By Christa Protano
This year, book lovers will be happy to know that literary travel is having a moment. Whether jet-setting off to the hottest book festival or staying in a hotel with a literary past, readers are immersing themselves into the world of their favorite characters and authors. So when it comes to picking a destination to cure your wanderlust, why not let your favorite classic inspire the itinerary? Here are a few page-turning suggestions.
Chasing Jane Austen Through Bath, England
As you may have heard, this year is a big one for Jane Austen fans and there is no shortage of events celebrating the beloved author’s 250th birthday. Serious Janeites will want to head to the epicenter of all thing Regency Romance: Bath. The location of both Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, this English countryside is ready for its closeup. Home to the Jane Austen Centre, which offers a glimpse into the time period, the town also hosts the Jane Austen Festival in September. Regency costumes encouraged.
An Island Hop to Green Gables
Fans of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s popular children’s novel will want to head north to Prince Edward Island. Take in the Canadian island’s lighthouses, picturesque beaches, and national parks on foot, by bike or car, and don’t forget to add the Green Gables Heritage Place to the itinerary. The home has been lovingly restored to mimic the one in the book and there are also 19th century gardens, a farmyard, and red woodland walking trails—including the Haunted Wood and Lovers Lane—to explore.
Boston and Beyond with the March Sisters
New England is always a good idea, anytime of year. From leaf-peeping in the fall to coastal activity come summer, Massachusetts has plenty of options for a memorable getaway. If your favorite classic is Little Women, you’ll want to plan to stay on the eastern side of the state. Just outside of Boston is Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott and the setting for her most famous book. Inside the house, you’ll find the very desk where Alcott wrote her beloved tale of the March sisters, along with all of the furnishings and original architectural design that the Alcott family lived in for twenty years.
Answering the London Call with Charles Dickens
Follow in the footsteps of English novelist Charles Dickens by heading across the pond to the U.K. There you’ll find many of the locations portrayed in Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, and more throughout the streets of London. While there, be sure to take a step back in time to the Victorian Era by stopping by the Charles Dickens Museum. It is here that Dickens lived with his wife and son for two years while he wrote Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby and The Pickwick Papers. The home was also the inspiration for his timeless classic, A Christmas Carol.
Finding Romeo in Verona, Italy
Those with a penchant for Shakespeare will want to lay their vacation scene in fair Verona, where one will find Juliet’s balcony at the Casa Giulietta museum. Though considered “touristy” by some, the balcony is said to have inspired The Bard to write his ever-popular romance, Romeo & Juliet. Once you’ve snapped a photo for the gram, consider visiting other parts of the country that served as a backdrop to Shakespeare’s works. About 2-3 hours west of Verona lies Venice, the setting of Othello, and further south you can take in the iconic sights of Rome found in Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra.
