About Quests – Explorer Expeditions

Reality frequently surpasses the most beautiful of dreams.
Hans Christian Andersen, “The Fairy Tale of My Life”

QUESTS are educational field games with elements of fun and knowledge, scavenger hunting and joy of discovery!

QUESTS – Explorer Expeditions are scavenger hunting field games. Since they require no staff service or outdoor signage, they can be joined practically at any chosen time – as opposed to paper trail or urban exploration games. Questing fun is based on following a pre-specified outdoor (or indoor) quest trail: a walk around a village, town or city; a bicycle ride across a forest; kayaking down a river; or a museum visit. All a participant needs is a Quest Card, or a free-of-charge Quests – Explorer Expeditions mobile app. Cards are available at selected tourist information centres or in electronic file format (downloadable on the www.questy.org.pl website). Following rhyming guidelines, participants walk questing trails and discover local mysteries. At the end of each route, all Explorers are reward by a “Treasure”: a Quest Completion Box containing a commemorative seal and Quest Ledger. A seal imprint and Quest Ledger entry are proof of a route having been completed.

QUESTING – how does it work? (Q&A)
Explorer Expeditions are based on the US Valley Quest methodology designed by Steven Glazer, who presented it in Poland for the first time in 2008. Several hundred questing trails have been developed in Poland ever since. The www.questy.org.pl website offers over 500 tested & active quests. Explorer Expeditions are the most experienced trainer team in Poland, licenced by Steven Glazer to use Valley Quest methodology.

QUESTS – Explorer Expeditions are:

  • A GREAT WAY TO PROMOTE YOUR REGION – they showcase the unique legacy of individual locations – their history, culture and nature,

  • CHEAPER THAN TRADITIONAL TRAILS – all participants need to complete them is a Card or app (Quests require no infrastructure or service staff),

  • ATTRACTIVE – they contain amusing rhyming descriptions and riddles, and encourage active discovery of local environments; a “Treasure” awaits Explorers at each quest’s finishing line;

  • MODERN – they can be followed via an interactive mobile app for smartphones and tablets;

  • A GREAT EDUCATIONAL FORMAT – they can be designed and completed by tourists and local residents alike, helping knowledge of the region to develop, and local identity to be boosted.


Why design Quests?
The main purpose of all Quests is to showcase the heritage of a given region or location in a possibly attractive way, and draw the Explorers’ attention to extraordinary features of local nature, history, and/or culture. Discovering the extraordinary and unique nature – or spirit – of local venues is important as well, as is pointing out ostensibly commonplace locations with intent to reveal their uniqueness and attractiveness.
The secret of Explorer Expeditions’ attractiveness and effectiveness in discovering and promoting specific locations lies in the direct involvement of Quest creators and participants. It has been known for years that personal experience is the best way to effective education and discovery. Add to that fun and scavenger hunting – and lo and behold: you have a finished recipe for making the educational and tourist offer for a given location more attractive.

Who are Quests for?
The Explorer Expeditions educational and tourist offer targets:

  • Tourists and guests visiting specific locations,

  • School excursion groups and families with children,

  • Local residents (to improve their knowledge of their own “small homelands”).


Treasure Box availability
Explorer Expedition enthusiasts and disseminators, we want all our Quests to be of HIGH QUALITY, attractive and reliable on every level, the same principles applying to Treasure availability. Individual Quests – Explorer Expeditions custodians are responsible for individual Quest Treasure Boxes. If unable to locate your trail’s Quest Treasure Box – or should anything be missing from the Box – please contact us, and we will get in touch with the Quest Custodian or Author to find out what went wrong.

Quests can be completed in three different ways:
In the field:

Virtually:

  • By completing trails marked as “virtual quests”, available on the www.questy.org.pl website.


The website and app are correlated. All participants need to do is register a SINGLE USER ACCOUNT, active on the website and in the app. All Quests completed in the field and/or online can be added to individual achievements (check out the MANUAL to find out how).

The User Account:
We strongly encourage all Explorers to set up a User Account on our website or in the mobile app. Participants will need an Account to:

  • Use the Quests – Explorer Expeditions mobile app,

  • Download Quest Cards from the Quests – Explorer Expeditions website,

  • Collect information on Quests completed in the field with the app and/or Card,

  • Rate and comment on Quests,

  • Compete with other Explorers (User results are displayed in a national ranking),

  • Earn national PTTK (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society) Quests – Explorer Expeditions badges,

  • Join competitions announced on the www.questy.org.pl website,

  • Receive Quest newsletters (consent pending).


QUEST PROJECTS COMPLETED TO DATE

  • 36 Quests designed in 3 languages as part of the 2019 “Quests – Innovative Sightseeing Enablers” project (Łódź voivodship),

  • 21 Quests designed across Poland as part of the 2019 “Promoting Regions through Active Tourism” project (Lower Silesian, Lubuskie, Mazovian voivodships),

  • 50 field Quests (available in Quest Card and mobile app format) and 4 virtual Quests designed as part of the “Discovering Treasures of South Małopolska Heritage” project (Małopolska voivodship),

  • 18 Quests designed as part of the 2020 “Jurassic Explorer Expeditions” project (Silesian voivodship).


OUR SUCCESS STORY

  • Largest free-of-charge Quest mobile app for Android and iOS devices in Poland: Quests – Explorer Expeditions contains nearly 300 Quests, and has been downloaded over 5,000 times on Google Play,

  • Largest ACTIVE Quests database in Poland,

  • Approximately 7,000 registered User Accounts on the www.questy.org.pl website,

  • Nearly 16,000 registered Quest completions since 2019 (with at least another 16,000 completions by unregistered users),

  • 7 national PTTK (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society) Quests – Explorer Expeditions badge levels implemented, the badge earned by over 10,000 Quest participants (since November 2019),

  • Polish record: 209 persons and 2 dogs in a family photo of Quest aficionados attending a Lower Silesian Questing Weekend in Burkatów (2020).

Read the FULL MANUAL to find out how to use the website and mobile app

Download the QUEST CARD

Download the QUEST POSTER


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