It’s time to start dreaming of your next trip. Here are eight must-visit libraries around the world.
The largest library in Ireland lies in Trinity College, Dublin, and its most iconic room, Old Library, draws visitors year-round thanks to its towering shelves, arched ceiling, and seemingly endless artifacts and documents within. Old Library is also home to the Book of Kells, an eighth century illuminated manuscript crafted by monks in a Columbian monastery; the Brian Boru harp, a national symbol of the country; and a copy of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic. © Chon Kit Leong | Dreamstime.com
Admont Abbey Library, attached to Admont Abbey, is the largest monastic library in the world, and you’ll find it in Styria, Austria. The beautiful library is renowned for its Baroque architecture and art, as well as extensive analogue of manuscripts. The library was modeled after Imperial Court Library in Vienna, and holds about 200,000 books. © Yorgy67 | Dreamstime.com
No, you’re not in the future. Tianjin Binhai Library, also known as The Eye, is a forward-thinking library spanning five floors and floor-to-ceiling, terraced bookshelves. It’s estimated the library holds about 1.2 million books, and a luminous sphere in the center is actually an auditorium. The library also features reading rooms, lounge areas, rooftop patios, meeting rooms and offices. © Cowardlion | Dreamstime.com
Founded in 1837, Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading is both a library and cultural institution in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The reading room alone houses a chandelier and skylight, the first example of Neo-Manueliene architecture in Brazil. The library has the largest collection of Portuguese works out of Portugal, numbering a whopping 350,000 volumes. © Diego Grandi | Dreamstime.com
Situated in University of Oxford, England, Bodleian Library was established in 1602 and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. The library spans more than 13 million printed items, and access to the library requires visitors to agree to a formal declaration. Treasures within include a first edition of Don Quixote, Shakespeare’s First Folio, manuscripts of famous authors like Jane Austen and J.R.R. Tolkien, and autograph scores by Beethoven and Mozart. © Dudlajzov | Dreamstime.com
Where can you find the oldest, free public reference library in the English-speaking world? It’s none other than Chetham’s Library in Manchester, England. The library opened in 1653 and holds more than 100,000 volumes of printed books, including 41 medieval texts. © Anna Regeniter | Dreamstime.com
Right in the heart of Manhattan, Morgan Library & Museum was the private library of J.P. Morgan before becoming an institution. The collection features more than 350,000 items, including authors’ original manuscripts, books, sheets of music and illuminated manuscripts. © H J Herrera | Dreamstime.com
Unique Stuttgart City Library is a massive departure from the more historical libraries. This minimalist-style library sits in a cube structure, with deliberately placed windows to create light-filled spaces. There’s also a rooftop terrace for panoramic city views. © SimonDannhauer | Dreamstime.com
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