Audio stories of historic places
The hidden stories all around you
Traveler Stories is a web app that tells the history of the places around you. Open the map, tap a castle, a church, a square or a monument: its story starts within seconds, as audio, for about five minutes of listening.
On iPhone, Android and desktop. No app store download. Stories are currently narrated in French.
How it works
Explore the map
Notable places show up on the map around your position, or around any town you search for, anywhere in the world.
Pick a place
Castle, abbey, bridge, birthplace, old harbour: every point holds a story of about five minutes.
Listen as you walk
A natural voice tells the story. It starts almost at once and stays on your phone, in your travel journal.
Three ways to tell it
For each place, choose the tone of the story.
Romancé (story)
Live the scene from the inside, with the real dates and the real names.
Histoire (history)
Through the eyes of a real person, with sourced facts checked on the web.
Guide local (local guide)
A storytelling guide tells you the true history of the place, without role-play.
Made for walking
Walks
Chain several places together and download the walk before you leave, to listen even without signal.
A travel journal
Every story you hear joins your journal on a globe, which you can share with friends and family.
On your home screen
Add Traveler Stories to the home screen of your iPhone or Android: it opens full screen, like an app.
Sourced stories, honest about what they are
Stories are written by an AI (Google’s Gemini) from sources: encyclopedias, Wikidata and web research. What is established, what is interpretation and what is dramatised are kept apart.
Found a mistake? The “Signaler une erreur dans ce récit” button reports it: the story is then regenerated and replaced.
Free or paid?
Stories that already exist near you are free to listen to, as are a few famous landmarks to discover the app.
Creating the story of a place that has none yet uses one credit. Credit packs and a yearly subscription are offered in the app. Every new story joins the shared library, for every traveler.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install an app?
No. Traveler Stories runs in the browser of your phone or computer, and can be added to your home screen in two taps.
What language are the stories in?
French, for now.
Where does it work?
Wherever the map finds historic places, in France and abroad.
Who is behind Traveler Stories?
It is an independent project by Théo Mercé. See the About section below.
About
Who makes Traveler Stories
Traveler Stories is an independent project designed and built by Théo Mercé. The idea: turn every walk into a chance to hear the history of the places you pass, in a few minutes, without a guidebook or a guided tour.
traveler-stories.com hosts the web app and the shared library of stories.
- Name spellings
- Théo Mercé · Theo Merce · Théo Merce
- Website
- traveler-stories.com
- Profiles