If you are a lover of books, and especially travel books, then a literary tour of the world is exactly what you need to make the best of any trip! Here are our favorite spots for book fiends around the world. See if you can make it to one of these places on your next trip!
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This beautiful bookstore was actually at one time a cathedral. Its high ceilings and gothic style interior attest to this. When it was no longer to be used as a cathedral, there was the option of tearing the beautiful building down. Instead, it has become one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. In the center of a classic and gorgeous restored structure from ancient times stands a modern book store, complete with reading rooms and contemporary books.
Designed by the very talented architect Toyo Ito, this university library is truly like no other. Concrete pillars rise into domed arches, and below them run rows and rows of modern books. The atmosphere inside is a mixture of gothic design and contemporary display, adding to a wonderful combination of tranquility, clarity of thought, and freedom of expression. See pictures of this incredible design here!
You’ll already be in the right atmosphere here right when you enter the doors. Why so? Because the doors themselves are bookshelves that twist open and invite you to come inside! You’ll find many other almost hidden doorways to the different parts of the bookstore. When you wander around to find your favorite titles and authors, you’ll be taken in by the intimate and warm appeal of this place.
Buenos Aires is a place of beautiful literary culture. It’s home to an incredible amount of bookstores, including many rare book stores! There are more bookstores per person than anywhere else in the world. There is one of the most unique and beautiful bookstores in the world. The Grand Splendid Theater was converted to a book store in the early 21st century, and now features over 21,000 square feet of fantastic reading material. They’ve been able to preserve the feel of the theater inside, leaving details such as the elaborate frescos on the ceiling, the beautiful stage with red curtains hanging down, and the delicately carved statues and motifs. This is something that you can’t miss if you’re a book lover visiting Buenos Aires!
Standing as one of the oldest antique and used bookstores in the entire United States.This lovely little spot was opened in the early 1800s. It has stood in the same spot since then! It has been owned and run by the Gloss family for nearly 200 years. This shop covers three stories of a building right in the center of bustling Boston, and at times spills into the lot to its side. This store takes books seriously, and with a family history of book lovers, you can see why! Here you will find 250,000 books and book-related items, including many rare and out-of-print books.
If you’re looking for a lovely and relaxed place to dive into books, then this is your spot! Follow the steps made from old encyclopedias and enter the bookstore. Search through somewhat haphazard piles of books, and make friends with the resident cats as you pour over shelves made from old gondolas and more! You’ll find literary delights in many different languages here. Once you’ve found your next read you can move back out to the street and find the oldest café in Italy, the Caffe Florian . Spend time with your new book in a place where writers of the past used to pass the time. These places are Charles Dickens, Rousseau and Byron.
It’s time to travel! Fit these fantastic literary locations into your travel itinerary and make the most of a book lover’s world!