort of information that makes an ordinary square read differently on the way back.

Several teams playing at once makes it a contest, with points per task and a leaderboard that settles the argument at the end. That competitive edge is why companies book it for team outings. Since nothing is timed you can pause, and then finish the last stops of Hellevoetsluis later on.