European and American culture: the top ten literary Holy Places in the West

Global tourism has selected the top 10 literary destinations in the West, where great writers were born and the history of civilization was written. Now, let us follow the footsteps of history to find the figure of those literary masters.Great Expectations: London, England London is the birthplace of many literary giants. Charles Dickens, Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, John Keats and Herbert George Wells to name a few. Visitors can visit Dickens’s former home and explore the works of Benjamin Dickens. Where Johnson wrote the first comprehensive English dictionary, or walked Baker Street in the footsteps of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. As someone said, London is our favourite literary home.

Born extraordinary: Stratford, England.

Stratford in Warwick is the home of Shakespeare. Visitors can learn about the early life of the father of literature, enjoy a play at the Shakespeare Theatre, or pay tribute to him at his final resting place. The people of Stratford have done their best to make you more aware of the master.

Psychedelic games: Edinburgh, Scotland.

It is thanks to the writers in Edinburgh that we have the privilege of reading such lively and interesting stories today. From Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Edinburgh has brought us one surprise after another. Take a walk through the medieval city of Edinburgh to experience the history and style of Scottish literature, or visit the Writers’ Museum to recognize the remarkable contributions of Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Each brick leading to the museum represents each outstanding writer.

Discovered: Dublin, Ireland.

It was the home of Yeats and Seamus Heaney. It’s where they get inspired to write. James Joyce’s “Dubliners” and Jonathan Swift’s “A Little Advice” illustrate this even more. Devotees of literature head to James Joyce’s house, the Writers Museum in Dublin and the National Library of Ireland. Dublin’s literary history is as thick as the local stout.

The Look: New York.

Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg used to hang out in New York bistros. Arthur Miller, Norman Mailer and John Ashbury all called New York home. And the Renaissance in the black quarter spurred the development of countless African-American writers, such as Richard Wright and Langston Hughes. You can stroll along Greenwich Town and immerse yourself in history at the New York Public Museum.

Footloose: Concourt, Manchester.

Concot is a great place to explore history and culture in greater depth. Walden Pond in Concot is the source of Thoreau’s Walden Pond. Louisa May Alcott wrote her famous Little Women here. American essayists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne both made Concourt their home.

Contemplative: Paris, France.

It was home to literary masters such as Hugo, Voltaire and Dumas. American writers Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Scott Fitzgerald and others of the “Lost Generation” were also influenced by Paris. Check out the old bookshops along the Seine and stop at les Deux Magots, the famous cafe. Hemingway and Camus are said to have frequented it.

Angel’s Eyes: San Francisco, California.

When Jack Kerouac and Ginsberg moved from New York to San Francisco, they brought their distinctive literary styles with them. They set up a gathering place for the Beat generation. See where they read poetry for the first time in public, see Philip Warren at the Sixth Gallery or visit the famous City Lights bookstore. The bookstore was founded by poet Ferlinghetti Lawrence, who combined literature with politics. Buy a copy of Howl and read it at the Vesuvio cafe. You may be sitting where Kerouac once sat.

Time flies: Rome, Italy.

Many influential works have been produced here. The ancient Roman poet Virgil wrote the famous Aeneid. Roman literature is still brilliant today. Foreign writers such as Keats, Shelley and James were inspired by Rome. Be sure to visit Keats and Shelley at their former homes in Rome.

Mysterious beauty: St. Petersburg, Russia.

St Petersburg is the cradle of literary greats such as Tolstoy, Chekhov and Pushkin. Dostoyevsky lived in many apartments in the city. On his deathbed he wrote The Brothers Karamazov, which is immortalized. There is now a local museum dedicated to his life. If you think back to the piece, when you walk the streets of St. Petersburg you will realize that you are walking in the story.