Immersive sound visit
Candlelit evenings
A new immersive, surround-sound visit to the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
Immersion in the story of Nicolas Fouquet
Vaux-le-Vicomte offers a new innovative suround-sound visit of the château. A first in a French château! (FREE – not included in "Vaux-le-Vicomte's illuminations")
Technological innovation: an immersive experience in 3D sound
The immersive sound visit will plunge you into the heart of History, which will come alive thanks to the sound environment: historic figures will awake, coming to life around you. You will be invited to discover epic moments in the life of Nicolas Fouquet and the creation of Vaux-le-Vicomte. Immersed in a drama animated by sound, find out about the death of Mazarin, the plot hatched by Colbert and Louis XIV against Fouquet, the sumptuous party, with Molière, La Fontaine and Vatel in attendance, the arrest of Fouquet by d'Artagnan, the trial, etc.
How does it work? Beacons detect your connected "narrator" (see glossary) as soon as you enter a room, which activates the scene that corresponds to the setting. You will then be swept away on an immersive sound visit to the Grand Siècle for an hour, with no interruption.
Thanks to this technological experience, you will bathe in the sound atmosphere of the scene: guests whispering, clothing rustling, the noise of plates and glasses, doors slamming, the chiming of clocks…
Two visits
The château comes to life thanks to two types of sound visit, adapted to the largest public possible:
-The adult visit, "The Fouquet Affair", was scripted by Xavier Maurel and will be available in 3 languages (French, English, German). It plunges the visitor into the greatest hours of the château, with Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV, Le Nôtre, Vatel (…) at center stage.
-The youth visit, "The Fabulous History of Vaux", was scripted by Timothée de Fombelle. It will be available in 2 languages (French, English.) Through it, children will discover the château accompanied by Jean de La Fontaine, Fouquet's friend, and the flying squirrel, Panache, spirit of the estate… Recommended from 6 onwards.
Binaural (or 3D) sound is a technology that allows the creation of an entirely natural sound universe. Sounds exist in space: they reach the hearer from directly in front, from the right or from the left. Binaural sound differs from stereo sound in its 360° approach: it simulates the way humans listen to recreate natural sound.
Headsets: the headsets acquired by the estate were made by the French company FOCAL, guaranteed to provide High Definition sound.
The "narrator": small audio device connected to the HF beacons, broadcasting the sound narrative.
HF beacons: radio-transmitter activating the narrator's scenes.
How can you discover these visits?
The new immersive sound visit is FREE and does not need booking. The headset and narrator will be offered to you at your arrival inside the château (from 6 onwards).
Caution! The New immersive suround-sound visit is not available during the Christmas event.
700 FOCAL headsets are available freely for all visitors to discover the new immersive sound visit.