Participants: 21 teams - visitors of the event
Steps along the way: 8
Approximate distance: 1.5 km
Approximate duration: 1-1.5 hours
Language of the game: Bulgarian
Organized by: Inner Voice and Tourism Council of Plovdiv
On August 1, 2, and 3, 2025, as part of the “Weekend in Plovdiv” festival organized by the Tourism Council of Plovdiv, the urban quest game “Expedition through the Past: Traces of the Word” took place. The festival is one of the major summer events in the city and aims to attract more tourists during the traditionally weaker tourist season for Plovdiv.
For the third consecutive year, Inner Voice was part of the festival program, providing an innovative and fun experience that enriched the vision of the event and engaged visitors in a unique way.
The main challenges faced by Inner Voice were:
- to create added value for festival visitors that would enrich the program
- to attract a diverse audience - families with children, tourists, couples, groups of friends, and individual players
- to offer an experience that is both fun and educational, showing new perspectives on Plovdiv’s cultural heritage
Inner Voice developed the urban quest game “Expedition through the Past: Traces of the Word,” which combines:
- 8 interactive riddles located at iconic locations in the center of Plovdiv
- informative texts accompanying each riddle, which tell interesting facts about the city’s past and the development of the Bulgarian language
- a format that allows both individual players and teams of up to 5 people to participate
The game took place during all three days of the festival (August 1-3). Twenty-one teams took part, passing through the city center in search of the traces of the word.
During the experience, participants:
- discovered and rediscovered interesting places in Plovdiv
- learned interesting facts about the country’s past and cultural heritage
- immersed themselves in a competitive but friendly atmosphere
After the Weekend in Plovdiv event, the results were as follows:
- 21 teams actively participated in the game, demonstrating interest in the format as part of the festival program.
- Participants shared that they had fun, learned new facts, and rediscovered the city center of Plovdiv.
- The game contributed to creating a dynamic and social atmosphere that enriched the festival.
- The Tourism Council of Plovdiv added value to its main program by providing guests with an innovative experience that actively engaged them as participants in the festival.
The partnership between Inner Voice and the Tourism Council of Plovdiv proves once again that urban quest games are a valuable tool in such cultural events.
“Expedition through the Past: Traces of the Word” not only engaged participants in an interactive way, but also provided them with knowledge and experiences that went beyond the usual festival format.
The results show that such games are an excellent solution for revitalizing the urban environment, attracting more tourists, and creating positive emotions among visitors.
