Ancient Streetview: Now Google can take you to the historic pavements of Pompeii and Stonehenge



They are some of the most spectacular and unique places on the planet.

Now Google has taken tourism to the next level by allowing people from around the world to see monuments like Stonehenge, the streets of Pompeii and the remote landscapes of Antarctica from the comfort of their own living room.

But instead of the usual Google Streetview cars which have become a familiar sight on British streets, the new snaps were taken using a special Google tricycle.

Pengiuns on Half Moon Island in the Antarctic were pictured by Google

Internet users can look at Pompeii's ancient streets from the comfort of their own homes

The Street View trike, as it is known, was sent around the world to photograph some of the hardest to reach places on the planet.

The trike carries a mounted Street View camera, and a specially decorated unit with imaging & GPS technology.

Google's Brian McClendon, head of Engineering, Google Earth and Maps, introduced the new feature by saying how thrilled he was that all seven continents could now be accessed using the technology.

He took the pictures of the penguins in the Antarctic.

He said: 'We introduced Street View back in May 2007, enabling people to explore street-level imagery in five U.S. cities. We were excited to share a virtual reflection of the real world to enable armchair exploration.

'Since then, we’ve expanded our 360-degree panoramic views to many more places, allowing you to check out a restaurant before dining there, to explore a neighbourhood before moving there and to find landmarks along the route of your driving directions.'



One of the Google tricycles at the Mountain station on Mt Eggishorn in the Swiss Alps

Stonehenge is captured up close and personal as the trike was allowed to creep close to the ancient stones

An elephant in Kruger National Park in South Africa looks unconcerned as the Google trike passes by

The famous Palace of Versailles is now part of the Streetview collection

Many of the image have not yet been added to the Google Streetview program - but will appear in the near future.



Mr McClendon said: 'Three years later, we’re happy to announce that you can now explore Street View imagery on all seven continents, with the addition today of Brazil, Ireland and Antarctica.

'You can now see images from around the world spanning from the beaches of Brazil, to the moors of Ireland, to the icy terrain in Antarctica.

Some of the images show a group of penguins grouped together on an island in Antarctica and the remote dusty roads of the Australian Outback.

He said: 'We often consider Street View to be the last zoom layer on the map, and a way to show you what a place looks like as if you were there in person—whether you’re checking out a coffee shop across town or planning a vacation across the globe.