The Da Vinci Code

Follow the trail around London

A web of secret puzzles and hidden codes, and an enigma that could unravel the very basis of society, 'The Da Vinci Code' has inspired a whole generation to reading once more. Since its publication in 2003 Dan Brown’s novel has sold 50 million hardback copies worldwide. To put it in perspective, that’s five times the combined sales of Coldplay and Robbie Williams’ last albums. The book has even spawned its own sub-genre of copycat crypto-religious literature.Besides fame, the novel has also gained notoriety for its assertions about the life of Jesus and the Catholic Church, its inauspicious depiction of the sect Opus Dei, and the high profile court case involving two historians who claimed author, Dan Brown, had ripped off their research.With copies still flying off the shelves and a big budget Hollywood adaptation, hordes of fans are eager to visit the locations they’ve read about and relive the tale.  The latter half of the book all takes place in the UK, with the most exciting scenes in London itself. As well as seeing the settings for real, prospective sleuths can also take a number of tours with guides revealing the facts behind the fiction. If you want to follow the trail even further, you can take a day trip to Edinburgh. So if you think you have the nerve of Professor Robert Langdon and Special Agent Sophie Neveu, why not read our guide, follow in their footprints across London and try to crack the code? WARNING: THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE CONTAINS PLOT DETAILS WHICH MIGHT SPOIL YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THE BOOK/FILM.