I am an avid reader. I love books. I adore the stories, tucked between pages. The idea of curling up under a blanket with a cup of tea or hot chocolate, or sitting outside on my balcony swinging in the sunshine, a book in hand, is perhaps one of the most delighful of all.
→ Check out my complete book list for every book I've read since 2018!
So one of the things I love to do on my travels is combine that love of reading with my love of travel. And so, I make sure to visit as many bookstores and beautiful libraries around the world as I can.
While my list to visit is ever-growing, I am grateful for those I have already been lucky enough to check off the list. I hope to continue adding to this list for the rest of my life. For now, here are the most beautiful libraries (and a few bookstores) that I have visited around the world so far.
This guide was first published on 12 October 2024; last updated on 7 December 2024.
1. Stift Admont
Admont, Austria
The library at Stift Admont is the largest monastery library in the whole world and perhaps one of the most famous, with its white, gold and pink airy halls filled with more than 70,000 works. The Abbey was built in 1074, celebrating 950 years when we visited in late 2024. While books were always on site at the Abbey, the library as it looks today in Baroque style was completed in 1776.
How to visit: anytime during opening hours; guided tours also available daily
Tickets: varies depending on if you want to go with a guided tour or visit on your own; check out the 2025 admission prices
2. Kremsmünster Abbey
Kremsmünster, Austria
Kremsmünster Abbey was founded in 777 by Tassilo III, the Duke of Bavaria, and is a still-functioning Benedictine monastery to this day. Today, a school, restaurant and hotel exist within the grounds. The library, probably the best spot of the entire visit, was completed in the 1680s and is home to about 160,000 books, including a book from 800, the Codex Millenarius, the library's most valuable.
How to visit: church is free to visit, but the museum and library is by guided tour only
Tickets: €11 per person, payable on arrival
→ Check out my detailed guide to visiting Kremsmünster Abbey!
3. Solvay Library
Brussels, Belgium
My former company hosted a conference inside this beautiful library in the heart of Brussels. Located inside the lush Parc Léopold, next to the European Parliament and close to other EU institutions, you can feel the esteemed academia from the moment you step foot inside.
Ernest Solvay, in this ancient sociology institute where scientists from around the world came together to share their thoughts and ideas. In this park, Nobel Prize scientists such as Einstein and Bohr gathered for the famous Solvay Conferences. No wonder the venue resonates with brilliant minds!
How to visit: only by attending an event, check out their website for the latest schedule
Tickets: varies per event
4. Strahov Library
Prague, Czechia
The two rooms of the exquisite Strahov Library are housed inside Prague's premonstratensian monastery and are simply stunning. You cannot go inside the 12th century libraries for preservation reasons but you can stand at the doorways and also look at the exhibit of old artefacts and preserved books. It is said that there are over 200,000 works inside.
How to visit: anytime during opening hours
Tickets: 150 krona (about €6), at the time of writing, which you can buy on site when you arrive, or in advance online
Theological Hall
Philosophical Hall
5. Bodleian Library
Oxford, England
Actually a group of 26 libraries, the Bodleian Libraries were founded in 1602. The main one, the Bodleian Library, is the most famous and the second-largest in all of England, only after the British Library, housing over 13 million printed works. Oxford itself is one of the most magical and inspirational cities I've ever wandered through (not only due to the fact that much of Hogwarts was filmed here!) so a few days here would be very well spent.
How to visit: on one of the Oxford guided tours; check out their website to browse the different tour options
Tickets: depending on which tour you book, which is recommended to book in advance online
6. Metten Abbey
Metten, Germany
This library is housed inside Metten Abbey and is hands down one of the most exquisitely decorated I have ever stepped foot in. I recommend going on the 10am tour on a sunny day so you can get the best chance at sunlight streaming through the gorgeous windows; there is no electricity or lighting inside the library in order to assist in the preservation of the books. Still in active use today, the library is filled with many religious figures, all drawn or sculpted with great detail and care. There are over 100,000 titles housed this library, built from approximately 1265 and reopened in 2009.
Unfortunately, photos are not permitted. You can view photos of the library on the official Metten Abbey website. It is still worth visiting in real life, even if just for the memories.
How to visit: by German guided tour only, daily at 10am and 3pm, except on Sundays when only the 3pm tour is available
Tickets: €5 per person, cash only, payable on arrival
Image by Metten Abbey
7. Teatro Anatomico
Bologna, Italy
Part of the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the entire world, this absolutely exquisite wooden-panelled lecture hall and library was built in the 16th century. While bombed in the Second World War, it was immediately reconstructed using original materials. It is simply awe-inspiring.
How to visit: anytime during opening hours, currently Monday to Saturday from 10am-6pm
Tickets: €3 per person, at the time of writing, payable on arrival or in advance online (which then adds an online fee of €0.50)
8. Cuesta de Moyano
Madrid, Spain
Not technically a library, but rather, an open air book market in Madird, featuring stall upon stall of secondhand books in idyllic little wooden structures just waiting for you to peruse and stay a while.
How to visit: anytime during opening hours, currently daily from 10am-6pm, although each stall tends to have their own hours
Tickets: free
9. Library of Celsus
Ephesus, Türkiye
Ephesus in its heyday was said to rival Rome in power and commerical influence. The ruins here are exceptionally well preserved, most well-known of all is the exquisite Library of Celsus at the heart of what was once a bustling and thriving metropolis. It's an incredible experience to wander where people did thousands of years ago. Now it stands in ruins, and only the facade remains, but was once a repository of over 12,000 scrolls, constructed in the 2nd century CE.
How to visit: the Library of Celsus can be visited during Ephesus opening hours
Tickets: when we visited in October 2022, we paid 200 lira (approximately €5.50) and purchased on site when we arrived, but the price seems to have risen sharply to €40 per person as of 2024
10. Irving K Barber Learning Centre
Vancouver, Canada
Situated at the University of British Columbia (UBC), my alma mater, I had to include IKB. It is a beautiful library, featuring what many students have coined "the Harry Potter room" on a gorgeous campus.
How to visit: IKB can be visited during opening hours
Tickets: free
Image by Daily Hive
11. Calgary Public Library
Calgary, Canada
I attended the opening of the new Calgary Public Library in late 2018 and it is seriously a breathtaking work of architecture in the heart of Calgary, the biggest city in Alberta. It is a branch of the Calgary Public Library system and is completely free to visit. I highly recommend stepping foot in here to read, study or simply be inspired.
How to visit: during opening hours
Tickets: free
12. Powell's Books
Portland, Oregon, USA
Again, not a library, but I HAD to include Powell's. Powell's is the world's largest independent bookstore, and it covers an entire city block. It's HUGE. A combination of new and used books line the many, many shelves, in the dozens of colour-coded rooms, all arranged by subject and author. There is something for everyone; from the old man browsing the World War 2 archives, to the family checking out the board games, to the lady poking through interior design books. The categories are so specific and so vast, you'd be hard-pressed to ask for a topic that isn't covered.
Powell's also hosts many author nights and other fantastic reading events - it's not just a bookstore, but a whole community. Check out their rare book room on the top floor, as well.
How to visit: during opening hours
Tickets: free
13. National Library of Australia
Canberra, Australia
Lakeside at Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra's Parliament Zone, the National Library is massive. It houses thousands of items in the largest collection in Australia. There is also an exhibition section where the library houses special artifacts that have historical significance.
How to visit: during opening hours
Tickets: free
14. State Library of Victoria
Melbourne, Australia
The State Library of Victoria was built in 1854 making it the oldest public library in the entire country as well as one of the first free public libraries in the world. So, it's a very special one!
Tickets: free
15. State Library of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
The State Library of NSW is in the Sydney Royal Botanical Gardens and is a large, proud building housing a wonderful collection of books, exhibits and curated collections. Most interesting to me were the collections downstairs from the airy main room where they explained various snippets of history of Australia - from the shipped convicts to the explorers of the land.
How to visit: during opening hours; differs across different sections of the library
Tickets: free
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
