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Author Carl Austin

11 Most Awesome Places to Stay in Brazil

Brazil has some pretty amazing hotels.

The Part of Europe Where Fjords, Arctic Towns, and Epic Road Trips All Happen Above the Arctic Circle

Top Destinations in Northern Norway

Bathed in the glow of the aurora borealis, this Arctic destination offers a truly otherworldly travel experience.

People Walk for Weeks Across Europe Just to Reach This City

For many travelers, this historic city marks the emotional end of a long and meaningful journey.

Forget New York: Discover the Urban Energy of This North American Metropolis

With more than 2.9 million people, Toronto is the largest city in Canada, ensuring the capital of Ontario province offers plenty of things for visitors to see and do.

Visit the Highest City in the World

Mi Teleferico

La Paz is a city that isn’t on every traveler’s radar, but it should be. It’s an amazing city, set among the Andes Mountains and is the highest capital in the world.

The City Where Getting Lost Is the Point — Every Turn Reveals a Craftsman, a Courtyard, or Complete Chaos

Top Tourist Attractions in Marrakech

Resting in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, this exotic city lures visitors with its ancient charm.

Beyond the Fjords: Oslo’s Top Attractions

Things to Do in Oslo

Like its Nordic neighbours, Norway is consistently ranked among the most expensive countries in Northern Europe.

10 Most Popular Attractions in The Hague

Madurodam

Filled with wonderful old buildings, The Hague, known as Den Haag in Dutch, fits many visitors’ pre-conceived notions of how a city in the Netherlands should look.

Planning a Rockies Trip? This Is the National Park Americans Regret Not Spending More Time In

Sparked by the discovery of natural hot springs in the late 19th century, this iconic destination quickly grew into one of the country’s most treasured natural areas.

These Clifftop Villages Have Become Italy’s Most Photographed Escape

Positano

Colorful villages cling dramatically to steep cliffs above the Mediterranean, creating one of Europe’s most breathtaking coastal landscapes.

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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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