Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Stunning Libraries I Want to Visit

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jana at  The Artsy Reader. This week’s topic is “Questions I Would Ask My Favorite Authors”, but I wasn’t too jazzed on the topic, so I came up with one of my own. After making a post about 10 Bookstores I Want to Visit, I thought it would be cool to do the same, but for libraries. It was so fun looking at pictures of all these gorgeous libraries and it left me with a serious case of wanderlust!

Admont Abbey Library – Admont, Austria

I love the Baroque style of this abbey library. One of the bookcases even conceals a hidden staircase! It’s so bright and light-filled. I’d love to spend an afternoon browsing their stacks!

The Hyundai Card Travel Library, Seoul, South Korea

When I was first researching Korea before moving there, this was one of the places I really wanted to visit. Unfortunately, thought I moved to Korea, this visit didn’t happen. I love the modern white staircase and the warm-lit wooden shelves. Better yet, it’s a “travel” library – hosting volumes on travel, curiosity, art, architecture and photography. So cool!

Strahov Monastery Library – Prague, Czech Republic

Why do monasteries seem to have the most gorgeous libraries? Actually, don’t answer that. I’m sure there’s some disturbing historical reason and my eyes just want to feast on those gorgeous ceilings.

The Tianjin Binhai Library – Tianjin, China

This library is so cool, I struggled to choose the right picture. The shelves seem to float. I love the organic rippling ceiling and that gorgeous ball of light in the center. If I’m ever in China, this is on the list for sure!

Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland

You know that effect where you put on glasses and seem 1000 times smarter? That’s sort of how I feel about this library. It looks like it smells of mahogany, cigar smoke, cardigan sweaters and accumulated wealth. I want to sip a strong brew at one of the tables and look studious. This library is smarter than me and it’s not afraid to flaunt it.

Bodleian library – Oxford, England

This one is cheating a little because I have visited the Bodleian Library and it was gorgeous! Harry Potter filmed here and in a ton of other locations around Oxford and it’s no wonder. It just has that old-world magic feel. I want to pack my trunk full of Weasley-knitted sweaters, chocolate frogs and owl feed and transport myself to this library. This book is a non-lending library as quite a few books were stolen in the past. All the books used to be chained to the shelves as an anti-theft measure and they’ve kept a few in this state, which is also seen in the HP movies.

Klemetinum Library, Prague, Czech Republic

What’s a library without some ridiculously detailed hand-painted globes? I love the richness of this library, the warm tones, the filtered light. You can almost hear the crisp clack of the tile under your boot heels.

Waldsassen Abbey Library – Waldsassen, Germany

This is a fairy-tale library if I’ve ever seen one. I can totally see Belle swinging along a ladder to access these shelves. I’m 100% convinced there’s a book about casting sleeping curses on princesses hidden among these books. Looks like it would pair well with red wine and a twirly ball gown.

The Abbey Library of Saint Gall – St. Gallen, Switzerland

If you get tired of yodeling among the green hillsides of Switzerland, there’s always this inside escape. Again, the globes, the ceiling, the wood parquet floors! Just beautiful!

Royal Portuguese Reading Room – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Just like Brazil’s Carnivàle, these richly-lacquered shelves and brightly colored tomes show just how vivacious and alive a library can be. This library is like a shot of strong espresso. I’d love to sit and read the paper and listen to lively political debates in Portuguese the next table over.

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Have you been to any of these libraries? Are any of them on your to-travel list? What’s the most beautiful library you’ve visited?

Until next time,