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Author Carl Austin

14 Most Scenic Towns and Villages in Switzerland

Murren

Switzerland is one great big picture postcard. From border to border, you’ll find gorgeous rugged mountain views punctuated with picturesque villages hugging valley floors.

6 Most Beautiful Islands near Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is a wonderful historic city on the Adriatic coast. If you’re looking for a more relaxed atmosphere, however, a visit to a nearby island fills the bill.

7 Most Beautiful Castles Near Madrid

No trip to Spain is complete without seeing a castillo or alcazar. The blend of architecture involved in their construction is amazing.

10 Most Beautiful Places in Mallorca

Golden beaches washed by turquoise waters and hilltop villages steeped in history combine to create a destination full of variety and charm.

17 Attractions You Shouldn’t Miss in Portland, Oregon

Straddling the banks of the winding Willamette River, Portland is Oregon’s largest city, being home to roughly half of the state’s entire population.

Uncover the Secrets of This Beautiful Mediterranean Island Famous for Its Medieval Old Town and Ancient Ruins​

Sun-soaked beaches, medieval towns, and ancient ruins combine to create a destination that feels both timeless and idyllic.

The Most Beautiful Places To Visit in the Dominican Republic

If you’re in the mood for a Caribbean holiday, the Dominican Republic is the place to go. It shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti in the Greater Antilles.

10 Best Places to Visit in Idaho

Idaho’s nickname is the Gem State. This is very apt, since the 43rd state is truly a gem among states.

Forget Colorado — This Canadian Province Has Bigger Mountains and Fewer Tourists

This vast western region offers scenery to suit every kind of traveler, from wide-open prairies to dramatic, snow-capped mountain ranges.

17 of the Best Places to Visit in British Columbia

Bordering the Pacific Ocean, British Columbia is debatably one of the most stunning provinces of Canada.

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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

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

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