There are many different reasons to visit famous cities while on vacation. If you’re an avid reader and are interested in the history of literature and the some of the world’s most famous writers, you may want to consider visiting these literary wonders.
1. Dublin, Ireland
(photo credit: infomatique)
Dublin is the beautiful capital city of Ireland and well known for its pubs and written words. One of the best ways to tour the literary sites is to take the city’s Literary Pub Crawl. The guides are actors and make the tour quite entertaining as they take you through the famous taverns where writers such as James Joyce found their inspiration.
You can also visit the Dublin Writers Museum as it presents the literary heritage of the country. Also, the old Abbey Theatre offers performances by many of the nation’s contemporary and classic playwrights. There are also some interesting sites at Trinity College.
2. Edinburgh, Scotland
(photo credit: skeglovitz)
This wonderful historic city has been the inspiration for over 500 novels. Some of its famous writers include 18th century poet Robert Burns, Alexander McCall Smith, and Ian Rankin. You can tour the literary sites of the city via walking tours and pub-crawls.
You should also find the Writers’ Museum quite interesting as it’s situated in a 17th century building which can be accessed though a beautiful stone passageway. Many of the exhibits focus on Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Burns.
3. London, England
(photo credit: stevecadman)
London is famous for its literary-related attractions. There are numerous tours including Shakespeare’s and Dickens’ London as well as the Literary London Pub Walk. You’ll find some great sites at the amazing British Library as all of the historic books are still on display. You’ll be able to take tours that deal with fictional characters such as Sherlock Holmes and James Bond. There are hundreds of sites around London that were made famous in popular novels.
4. Paris, France
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Some of the most famous literary sites in Paris include Oscar Wilde’s grave, which can be found in the famous Père-Lachaise Cemetery. Wilde, who was an Irish playwright, is one of several writers who moved to Paris for inspiration. You can visit the Les Deux Magots, which is a quaint café he used to hang around in. Wilde lived in the historic Latin Quarter, and there are many walking tours to enjoy here.
There are also several house-museums dedicated to French writers such as Honoré de Balzac and Victor Hugo. In addition, the 26 rooms in Hotel Le Pavillon des Lettres are each dedicated to a well-known writer.
5. Washington, D.C., USA
(photo credit: saturnism)
There are many historical books at the Library of Congress, which is the largest library in the worldand was established back in 1800. You can take a free guided tour here which takes you into the library’s elegant reading rooms. Some of the sites focus on people such as Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman. The Politics and Prose bookstore holds group book discussions as well as numerous author events.
6. Stockholm, Sweden
(photo credit: pong)
The magnificent Swedish city of Stockholm is famous for Albert Nobel, who came up with the idea for the Nobel Prizes. These are given out to writers, peace activists, and scientists for their achievements and are held at the fabulous City Hall each December. You can also visit the Stockholm City Museum and take an adventure known as the Millennium Tour.
This will visit places that have been made famous in Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoonovel. There’s also a statue in Tegnerlunden Park in honor of Astrid Lindgren, who created the famous Pippi Longstocking character.
