Visiting the Prettiest Library in Stuttgart
Last Fall, Michael and I decided to take a day trip to Germany and I knew we had to visit the prettiest library in Stuttgart. Books are my home, they’re what get me through life. Libraries have always been like a little slice of heaven for me. Visiting a gorgeous library is always my top priority when I travel.
I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.
-Jorge Luis Borges
The Stadtbibliothek was recently redesigned by a German architecture company called Totems and is now one of the largest public libraries in the world.
The sleek white walls, Harry Potter-esque zig-zagging stairways, and bright blue couches make for a bibliophile’s dream.
I was blown away when I Googled photos. However, the photos hardly compare to what you see in person. The library is an architectural masterpiece. Seriously. I was in awe. The clean lines and geometric structure make for visual art that is guaranteed to make you gasp.
The outside of the building isn’t anything to write home about, but the moment you walk inside, you’re transported to a wonderland of literature and geometric symmetry.
Entry is free. A security guard will check your bags, and then you’re free to roam for as long as you’d like.
In order to see the library the way it’s meant to be seen, go up to the fifth floor and walk up the stairs. Once you’ve reached the top, you can go through the cafe and up to the roof. From there, you’ll see a birds-eye view of all of Stuttgart. It was a cloudy day when we went. I bet in summer, though, it’s stunning.
And the books! Don’t even get me started on the books.
There are seven floors lined with shelves upon shelves of every book and audiobook imaginable. They’re categorized by language and genre, so everything is relatively easy to find.
The English fiction took up almost the entirety of the sixth floor! My local library in Switzerland has a shelf of five English books. Two out of those five are biographies of old white men I could care less about. So, being able to walk through an entire floor filled with English books just waiting to be read made me want to pack my bags and move in. I’d be the Phantom of the Library. If only.
Hello, heaven.
To make things even more of a dream, they have exclusive covers for classics. I found an incredible copy of Great Expectations that made me swoon.
I ordered this online the moment I got home because HI
Sadly, without a library card, you can’t check any books out. You can spend all day reading on the comfy blue couches or in the library cafe, though. However, even if you don’t live in Stuttgart, you can get a library card! You just have to bring proof of identification with you or you can register online. If you live in Germany, get on that! Support your local, gorgeous library!
You should absolutely make it a priority to visit the prettiest library in Stuttgart. Seriously. You won’t regret it.
Do you want to hear more about the rest of my trip to Stuttgart? Let me know in the comments!
Check out my Scotland Itinerary.
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I’ve been following you for some time and I’m so glad you’re back to writing! I am going to Germany this summer, will definitely make a stop over to Stuttgart.