10 Libraries Around the World Every Book Nerd Needs to Visit

These 10 amazing libraries from around the world will make you go all Belle in a book shop.

But no singing, please—these are libraries after all!

via Giphy
via Giphy

1. Old Library, Trinity College—Dublin, Ireland

The Long Room at Trinity College’s Old Library holds 200,000 of the library’s oldest books. The amazing ceiling you see here was added to allow space for more books when the existing shelves became too full, which we can totally understand.

Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0
Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0

2. George Peabody Library—Baltimore, Maryland

George Peabody became wealthy in Baltimore after he helped to defend the city against British attack during the War of 1812. He provided funds for the construction of this amazing library and dedicated it to the citizens of Baltimore. Honestly, we’re just wondering what we have to do to get a library like this dedicated to us.

via Matthew Petroff, Wikipedia
via Matthew Petroff, Wikipedia

3. Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading—Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This three-story library, which contains upwards of 400,000 books, was started by a group of Portuguese immigrants who collected works from their home country to soothe their homesickness and bring Portuguese culture to Brazil. Books can help soothe so many struggles.

via Flickr
via Flickr

4. Austrian National Library—Vienna, Austria

Founded in the Middle Ages and home to a collection of ancient and rare books, music, and 380 globes, this isn’t your average after-school hang out (and if it is, can we come visit?)

via Ken Kaminesky
via Ken Kaminesky

5. National Library of the Czech Republic—Prague, Czech Republic

This library is housed in the Clementinum, a gorgeous example of Baroque architecture that houses over 20,000 manuscripts and has been tracking local weather for more than 200 years. The only question is: How do we apply for a library card?

via LuizLouisLuix
via LuizLouisLuix

6. Bibliothèque nationale de France—Paris, France

The Manuscripts department in this beautiful library has the biggest collection of medieval and modern manuscripts in the world! They even have manuscripts by Pascal, Diderot, Proust, and Sartre. Eiffel Tower, schmeiffel tower.

La BnF photographiée par Renan Gicquel
La BnF photographiée par Renan Gicquel

7. Abbey Library of Saint Gall—St. Gallen, Switzerland

In the year 937 (yes, that’s 9-3-7), a fire destroyed the abbey that the library was a part of, but somehow the library survived. PHEW.

via Tumblr
via Tumblr

8. New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building—New York, New York

This library contains 125 miles of shelving, along with about 40,000 restaurant menus, Truman Capote’s cigarette case, and locks of hair from Charlotte Brontë and Walt Whitman. It seems impossible to see everything here in a day, but can you blame us for trying?

via Travel and Leisure
via Travel and Leisure

9. Municipal Law Library—Munich, Germany

Check out (ha, library jokes) the gorgeous wood spiral staircase and vine-inspired railings in Munich’s fairy tale–like Municipal Law Library.

via National Geographic
via National Geographic

10. Mafra National Palace Library—Mafra, Portugal

The real treasure of this Portuguese palace is its library—the floor is tiled in white, gray, and pink marble, and the walls are lined with wooden bookshelves and balconies. The library also houses small bats, which eat paper-munching insects and keep the books safe. (Don’t worry, though—they don’t eat human bookworms.)

via Bookriot
via Bookriot

Which library do you wish you could visit? Tag us at @GetUnderlined and tell us about your fave library!

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  1. Sarahisdaname

    I’ve made a writing competition on my profile that will run all this month!! Check it out if you want to participate!

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    Reply 0 Replies Jan 1, 2021
  2. lhoward

    Why not the Bodleian?!?!?!

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    Reply 0 Replies Nov 11, 2020
  3. Monique

    i live by the baltimore one im going to see if i can go there on my birthday

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    Reply 0 Replies Nov 11, 2020
  4. Budding_Novelist

    I’d love to go to so many of these!

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    Reply 0 Replies Sep 9, 2020
  5. bilalashraf

    Thanks for sharing such a wonderful list

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    Reply 0 Replies Sep 9, 2020
  6. Abby_7

    I have been to the Bibliotheque Nationale de France in Paris it’s so humongous there are millions of books though I did not get a chance to read any of those I just went inside the library it was magnificent and I would love to visit the other wonderful libraries as well

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    Reply 0 Replies Jul 7, 2020
  7. ActressMawuena

    I LOVE BOOKS! This is PERFECT FOR ME!!! I PROBABLY LOVE BOOKS MORE THAN YOU DO!!! JUST ASK ANYONE IN NORTH YARMOUTH ME!!!!

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    Reply 0 Replies Jun 6, 2020
  8. GalaxyGemini

    Yassss!!!

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    Reply 0 Replies Mar 3, 2020
  9. Beathebee

    I am going to visit every one of those places someday, mark my words.

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    Reply 0 Replies Mar 3, 2020
  10. JelasCasino

    nice article!!!

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    Reply 0 Replies Oct 10, 2019
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