As book lovers we’ve always loved the picture the author paints for us, right? We’re always there with the character. Walking the length of Baker Street with Sherlock or sitting in the quaint village of Aymanam to experience Arundhati Roy’s birthplace in all it’s literary glory. If you’ve always wanted to transport yourself to the streets that you are familiar with but still don’t quite know, we bring you some of the most beautiful places around the world that, as book lovers, you definitely need to explore!
1. Mainz, Germany
Inspired books: The first printed edition of the Holy Bible with moveable type.
Where to go: Mainz Cathedral and the Gutenberg Museum – dedicated to the achievements of Johannes Gutenberg, father of the modern day printing press.
How to get there: There are several flights that depart from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Pune, heading to Frankfurt. From Frankfurt International Airport, the local train S8 towards Wiesbaden stops at Mainz Hauptbahnhof.
Where to stay: Hotel Independence for Rs 7,367 per night
2. London, England
Inspired books: Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, Bleak House, Mrs Dalloway
Where to go: British Library where Shakespeare’s first published folio dating back to 1623 is preserved. Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker Street, Charles Dickens Museum in Bloomsbury, Harry Potter Studio Tour, Westminster Abbey’s Poets’ Corner.
How to get there: Take a flight from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad to Heathrow Airport in London.
Where to stay: Best Western Airlink Hotel for Rs 4,222 per night
Visit Hogwarts all over again and relive your childhood with the Harry Potter Paperback Boxed Set: The Complete Collection for Rs 2,274
3. Paris, France
Inspired books: The Da Vinci Code, Les Misérables, A Moveable Feast, Ulysses
Where to go: Père Lachaise Cemetery – to pay your respects to some of the greatest literary scholars such as Victor Hugo and Oscar Wilde who have been buried there. Shakespeare and Company – the most famous independent bookstore in the world. The Bouquinistes – booksellers of used and antiquarian books along the river Seine, Café de Flore – one of the oldest coffeehouses in Paris that has been a hub for writers and philosophers alike.
How to get there: A flight from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport should do just fine.
Where to stay: citizenM Paris Gare de Lyon for Rs 8,959 per night
Don’t miss out on the classic, if you haven’t read it yet, and buy the Les Miserables (Penguin Clothbound Classics) for Rs 429
4. St. Petersburg, Russia
Inspired books: Anna Karenina, The Brothers Karamazov
Where to go: National Pushkin Museum – dedicated to the life of poet Alexander Pushkin. Dostoyevsky Memorial Museum, Leo Tolstoy State Museum – the place hosts several memorabilia of the author, that includes many original handwritten manuscripts. Literaturnoe Café – the literary cafe that serves traditional European and Russian cuisines.
How to get there: Flight from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad to Pulkovo International Airport.
Where to stay: Columb Hotel for Rs 3,345 per night
Dive into social realism and experience a masterpiece, with Tolstoy’s finest work, Anna Karenina for Rs 224
5. Dublin, Ireland
Inspired books: PS I Love You, One Hundred Names, The Night Circus
Where to go: Trinity College – be awe inspired by an illuminated manuscript from the 9th century known as Book of Kells. Dublin Writer’s Museum – learn about the heritage of the city where Oscar Wilde, W.B Yeats, and James Joyce were born.
How to get there: There are several flights that depart from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad to Dublin Airport.
Where to stay: The Ripley Court Hotel for Rs 4,784 per night
6. New York City, USA
Inspired books: Catcher in the Rye, Breakfast At Tiffany’s, The Devil Wears Prada
Where to go: Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, New York Public Library, Tiffany & Co., and of course Holly Golightly’s apartment at 169 East 71st Street in Manhattan.
How to get there: Take a flight from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad to John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Where to stay: Blue Moon Boutique Hotel for Rs 4,408 per night
We’re sure you’ve seen the movie, but here’s your chance to read the wonderful anecdotes of Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs in this copy of The Devil Wears Prada for Rs 230
7. Kerala, India
Inspired books: The God of Small Things, Life of Pi, The Moor’s Last Sigh, Chemmeen
Where to go: Thiruvananthapuram – attend the Kovalam Literary Festival, Aymanam – the setting of Arundhati Roy’s masterpiece in the district of Kottayam where you can visit the churches and temples in the quaint village, explore the backwaters of Alappuzha as well for a calm retreat.
How to get there: You can catch any of the domestic flights to Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kozhikode that fly on a regular basis.
Where to stay: The Windsor Castle Hotel for Rs 2,342 per night
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to read the Booker Prize-winning novel ‘The God of Small Things’ for Rs 216
Also Read: Places to visit in bangalore
Images: Shutterstock
