Any good detective needs to know their surroundings…
Discover more about the locations of your missions here.
London
Did you know…?
The V&A museum was named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who were the reigning monarchs when the museum was founded. It covers 12.5 acres and has 145 galleries!
The London underground has 270 functioning stations, but also has at least 40 unused stations! Many of these were used during World War II as public shelters and underground offices. Some are still used today as film sets!
The O2 is the second largest indoor arena in the UK, and is now also the busiest in the UK. It holds shows of all kinds, including tennis and basketball!
PARIS
Did you know…?
Le Louvre is the busiest art museum in the world, and the second largest. The Tuileries Gardens, which makes up part of the Louvre Estate, was originally created as a garden for another Palace near Le Louvre, which was burnt down in 1871 and never rebuilt. It features a pond for little sailing boats, a carrousel and an area of built-in trampolines!
Paris has 37 bridges spanning the Seine (the river flowing through Paris). The oldest bridge is Pont Neuf, built in 1578, and the most recent footbridge, the Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir, was inaugurated in 2006.
The Eiffel Tower is named after its engineer - Gustave Eiffel, who also built the Statue of Liberty! The Tower’s construction was the culmination of a competition to build a structure 125 metres across and 300 metres tall in preparation for the World’s Fair of 1889. The Tower took 22 months, and 18,000 pieces, to build, and remains the tallest building in Paris.
ROME
Did you know…?
Vatican City, home of the Pope, is a whole separate state from Italy, so it has its own armed forces - the Swiss Guard. The Swiss Guard is one of the oldest military units still in operation, having been established in 1506.
There really is a passageway linking Vatican City with Castel sant’ Angelo! It is called Passetto di Borgo, and has been used twice by popes fleeing Vatican city during invasions, in 1494 and in 1527.
The Colosseum was the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and remains the largest standing amphitheatre in the world. Marcus Attilius was one of the most famous gladiators to fight in the Colosseum, and one of the only to choose to do so as a free man.
NEW YORK
DID YOU KNOW…?
New Year’s Eve has been celebrated in Times Square with the dropping of the ball every year since 1907, with the exception of two years during the Second World War. Over time there have been seven balls. The current ball is 12 feet in diameter, covered in 2688 crystal triangles, and is lit up by 32,256 LEDs!
Grand Central Terminal sees over 750,000 visitors a day! As well as 44 platforms (the most of any train station), it also contains 60 shops and 35 places to eat. The clock on the facade of the terminal is the largest in the world, with a diameter of 13 feet!
The Charging Bull, the bronze sculpture known as the emblem of Wall Street, was originally placed by its artist illegally outside the New York Stock Exchange building. After being removed by the police, it was placed in its current position (legally) a week later. In 2017 a second bronze sculpture was installed - the Fearless Girl - promoting female empowerment. In 2018 the statue was moved elsewhere on Wall Street, and in her original location stands footprints, encouraging visitors to stand in her place.