The Cities Every Bookish Soul Needs To Visit In Their Lifetime

New York is more than a place; it's a feeling. Visit bookstores like Books of Wonder, McNally Jackson, and The Strand, or find a no-frills speakeasies that evokes the feeling of being a character who just arrived to the city. There are so many literary destinations to visit in the concrete jungle where dreams are made of.

Where to stay in NYC? You have loads of options, but we recommend making Brooklyn your launching pad. The Ace Hotel in downtown Brooklyn will offer a littler respite after a long day of walking through the crowds.

This island is small but mighty, and it touts some of the world's most esteemed authors like Esmeralda Santiago and founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café, Miguel Piñero. Make sure to visit The Poet's Passage, a cafe and poetry stop guarded by a tiny chihuahua named Federico García Lorca.

To truly be steeped in the history, stay at this 379-year-old luxury hotel, right in the midst of Old San Juan.

For fairytale fans, Copenhagen offers the opportunity to check out Hans Christian Andersen's house and museum. The Little Mermaid herself sits at Langelinje Pier. Book-lovers should also make plans to visit the stunning Royal Library, nicknamed the Black Diamond.

This one is for die hard fans of Gabriel García Márquez, the author best known for One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera. This was the city that inspired so much of his work, and it was his refuge from the riots in the capital, Bogotá. Gabo's ashes were even moved from last home in Mexico to the University of Cartagena.

Yes, this is 40 minutes from Cartagena, but that’s by boat — giving you a beach Resort on Isla Barú that is a destination unto itself.

Anne Rice, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Alys Arden — and those are just a few of the many authors who have set their novels in this historic party town. New Orleans is brimming with ghost stories and tales of things that go bump in the night. Grab a drink from the French Quarter, hop on one of the many walking tours, or stop by the Hotel Monteleone, which Truman Capote claimed was his birth place.

The Four Seasons somehow is in the heart of it all and away from it all at the same time in New Orleans.

Paris, like New York, has much to offer the bookish soul. Read a novel at a decadent coffee shop or with a champagne picnic under the Eiffel Tower. And don't forget to visit the oldest public library, Bibliothèque Mazarine, or Maison de Victor Hugo.

A little luxury goes a long way in Paris.

The same city that was the setting for the horrific Salem witch trials is now a New Age epicenter with psychic fairs, Wiccan shops, and even a Harry Potter themed wand shop called Wynott's Wands. Check out the House of Seven Gables, which inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's story of the same name or have a cocktail in the Hawthorne Hotel lobby.

This Lark Hotels property once hosted George Washington but isn’t exactly rustic. From heated bathroom floors to gas fireplaces in every room, daily breakfast and just-right decor, this is the place to stay in Salem.

Where to even begin? Rob Visit The Elephant House and Spoon, two of the restaurants that lay claim as J.K. Rowling's office away from home. Swing by the Scottish Storytelling Centre and the Scottish Poetry Library. Take a literary walking tour that covers five hundred years of bookish history.

In the heart of the city’s bustling St James Quarter, you’ll find the W Edinburgh. Designed with Scotland’s cultural heritage in mind, the hotel spans three buildings, including the striking Ribbon Building, which is reminiscent of NYC’s Guggenheim with its striking spiral exterior. The latter has a rooftop deck with 360-degree views of the city, as well as two eateries: the swanky W Lounge restaurant and bar, and my favorite spot, the intimate Joao’s Place cocktail bar.

Dublin was home to James Joyce, Seamus Heaney, Oscar Wilde, and so many more. For folklore lovers, the Leprachaun Museum is a must-visit. The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl takes you through Trinity College and local pubs while its lively guides dish out some trivia on features authors.

Just a block away from Trinity College, the Townhouse Hotel’s location is perfect (and, yes, location is everything).

This is a dream location for the food alone. Immerse yourself in the works of Haruki Murakami and plot your own self-guided walking tour. Visit the Kamakura Museum of Literature, and definitely make a trip to the eight-floor bookstore, Kinokuniya. For the nature lovers, plan a trip to hike the Basho trail, which starts in Tokyo and ends in Kanazawa.