Best literary destinations around the world

International Literacy day was at the beginning of this month. We’ve been researching the best literary destinations to travel to. Keep reading if you’re interested in finding out the best destinations that your literary heroes have been to,  from Mary Shelley to J.K. Rowling.

Montreux, Switzerland First on the list is the beautiful Chateau de Chillon near Montreux, Switzerland. The castle is surrounded by Lake Geneva on a tiny island, and is rumoured to have inspired Mary Shelley for some of Frankenstein, and Byron’s famous poem The Prisoner Of Chillon. Delve into the dungeons to find Byron’s initials into the pillar he believed Francois de Bonivard was chained to which inspired his poem. Dublin Dublin is a city rich in literary history, to the point where there is now a museum dedicated to the number of Irish writers that hail from the Republic of Ireland’s capital city. Set against the backdrop of a luxurious 18th century mansion, discover artefacts once belonging to the likes of Yeats, Joyce and Beckett. Meander through the house and find books, letters, portraits and personal items of a range of different Irish writers. The museum also holds lunchtime theatre, readings and has regular exhibitions. The current exhibition is Lafcadio Hearn’s career, who grew up in Ireland but is known to be one of the great interpreters of Japanese writing. Florence If you’re more interested in travelling a little further a field, head over to Florence. This is the opening setting of E. M. Forster’s A Room With a View. Of course the beautiful capital of Tuscany is full of renaissance history and architecture including Dante’s tomb and the Duomo. Russia Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina, set in opulent 19th century Moscow and St Petersburg are fascinating cities to explore. There is a train that runs between the two cities, which you could catch exactly like Anna in the novel. If you’re looking for more advice on where to go when you are in the city check out our recent blog on different places to visit in St Petersburg! Hogwarts Express Finally, take a trip on the Hogwarts Express, or the Jacobite, to give it its muggle name, which travels from Fort William and Mallaig near the highest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis and runs throughout some of the most beautiful Scottish highland scenery for a total of 84 miles. Adult Day Return tickets start from £35. Hopefully this has given you an insight into the different literary destinations you can visit, so get your trip booked!