Industrial Quest: a first European review
On 12 and 13 September 2026, Industrial Quest brought industrial heritage venues together for a discovery game. In its review of 25 September, ERIH, the European Route of Industrial Heritage, reported 46 venues in 15 countries and 138 participating teams.
QR codes at the venues provided access to the challenges. Participants had to observe their surroundings and solve puzzles as a team. The code was the entry point; questions, content and rankings relied on the organiser’s platform.
These figures were published by ERIH. They describe this first edition and do not, on their own, measure the effect of QR codes on museum attendance.
At Bois-du-Luc, a QR code at the entrance
In Belgium, the Musée de la Mine et du Développement Durable du Bois-du-Luc in La Louvière had announced its participation in Industrial Quest during the Heritage Days on 12 and 13 September 2026.
Its programme invited families to form a team, then scan a QR code at the entrance or visit the game’s website. The puzzles were to be solved on site, exploring industrial heritage.
This activity was scheduled for that September weekend, which has now ended. To plan a visit today, consult the museum’s information; this programme does not confirm that the game is permanently available.
In Berchem, discovering the municipality in nine stops
On 1 September 2026, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe also presented a QR trail. Designed by its Mobility department, the trail focused on features of public spaces.
The announcement described nine QR codes around the municipality, starting at Place Oscar Ruelens and taking around two hours. Each scan opened a question leading to the next stop.
This is an exploration of the local environment, with a different purpose from a museum visit. The useful common thread is that the QR code encourages people to look around them. Check current arrangements with the municipality before travelling.
What cultural venues can learn from these initiatives
For a museum, exhibition or heritage trail, these initiatives suggest a starting point: an action connected to the place. Observing a detail, listening to a personal account or finding something in the landscape gives visitors a clear reason to scan.
Fictional example: in front of an old machine, a sign asks visitors to identify a component. The QR code opens a page explaining its role and sharing a short story. A transcript accompanies the audio; the sign retains an explanation that makes sense without a phone.
Start with one short stop and review it with the people who welcome visitors. The quality of the trail depends as much on the question and the destination as on the printed code.
Preparing a display that remains useful without scanning
Here are our preparation points for a visitor trail:
- State the action and destination: “Listen to the account”, “View the detail” or “Read more”.
- Keep a title, a short explanation and a readable web address on the sign.
- Provide mobile-friendly text, audio transcripts and languages that are useful to your audience.
- Check connectivity on site and offer help at reception or a paper document if online content cannot be accessed.
- Assign someone to maintain the pages and remove outdated instructions after the event.
A QR code linking to a website does not make the content available offline. Access depends on the chosen page and the service hosting it.
Creating the QR code for your visitor page
If your visitor page already exists, Qurl can create a static QR code linking to it and provide the file in PNG, SVG or PDF. For a sign or exhibition label, place the instruction beside the code and preserve its margin.
The generator does not create the game, puzzles, audio guide or rankings, and does not host your page. A static QR code keeps its encoded address: you can update the content at that same address, but changing the URL requires a new code or a redirect managed on your own website.
Create a QR code for a visitor page · Understand how a static QR code works