15 Of The Most Beautiful Libraries In The World

With history dating all the way back to 1826, the State Library of New South Wales is one of the oldest, not to mention most beautiful, libraries in Australia. It started as a small subscription library for colonials in the 1820s, but was taken over by the government in 1869, who has run it every since.

The library at Trinity College dates back to the school's founding in 1952. Today, it houses over 6 million printed volumes, including journals, manuscripts, music, maps, and more. Among its most famous items is the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow, which are over 400 years old.

Recently renovated, the Bibliothèque nationale de France is home to over 14 million books and printed materials. Established in 1461, the library has been expanded and improved over the years, but it still retains its classic and breathtaking look.

The historical residence of the King of Spain, the library of El Escorial is part of a royal site that is home to a monastery, palace, museum, hospital, library, and more. Completed in 1592, the library and other buildings on the complex feature incredible artwork from notable Spanish and Italian artists of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Featuring spiral staircases, sky lights, and talented ironwork, Handelingenkamer, or the "Old Library," looks like something straight out of a bookish fairy tale. Built in the 19th century before electricity was in use, the library's architect designed a leaded glass dome roof that allowed light to filter through the space, so candles and lamps could be kept away from the buildings collection of over 100,000 volumes.

Founded in 1093 and renovated in 1714, the library at Wiblingen Monastery is one of the most exceptional examples of Rococo architecture in Germany. Featuring breathtaking ceiling fresco, beautiful statues, and gorgeous ornamental details, it's unlike anything you've ever seen.

The United States has its fair share of beautiful libraries, but the George Peabody Library in Baltimore stands out among the rest for it's spectacular design and dramatic interior views. A research library of Johns Hopkins University, this Instagram-worthy location is a popular spot for reading, research, and weddings.

It may be on the smaller side, but the Beitou Library of Taiwan is stunning in its own way. A branch of the Taipei public library system, this bright and natural building was erected in 2006 as the state's first "green" library.

Another awe-inspiring library in Asia, the Nakajima Library at Akita International University is known for being open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It's domed roof crafted from cedar timber nod to the buildings "Book Coliseum."

If this monastery library in Peru doesn't give you Hogwarts vibes, nothing will. Featuring gorgeous spiral staircases, unique tiled floors, and 25,000 volumes of centuries-old texts, this room will make you feel the power of books.

Because a simple library isn't enough, Vancouver created an entire Library Square that occupies a full city block in the city's downtown neighborhood. Not only does this Roman-inspired structure house 1.3 million books and documents, but it also features reading and study areas, bridges, skylit wells, and a glass roof.

Located in Santiago, Chile's national library is a bookish sight to behold. It's beautiful hall room features tiled floors, stained glass skylights, and delicate marble details that make you feel like you're in another time and place.

Speaking of going to another time and place, transport yourself to a magical bookish world when you step foot into John Rylands Library at the University of Manchester. Designed in a neo-Gothic style, the building's dark corridors and hidden nooks will give you all the feels.

Best known for its unique practice of using homing bats to protect books against the threat of damaging silverfish, the Mafra National Palace library in Portugal is as beautiful as it is interesting. Built by a king who promised to create a library if his wife gave him children, this Rocco structure features artful tiles, wooden bookshelves, and plenty of balconies for interior sightseeing.

One of the earliest surviving public manuscript collections in Italy, the Biblioteca Marciana is as gorgeous as it is culturally important. Housing over one million printed books and tens of thousands of manuscripts and other printed works, this stunning location should be on every library-lover's bucket list.