Golden Owl Found: What is the solution to the 11 riddles ? Where was it ? One person found it!

“Found Golden Owl: What is the solution to the 11 puzzles? Where was she? ;? Someone found it!”

The famous Golden Owl has finally been released. found, after 31 years of treasure hunting. Someone has successfully solved all 11 puzzles to get hold of the diamond-encrusted statue.

It is therefore after more than 30 years of mystery and relentless research that the Golden Owl has finally been discovered. One of the co-organizers of this treasure hunt, among the most famous in France, announced this on Thursday, October 3, a little before 9 a.m.  "We confirm that the countermark of the Golden Owl has been unearthed last night, simultaneously with a solution being sent to the online verification system. It is therefore useless for you to travel to dig on the location that you assume to be that of the cache. As previously announced, we are checking the validity of the proposed solution, “said the painter Michel Becker, on the website dedicated to the game.

It is still unknown who the winner of the game is, the one who will be able to place the golden owl, estimated to be worth more than 150,000 euros for the diamonds it contains, on his or her mantelpiece. Given the craze that this game has created and the years of mystery, it is likely that the winner will become a real star in the community. treasure hunters.

So this person has finally solved the 11 puzzles that make up the game, which have haunted the most assiduous “chouetteurs” for three decades. What are the solutions to each challenge? ? Only the organizer and the winner have the answers at this time, but they will be published very soon from now on. It would not be unlikely that the bet provision of solutions is the subject of a small event.

“Each riddle is represented by a cryptogram and a visual. There are eleven, but we now know that a twelfth is hidden in the previous ones. It could be the meta-riddle, the one that gives the final solution”, explained an expert two years ago, in the columns of Les Echos. 

Launched in 1993 by Max Valentin (real name Régis Hauser) and Michel Becker, the hunt for the golden owl has become a phenomenon for generations of researchers. Régis Hauser, who started the project, died in April 2009, sixteen years to the day after the owl's countermark was buried in a safe somewhere in France. It is now empty.

In October 2021, Michel Becker announced that he had signed an agreement with Max Valentin's heirs. He then had access to the solutions and indicated that the location of the cache was “unchanged since 1993” and corresponds to the nearest centimeter to that resulting from the resolution of the final riddle ('super-solution').

Max Valentin and Michel Becker never revealed the exact solutions to the riddles. Here is a general overview of these riddles and some popular theories about their solutions.

The 11 riddles of the Golden Owl

1. 530: "Bourges" : This riddle is often considered the introduction. It seems to indicate that Bourges is a central starting point for hunting.

2. 780: “The Path of the Giants”: It is about giants and ;#39;a geographical riddle. Many believe it refers to imposing geological or historical sites.

3. 470& nbsp;: “The Map” : This riddle suggests the use of an accurate map of France. It is thought to introduce the concept of the IGN map which is crucial for pinpointing the exact location.

4. 580 : "The Pedestrian of Bourges" : This riddle could be about a route or orientation from Bourges. Many interpret it as a treasure hunt to follow carefully.

5. 600 : "A Zénith and a Nadir" : The terms "Zénith" and "Nadir" refer to astronomical or geographical concepts. This could symbolize a notion of direction or altitude.

6. 500: “Span lines” : This riddle involves the interpretation of lines, which could be meridians, parallels, or specific lines on the map.

7. 420 : "The measurement": It suggests the importance of a precise distance to be measured on the map. It is often said that the "toise" is the key unit of measurement.

8. 560 : "The Right Directions": This riddle could be about cardinal directions or landmarks to follow. It invites you to orient the map correctly.

9. 650 : "The Sentinels" : The riddle could refer to visible features in the landscape (such as mountains, towers, or other points of interest), which serve as landmarks for the researcher.

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10. 520: “Opening”: Some believe that this riddle is a key to interpreting the others. It is about revelation or discovering a hidden clue.

11. 12th Hidden Riddle (The Last Secret):It is often speculated that there is an “invisible” or secret riddle that connects all the others, leading to the final location of the Owl.

Where the Golden Owl was hidden ?

We have to wait a little longer to find out where the countermark was found. But until this Wednesday, several leads were considered more serious than others by treasure hunters, based on the analysis of the 11 enigmas. Here are the leads most often mentioned:

• The Cher region: Several treasure hunters have oriented their research in the Cher region, around Bourges. Max Valentin often mentioned that the location was about 100-200 km from Bourges, reinforcing the theory that the Owl could be in an area not far from this city.
• The village of Dabo (Moselle): One of the most popular theories concerns the village of Dabo, in Moselle. Dabo is a special place because of its famous roche, an impressive rocky promontory topped with a chapel. This fits well with several clues, including those that speak of “sentinels” and giants. Enigma 780 (the Giants' Path) seems to resonate with this rocky landscape. Several other clues about the geography, reliefs, and local legends of Dabo agree with elements of the enigmas, which has made this region a major point of interest for hunters.
• The Burgundy (Auxerre) trail: Some researchers believe that the Owl could be located in Burgundy, in the vicinity of Auxerre, particularly because of the correspondence with certain clues in enigma 650 (“The Sentinels”). The topography and history of this region would be compatible with the solutions of other enigmas.
• The Heart of France Theory: One theory is that the Owl may be buried in the geographic center of France. Several locations are possible for this central point, depending on the calculation methods. For example, the village of Chazemais in Allier, or areas near Saulzais-le-Potier in Cher, are often mentioned. This leads to a plausible explanation given that Bourges is the central point of the hunt and could be an allusion to the “center” geographical area of ​​France.
• The Mont-Saint-Michel track: A more marginal track concerns Mont-Saint-Michel. Some clues in the puzzles can be interpreted as referring to tides, an island, and specific geographical points. However, this theory is less supported by the research community.
• Landes: Another theory suggests that the Owl may be buried in the South-West of France, particularly in the Landes. This theory is based on interpretations of certain riddles that refer to natural features such as forests, rivers and mountains.
• The proximity of a famous road: Other theories claim that the Owl may be located in proximity to a famous or historical route, such as the Via Podiensis, a pilgrimage route that is part of the Ways of St. James. Riddles that speak of lines and directions could be references to such historical routes.

What Max Valentin said has already said about the hiding place of the Golden Owl: the statue was placed on public land, not dangerous, accessible to all. It was buried at a shallow depth, and the place can be identified with certainty if all the riddles are solved. The owl was buried somewhere in mainland France, but not in a nature park or a protected historical site.

Latest updates

03/10/24- 22:47 – Who was “Max Valentin”, the originator of the Golden Owl ?

Creator of the legendary treasure hunt, Max Valentin, real name Régis Hauser, died in 2009 at the age of 62. It was only at the time of his death that the identity of this consultant from the world of advertising was revealed to the general public. In addition to the Golden Owl, Régis Hauser invented many games in the 90s and 2000s, such as “Objectif trésor” or “Sur la piste des cistes”. “People absolutely want to find out who I am to try to extort information from me”, explained, masked, in 1995 on television the one who will have finally managed to remain anonymous during his lifetime.

Gérard Simon, president of the association of researchers of the golden owl, is convinced that the announcement of Michel Becker, the co-creator of the game, does not solve the mystery. This Thursday, France Info contacted him and asked him if the game was definitively finished, he replied: “Clearly not. The author of the puzzles, Max Valentin, buried somewhere in France a bronze countermark numbered 1 out of 8. He died in 2009 and 2-3 years ago, the co-author who knew nothing about riddles, buried a countermark numbered 2 out of 8 and which is perhaps the one that was dug up last night. For the club president, the counter-mark unearthed last night would therefore not be the original counter-mark statue!

03/10/24 – 14:53 – A clarification: has the solution really been found? ?

A clarification must be made here: it is not yet completely It is certain that the game ends today and that the person who discovered the Owl has indeed won. This Thursday, October 3, at midday, the organizer of the game has not yet validated the solution proposed by the person who unearthed the Owl. Only the confirmation of the resolution of the riddle will be able to ensure that the treasure hunt has indeed ended with a winner.