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In Bordeaux, get up close and personal with France's favourite emperor Napol茅on Bonaparte during the virtual reality experience 'Napol茅on, L'Epop茅e Immersive'. 

If you have never used a virtual reality (VR) headset before, you will be amazed at how well it brings historical events to life. The brain really does believe what it sees, despite knowing that it is all a box of tricks. 

Before you do that, however, information panels touch on the highlights of his career and explain the situations you are about to experience. This is particularly useful for anyone who did not go to school in France, as Napol茅on only tends to show up in non-French history as the 'monster' who lost the battle of Waterloo. 

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The historical details presented have been meticulously researched with the help of experts including historians from the Fondation Napol茅on and the Mus茅e de la L茅gion d'Honneur, and the experience was scripted and directed by Marin de Saint-Chamas. 

Once you put your headset on you enter virtual reality. First up: a meeting with Napol茅on himself, in Longwood, where he lived on St Helena in 1817. 

"Napol茅on is the most studied person in France," says Mr de Saint-Chamas. 

"More than 80,000 books have been written about him; a book a day since he died! He has an immense heritage in France and across Europe. We're still separating the myth from the truth. Was he a devil or a hero? Probably both. He is an extraordinary historical character and the period was also fascinating." 

The experience is currently available in French, English and Dutch. In Brazil, where it has also been sold, it is available in Portuguese.

Spanish is expected to be added soon, and potentially other languages too.

Seeing 'ghosts'

Once equipped with a headset, visitors to the virtual reality of Napol茅on can see each other as white silhouettes, almost like ghosts, but they cannot speak to each other.

This means that you do not risk bumping into other people during the experience, even though you are walking around. If you move close to the wall, you see a dim white line on the floor of the virtual reality so you cannot accidentally walk into the wall and hurt yourself. 

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"You can participate before Napol茅on arrives by 'moving' the pieces on a chess board, and 'playing' the piano. It is unsuitable for children under eight years old and under 1m 10cm tall because there are no children's headsets and the intense VR world could frighten a child,鈥� said Mr de Saint-Chamas.

The scenes include battles, galloping horses, a scary bit where you walk over a 'wobbly plank' and other scenes where you are in the middle of a parade ground or on a platform that suddenly rises into the air. All in all, it is a fascinating and fun way to spend an hour.

Decentralising culture 

"We want to be part of the decentralisation of culture in France: 90% of cultural offerings are in Paris, and 65% of the French population feel cut off from culture for economic or geographic reasons. 

鈥淏ut we can set this up in towns with a population as small as 10,000 inhabitants. We only need 100m2 as there is no scenery or bulky equipment. Just the headsets and the displays," says Mr de Saint-Chamas. 

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'Napol茅on, L'Epop茅e Immersive' first opened in Brussels, and was exhibited in Paris before transferring to Bordeaux, where it will remain for at least a year. It is also currently open in Lyon until the end of September. Tickets (鈧�20) for Bordeaux and Lyon are .