The Literary Wanderlust: Unravelling The Magic Of Book-Inspired Travel 

Lifestyle Collective, October 21, 2023

By Andrés Muñoz

I read a tweet a few years ago that said: “Ever realised how f****** surreal reading a book actually is? You stare at marked slices of tree for hours on end, hallucinating vividly.”

When we read, we ignite the world-building powers of our brains. We imagine faraway locations, invest our thoughts and emotions in fascinating characters located all over the planet, and if only for a few moments… we are there. We roam the streets of Tokyo or explore the insides of old European cities and castles, home to so many novels that are part of the fabric of our culture. 

While visiting a movie location can be exciting, it lacks the imaginative element of reading a book. Discovering the mental parallels between the image you craft in your head and the actual location is fascinating. 

So, have you ever thought of making that pilgrimage and actually exploring the locations where books take place or where authors were inspired to write fascinating tales? Let’s check some destinations that might pique your inner bookworm and hopefully spur you to explore the world of book-inspired travel.

Juliet’s House – Verona, Italy

Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene…for only in fair Verona could the Bard have crafted such a timeless love story as Romeo & Juliet. The house belonging to the Capulet (then Capelleti) family dates back to the 12th Century and has been open to the public since 1905. 

With a fantastic mix of fact and fiction, there is an actual balcony that thousands of people flock to every year and get a taste of the place that could have inspired Shakespeare’s classic play.

Dug Jazz Café & Bar – Tokyo, Japan

One of my favourite novels by Haruki Murakami is Norwegian Wood. Unlike Shakespeare’s tragedy, this 1987 novel is a nostalgic take on the romance felt when being young.  

There’s a scene where two main characters meet up for a drink at an underground jazz bar called Dug. Located in Tokyo’s busy Shinjuku municipality, Dug is a quiet spot that contrasts the city’s hustle and bustle. 

Visiting the bar, you can feel transported to one of Murakami’s stories, where magical realism is the norm, accompanied by classic jazz from the 1960s. Expect a cat to pop in front of you and disappear or for you to have an ethereal and vivid dream at any moment.

Platform 93/4 – King’s Cross Railway Station – London, UK

A classic location in Harry Potter lore, this is where Hogwarts students board the train that takes them to the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry. While non-magical folk can’t access it, a luggage trolley has been incorporated underneath a sign by the train station, where people can take photos of themselves about to enter the secret platform.   

Combine your visit with a Harry Potter walking tour of London, take a trip out to Warner Brother Studios for a studio tour and watch the West End show, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 

The Anne Frank House – Amsterdam, Netherlands

The third most visited museum in the Netherlands, the Anne Frank House, was where the young Jewish girl hid and wrote her memoir. Her family and four other individuals hid from 1942 until their capture by Nazi officers in August 1944. Anne would be sent to a concentration camp with her sister, where they died of typhus a month before the Allied liberation. 

Her diary was published in 1947 and has been translated into over 70 languages. It offers an intimate portrayal of life in hiding during the war, and the museum to commemorate her life opened in 1960. Visitors can see the hiding place, a permanent exhibition of Anne’s life, and a space that elaborates on persecution and discrimination. 

The Bell Pub – Moreton-in-Marsh, England, UK

As some of my readers might have figured out, I couldn’t have talked about authors without mentioning the granddaddy of fantasy literature, J.R.R. Tolkien. The father of Middle Earth was inspired by several locations in England to write elements of his world. Still, one, in particular, stands out: The Bell Inn in Moreton-in-Marsh. This public house inspired The Prancing Pony, the most famous pub in all of Middle Earth. 

Tolkien, based in Oxford, would frequent this pub to meet his brother, as it was a middle-ground between Oxford, where he would teach, and Evesham, where Hilary Tolkien had purchased an orchard and market garden. A local chapter of The Tolkien Society has installed a blue plaque, and there is even a map of Middle Earth and a corner of the pub dedicated to the author. 

If you love to read and travel like me, these are only a few spots that might make you want to go on a book-inspired journey. What others do you recommend adding to the list? Let us know in the comments section below!