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Author Alex

A travel fanatic, Alex is always on the lookout for his next exciting adventure. Over the years, this has seen him live and work in countries as varied as Brazil, Italy and Sudan, scale snowy peaks in Kyrgyzstan and play professional football in Zanzibar. When he's not traveling to far-flung destinations, he can be found writing about them from his hometown of Brussels – one of the most multicultural cities in the world.

The Best Time to Visit Stockholm for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Stockholm

Most known for its stunning old town and scenic waterside setting, Stockholm is built atop a sprawling archipelago in the Baltic Sea.

The Best Time to Visit Hanoi for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Hanoi

A fascinating blend of East and West, Vietnam’s crowded, chaotic capital is certainly loads of fun to explore.

The Best Time to Visit Cape Town for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Cape Town

Lying along South Africa’s southwest coast, charming, colourful Cape Town is set in one of the most stunning spots imaginable.

The Best Time to Visit Vancouver for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Vancouver

Located in one of the most stunning spots imaginable, Vancouver is surrounded by sparkling shorelines and soaring snow-capped mountains.

The Best Time to Visit Lisbon for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Lisbon

One of the oldest cities in the world, Portugal’s charming capital Lisbon is full of fascinating monuments, museums, and monasteries.

The Best Time to Visit Miami for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Miami

Famed for its white sand beaches, wonderful Art Deco architecture and world-class nightlife, Miami is one of the most popular cities to visit in the States.

The Best Time to Visit Boston for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Boston

One of the most important cities in the history of the States, Boston is renowned not just for its monuments and museums but its top-class Ivy League schools and sports teams.

The Best Time to Visit San Diego for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit San Diego

Lying alongside the sparkling Pacific Ocean, the sunny San Diego is most known for its large zoo, lovely beaches and lively historic center.

The Best Time to Visit New York for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit New York

The ‘city that never sleeps’, the bright lights and buzzing streets of New York make it like no other place on the planet.

The Best Time to Visit Chicago for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Chicago

Famed for its wonderful architecture and world-class museums, Chicago is one of the most popular cities to visit in the States.

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Bardstown, Kentucky

Bourbon Made This Town Famous, but That’s Not What Makes It Special

George Peabody Library Baltimore Visitor Guide Most visitors don't expect to find one of the most striking interiors in America tucked behind a row of white columns in a quiet Baltimore neighborhood. You walk through the doors of the Peabody Institute in Mount Vernon, turn a corner, and suddenly you're standing beneath a skylit atrium that climbs six stories above a polished marble floor. It stops you cold. The George Peabody Library Baltimore is that kind of place. It doesn't announce itself from the street. There's no flashy signage, no grand plaza. But step inside the stack room and you'll see why people call it a "cathedral of books." Over 300,000 volumes line the walls, and the space itself feels like something pulled from a 19th-century novel you half-remember reading. Johns Hopkins University runs the place as part of its Sheridan Libraries system. This isn’t a museum replica—it’s a working research collection. You can visit for free during public hours, which makes it one of the easiest cultural stops in Baltimore. Whether you’re chasing that perfect symmetrical shot up through the iron balconies or just want a quiet ten minutes surrounded by something genuinely beautiful, the library delivers without asking much of your time or your wallet. Cast-Iron Balconies And The Soaring Atrium The first thing that hits you is the scale. Five tiers of ornamental cast-iron balconies rise from the ground floor and climb 61 feet to a massive skylight that floods the room with natural light. The effect is vertical and dramatic, like standing inside a very elegant cage made of books and ironwork. Each balcony tier is lined with gold-and-black volumes shelved behind low railings, and the repeating geometric patterns of the iron railings create a visual rhythm that photographers obsess over. Point your camera straight up from the center of the floor and you'll get that iconic symmetrical shot that's all over travel feeds. The image almost looks digitally generated, but it's real, and it's been here since 1878. The marble floor adds to the atmosphere. Sound carries differently in here. Footsteps echo softly, and conversations drop to whispers without anyone being told. The reading room on the ground level sits just off the main atrium, offering a quieter space with wooden tables and the kind of warm, worn-in feeling that modern libraries rarely manage. The light keeps the space from feeling like a museum. On a clear afternoon, sunlight pours through the skylight and shifts across the iron railings and book spines, changing the room's character every hour. You could visit twice in the same day and walk away with completely different impressions. A Quick History Of The Landmark George Peabody, a financier who got his start in Baltimore before heading off to London, founded the Peabody Institute in 1857. He wanted to give something meaningful back to the city that launched his career—a free public library, a lecture series, a music conservatory, and an art gallery. The library building itself took its sweet time, finally opening up in 1878. Baltimore architect Edmund G. Lind teamed up with Nathaniel H. Morison, the institute's first provost, to design the interior. Lind focused on that dramatic stack room—he wanted it to feel grand enough to match Peabody's vision but still practical for researchers. Local craftsmen made the decorative cast-iron balconies, and people immediately noticed the design. It stood out as one of the most distinctive library interiors on the East Coast. The collection changed hands a few times. In 1966, the City of Baltimore took over and ran things through the Enoch Pratt Free Library. Then, in 1982, Johns Hopkins University stepped in, and the library became part of the Sheridan Libraries system. These days, the focus is on 18th- and 19th-century works—architecture, religion, science, geography, literature—with gems from folks like Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman. George Peabody Library Baltimore

One of America’s Most Beautiful Interiors Is Hidden in Baltimore

Mount Vernon

It’s Hard to Believe an American President Once Called This Beautiful Estate Home

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