The Old Swan Hotel is one of Harrogate's most storied and elegant landmarks, a Victorian country house hotel that has played host to royalty, celebrities, and literary giants throughout its history. It is perhaps best known as the location where Agatha Christie was discovered in December 1926 following her famous eleven-day disappearance — a mystery that gripped the nation and has never been fully explained. Today the hotel is the spiritual home of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the UK's largest festival dedicated to crime fiction, which takes over Harrogate every July. Its grand ballrooms, beautifully restored interiors, and tranquil gardens make it a favourite for weddings, conferences, and cultural events of all kinds.