Have you ever finished a book and wished you could step inside its world? Perhaps walking through the rolling hills of Jane Austen’s England, sipping coffee in the Parisian cafés where Hemingway wrote, or standing on the windswept moors that inspired Wuthering Heights? Literary tourism is the a way of bringing your favorite books to life, adding a dimension to the internalization of the novel. It allows travelers to visit the places that shaped their favorite authors and the settings that inspired famous novels. If you love books and reading, there’s a literary destination waiting for you.
Some destinations will have you focusing on a single author like Stratford-upon-Avon for Shakespeare, while others explore entire literary movements like Paris’s Lost Generation writers or Dublin’s many literary giants.
Once you’ve chosen your focus, you have a choice of destinations to research tied to the author’s life or book settings. Perhaps the author’s homes where they lived and worked. Or maybe historic cafés and pubs that were the writers’ favorite hangouts. There are also real-world places that inspired fictional locations. Then there are the “side” trips to literary landmarks like Shakespeare & Co., the bookstore on the West Bank in Paris.
You should also decide on your mode of exploration. Self-guided tours are ideal for independent travelers who enjoy flexibility. You’ll need to research locations, create an itinerary, and navigate on your own with the assistance of a good travel consultant. There are also guided literary tours that offer expert insights and access to exclusive locations. Guided tours are ideal for those who want a structured experience with historical context.
Here are a few classic opportunities for great literary and travel experiences.
- Jane Austen – Fans of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. There is also Chawton, Hampshire – Visit Austen’s home, where she wrote her most famous novels. Don’t leave out Bath, England – Home to the Jane Austen Centre and the elegant Pump Room, a setting in Northanger Abbey.
- Hemingway’s Haunts: Paris, Key West & Cuba – Lovers of The Sun Also Rises and A Moveable Feast are going to be drawn in different directions. In Paris, France, you can walk in Hemingway’s footsteps at Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore, his favorite writing spots. In Key West, Florida you can tour Hemingway’s home and meet his famous six-toed cats or have a drink at Sloppy Joe’s, his favorite bar. If you make your way to Havana, Cuba, you can visit La Bodeguita del Medio, where Hemingway enjoyed mojitos, and Finca Vigía, his Cuban residence.
- Shakespeare’s England: Stratford-upon-Avon & London. Theater lovers and fans of Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet have some very concentrated sites to visit. Stratford-upon-Avon is Shakespeare’s birthplace, preserved as a museum. In London you can catch a play at the Globe Theatre, a reconstruction of the original playhouse. While in London, you can also visit the historic pubs frequented by Charles Dickens and George Orwell if you are so inclined.
- Harry Potter’s Britain: A magical journey for Harry Potterheads and fantasy fans. in London you can visit Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station, tour the Warner Bros. Studio, and explore Leadenhall Market, the inspiration for Diagon Alley. in Edinburgh, Scotland you can find The Elephant House Café, where J.K. Rowling wrote the early books. In Oxford make sure to get permission to enter Christ Church College, which inspired Hogwarts’ Great Hall.
- The Brontë Sisters’ Yorkshire: Lovers of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. will find their place in Haworth, Yorkshire where you can visit the Brontë Parsonage Museum and explore the rugged moors that inspired Heathcliff’s stormy love story. Top Withens is a ruined farmhouse believed to have inspired the Earnshaw home in Wuthering Heights.
If you prefer a guided experience, choosing the right tour is essential. Working with a good travel consultant, look for tour operators specializing in literature, not just general history. These tour operators will often have access to unique locations. In fact, some tours provide special entry to author homes and archives. Remember too that smaller tours allow for a more personal experience.