Rick Steves Reveals His Picks Of Must-Visit European Cities For Literature Lovers

Everyone knows Europe is one of the top world destinations for culture. The Old World is dripping in stunning architecture, remarkable art galleries, mind-blowing ancient ruins, and incredible live music. The rich history of Europe lends itself to a cultural offering that is hard to beat, and almost everywhere you go, you'll find something fascinating and intriguing to see, hear, or experience.

According to European travel legend Rick Steves, one of the best ways to build a cultural itinerary around Europe is to aim for destinations with a literary theme. In an article on his website, he argues that "many of Europe's lasting cultural contributions are captured on dusty sheets of vellum or parchment," and encourages visitors to "[page] through these literary treasures in museums and libraries can raise a few goosebumps of their own."

There are loads of destinations in Europe that have some sort of literary connection, and book lovers will be spoiled for choice almost anywhere they go. However, Rick Steves says these few places deserve special attention when it comes to theming your travels around your favorite books.

The English literary canon is one of the most widely read and famous forms of literature in the world, with some of the greatest authors, playwrights, and poets hailing from the British Isles. So it is hardly surprising that London is something of a literary pilgrimage site, packed with amazing things to see. The British Library holds a copy of every work ever published in the English language, and is an impressive building in its own right, but Rick Steves highlights its Treasures collection where "early bibles, a First Folio of Shakespeare's works, Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Magna Carta, and Beatles' lyrics (scribbled on the back of a greeting card) vie for your attention." 

London boasts some of the best museums in the world (many of which you can visit for free), and there are a plethora of fascinating institutions dedicated to literary heroes. The Charles Dickens Museum in Fitzrovia, for example, is a treasure trove of artefacts and displays in the house where Dickens lived and wrote for much of his life, while the Sherlock Holmes Museum in Baker Street is a fun and imaginative way to dive deeper into the stories about the famous fictional detective.

Franz Kafka is one of Prague's most famous sons, and you can immerse yourself in the weird, fanciful, and sometimes terrifying worlds he created at several locations around this beautiful city. The Franz Kafka Museum is a wonderful place to start, "good even for those who don't know much about him," according to Rick Steves. Additionally, the Franz Kafka Society Center offers a bookshop and a cultural center for more serious aficionados. 

But Prague is more than just Gregor Samsa turning into a giant cockroach. Many prominent Czech writers lived and worked in the city, and a walking tour of their houses offers a wonderful way to get to know the city better while discovering more about the literary heritage of the country. The houses where Karolina Světlá, Jan Werich, and Jaroslav Seifert are all well worth discovering, while the Clementinum Astronomical Tower and Baroque Library houses one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, as well as being where Mozart played and Alfred Einstein taught!

Scottish writers have always been a fundamental part of English literature. Edinburgh is a must-visit city for book lovers and a picture-perfect spot to delve into "the lives and literature of Scotland's holy trinity — Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson," according to Rick Steves. He recommends the Edinburgh Writers' Museum as a place to discover more about how these three authors and poets in particular "stirred the Scottish soul...[and] revived [their] countrymen's pride in Highland culture and the Gaelic language." 

If you like a little liquid refreshment with your literary greats, Steves has the perfect solution: the Literary Pub Tour, where actors lead a small group between some of Edinburgh's best and most historic drinking establishments while acting out debates between some of Scotland's most famous writers. And for the most serious literature fans, it might be a good idea to time your visit to coincide with the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The multi-day event is part of Edinburgh's remarkable summer festival program, and the largest example of its kind in the world.

Paris's literary world is tied up in revolution and radicalism. The iconic green metal bookstalls, known as bouquinistes, run along the River Seine on both banks. It has earned its reputation as "the only river in the world that runs between two bookshelves." Strolling along the river, checking out vintage postcards and rare books is one of the best ways to pass the time in Paris, and a charming demonstration of what Rick Steves describes as "the European love affair with books."

Of course, Paris has been a center of literary culture throughout its history. This is the city of Victor Hugo and Balzac, of Rabelais and Dumas, and of Moliere and Baudelaire. The Shakespeare and Company bookstore has been a landmark for freethinkers for over a century, and is well worth a visit, while there are plenty of spots for literature fans to walk in the footsteps of icons like Hemingway, Camus, and de Beauvoir, like Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots.

Rick Steves' final recommendation for your literary tour is Dublin. "Of all the places I've traveled in Europe, Ireland excels in literary passion", he explains. Some iconic writers, including Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats, and James Joyce hail from the historic city. It also happens to be one of the friendliest countries in Europe. The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl combines three of the best aspects of Dublin — excellent traditional Irish pubs, rich literary history, and world-beating craic — and is a must for any visitors to the city. 

It is also worth stopping by Trinity College for a visit to the Old Library. This is a wonderful literary destination in its own right, but the highlight has to be the Book of Kells, a stunning ninth-century illuminated manuscript, filled with vibrant, electric illustrations, and one of the finest examples of the Insular manuscript style in existence. It is an extravagant, complex, and undeniably beautiful piece of art, as well as being a fascinating historical artefact and a demonstration of the sophistication of early Irish culture.