There are several types of tourism and literary tourism, one of them. Some tend to classify literary tourism as being elitist, because it is “the field of intellectuals,” but it is not necessarily so. Culture is not elitist, but for all people it is elite and general. Literary tourism in its general sense includes pre-defined programs to visit cultural places, famous book houses, etc., but it can also be visiting cities and countries where there are many libraries or those that have books that are difficult to find in other places. Therefore, if you are a book fan, these tourist destinations are dedicated to you.
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Buenos Aires – Argentina
Ponce Air is a paradise for book lovers, as this city has a very large number of libraries that exceed 690 libraries. And of course there is the library “El Antonio Grand Splendid” which is one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. This library is a 100-year-old building that was a movie theater and then converted into an eye-catching library. And this library has become one of the places that attract tourists and is one of the landmarks of the capital. The number of visitors to the library is 2000 during regular days, and rises to 3000 during holidays. When you visit it, you can see individually from the balconies of the previous theater, or choose other places. The area of this library reaches 2000 square meters.
In addition to this picturesque library and the many shops that sell books, there is also the Argentine National Library, founded in 1810, which is the largest library in the country. Each year, in March, a “Library Night” is held in the city, where books invade the streets, and library owners display thousands of books and receive readers until midnight.
Tokyo – Japan
The National Parliament Library in Tokyo is considered one of the largest in the world, containing more than 35 million books and manuscripts. But Tokyo is also known for the abundance of used bookstores and even in one neighborhood it knows Jepmosho Book Town there are more than 160 used bookstores. There are a lot of books available in different languages, not just Japanese, and for those looking for books about design and engineering, there are amazing collections, of course, at an acceptable price because they are used but they are in excellent condition.
Hi On Way – Wales
Hi On Way, a city on the banks of the River Way in Powys, Wales, in Britain, is a small book market, and is known as the city of books and is an ideal tourist destination for book lovers. This city attracts a large number of book lovers looking for the best prices, as it includes more than 40 libraries. It is also the home of the Live Literature Festival, in which more than 80,000 writers, publishers and literary fans from all over the world participate at the end of May every year.
The city’s story with books began in 1961 when Richard Booth opened the first library of used books in his neighborhood at an old firehouse. Richard employed two young men and sent them to America, where bookstores witnessed a major downturn, which led to their closure, and they bought and shipped books in containers to Hay On Way. With the passage of time, other libraries adopted the initiative and started selling books, as they devised several ways to sell used books in every corner of the city. Perhaps the most famous library in the city is called the “Library of Trust” and it is a general shelves distributed throughout the city that is not guarded by anyone. The buyer chooses the books he wants and put the money in the mailbox.
The most famous of these libraries is a library located in the castle square of Hay in the heart of the city, which dates back to the twelfth century, which are wooden shelves installed on the walls of the castle selling books for one pound sterling. In this library there is a box with a small opening and a card that says “Pay here”.
Paris France
It is not only a city of love and romance but a city of writers, poets and writers and is an ideal destination for book lovers. Naturally tours of literary cafes and the homes of poets and writers are necessary in addition to the salons that used to host writers such as Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hamingue and Pablo Picasso. And of course there is the French National Library, which is the sixth largest library in the world and contains more than 40 million books. This library dates back to the fifteenth century and is characterized by its unique architecture. Of course, there are libraries that sell used books, which are characterized by their particularity, which is similar to Paris, its culture and its sophistication.
Rome – Italy
Rome is the city of the most beautiful libraries in the world. The Kazansats Library, the Vatican Library, the National Institute of Archives, the Angelica Library and others are all libraries that every book lover should visit. There is a lot of literature in all parts of Rome and you can visit the homes of senior writers and poetry that have turned into tourist attractions and of course there are used book libraries that provide books in various languages at prices that suit everyone.
London- Britain
There are several reasons why London is an ideal destination for book lovers. First it includes the largest library in the world, which is the National Library of the United Kingdom, which is considered the most important library research center, and includes more than 170 million manuscripts and writers from different parts of the world and in various languages, as it is famous for the manuscripts it owns And that dates back to more than 2000 years BC. But London was also the inspiration for a large number of literary works, as can be visited the homes of a large number of writers that were converted to tourist attractions. Of course there are used bookstores and perhaps those in Sharing Cross Road.
