From 2001 onwards, when we refer to literary tourism we mean those cases where a famous author attracts and greatly influences his readers, with the result that they want to know better the life of the author and his texts. This includes visits:
- in the country and city of origin of the author,
- in his home,
- in his activities (school, library, clubs, hangouts),
- in his grave
- in places he has mentioned in his texts.
Literary tourists are particularly interested in how the destination has influenced the writing of each author. In this type of tourism, there was an increase mainly in the 19th century, with poets and novelists of the time.
#1 England
The most popular choice for literary tourism is England, with world-famous Shakespeare making London and Stratford popular destinations. Shakespeare’s Globe is a remake of the Elizabeth Globe Theater, written by William Shakespeare, in London, Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames, and is a realistic adaptation of today.
In London, for example, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes tours are taking place. In these tours, what excites the visitor is the visit to the museum which is dedicated to imaginary characters but also to fictional places of the novel.
#2 Paris
Paris has a long literary history, as it has long been the center of French and European culture, where many artists gathered to live with freedom. Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and Honoré de Balzac hold a dominant position in this literary pantheon. Voltaire’s house, as well as Victor Hugo’s apartment, are the two most interesting places that attract many tourists to France regarding literary tourism.
#3 Russia
Russian literature is famous for its long historical novels, with their many characters and their mysterious and anxious plot. Some of the most important authors of these great works, such as Anton Chekhov, Leon Tolstoy, Alexander Pushkin, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky, were born or lived in St. Petersburg.
The so-called Dostoyevsky Zone is a group of areas near Sennaya Square in St. Petersburg, related to the work of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, such as the street named after him and a memorial plaque and the Catherine’s Canal were two of the most famous his works: “The idiot” and “Crime and punishment”.
If you want to become a literary tourist you only need to love reading books. If you already have that talent then you will discover many new destinations!
