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The Taos HumIn the small town of Taos, New Mexico, there is a certain buzz often heard on the horizon that can be compared to the sound of a distant diesel engine. Although it can be heard by the naked ear, various sound detection devices are not able to pick it up. This is known as the Taos Hum and up to this day, no one still knows how this sound is being created.The Lost City of AtlantisThe Lost City of Atlantis is one of the oldest and greatest mysteries of the world. Since ancient times, people have been trying to locate Atlantis, which is believed to have submerged after an earthquake or tsunami.Greek philosopher Plato described Atlantis as a large island located near the Rock of Gibraltar, home of the most advanced civilization and being of unrivaled refinement with a glorious palace. Among its other traits, Atlantis was filled with beautiful citizens, a Poseidon temple and concentric walls and canals.To date, nobody has been able to find the city – underwater or otherwise – though this hasn’t discouraged numerous theories about its possible location. Countless historians and explorers have attempted expeditions to find the underwater island, but whether in South America (as recently reported), off the Greek Islands, or near Antarctica, Atlantis has remained elusive and one of the greatest mysteries of human history.Lal Bahadur ShastriHe died an unexplainable death since he left the country healthy. Many have claimed that he died of heart attack, but the doctors and other specialists who have checked him out, including his wife, confirmed that he was A-okay. His wife had also made the assertion that the Tashkent Pact, upon signature, gave the chance for him to be poisoned. This was never proven since there was no post-mortem diagnosis of the body so every assumption that could be answered were already included in the grave.SS Ourang MedanWhat happened to SS Ourang Medan or “Man from Medan” in Malaysia is perhaps one of the most fascinating and mind-boggling mysteries that ever existed in seafaring history. Everything began with an SOS message in 1947 that mentioned the captain, along with the rest of the crew, was dead. What’s worse, even the telegrapher died during the transmission of the message. When the Silver Star was able to receive the distress call and went to inspect the ship, they confirmed the deaths of all aboard. Speculations of ghosts, hazardous chemicals, and even aliens have been raised, but there is still no conclusion as to what actually happened.The Bog BodiesThe bog bodies, or bog people, are the naturally preserved human corpses that were found in the sphagnum bogs in Northern Europe. Rather than decomposing, the bog provided the perfect conditions to preserve the bodies, leaving the skin and internal organs relatively intact.The thousands of bodies found can be dated back to the Iron Age and many reveal signs of being murdered. It is widely believed that the bodies are sacrificial victims of pagan rituals or a form of criminal punishment.However, there is no conclusive evidence as to why the thousands of bodies were dumped, especially since the bodies have been found sporadically throughout Germany, Ireland, Britain, Netherlands and Denmark.Jack The RipperThe most notorious criminal of all time, Jack the Ripper’s identity still remains one of the greatest mysteries in the history of crime.A serial killer who went on a rampage in London between August and November 1888, Jack the Ripper was responsible for the brutal murders of at least five prostitutes in Whitechapel, London. This much is clear.However, everything else – the actual identity of the perpetrator, the number of victims, and the manner of killing and enigmatic letters he sent to police – is a hazy cold case.Considering the ambiguity, there are wildly different theories in circulation, including placing the blame on the Royal family, famous author Lewis Carroll, and even a woman, Jill the Ripper. Whoever he or she may be, the legacy of Jack the Ripper, who instilled fear in an entire Empire during its most poverty-stricken era, is hard to deny.StonehengeStonehenge stands in all its beautiful and enigmatic glory on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. The site contains numerous carved bluestones that each weigh six tons and are stacked on top of each other.Archaeologists have ascertained that the stone monument dates back to 2500 – 3000 BC and believe that it was erected by Neolithic inhabitants.Stonehenge’s purpose and creation still remains one of the most highly debated and greatest mysteries of human history. The theories, thus, are extensive. Some believe it to be a result of glacial movement or a man-made miracle, while others believe it foretells of alien invasion or is a place filled with healing powers.The most commonly accepted theory is that Stonehenge is a burial ground. This was substantiated by archaeological evidence in 2008, when cremated remains around the site matched the estimated date of Stonehenge’s creation.King ArthurKing Arthur, a sword in the stone, his faithful magician, Merlin, and a roundtable of knights – the stuff legends and myths are made of. Apparently though, the entire King Arthur story was a fabrication that was created to boost the morale of the English troops.The mythology stems from various literary sources, which all glorify Arthur as the king who led a victory over the Saxons and created a ruling empire over England, Ireland, Iceland, Norway and Gaul in the sixth century.Though there is no real proof such a man existed, historians continue to debate the fact. There is evidence to suggest Arthur may have been a composite character, with most semblances to a Roman commander, Lucius Artorius Castus, who lived in the second century. Despite the widely accepted belief that King Arthur was a fictitious creation, there are still a number of people who argue otherwise.Flight MH370On March 8th, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 took off on a regularly scheduled flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.Headed north for Beijing, the plane was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members. However, less than a full hour after the plane took off, as it was flying over the South China Sea, the plane disappeared from radar.Hidden from air traffic control, the Malaysian military tracked the aircraft and watched as it flew westward and away from the flight path towards Beijing and instead crossed the peninsula. A short while later, it left the range of the military’s radar. That was the last anyone saw or heard from that Boeing 777.Shortly after its last sighting, the world began searching for MH370.The search started in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.When nothing turned up, they drew a larger circle and included the Andaman Sea and the Strait of Malacca. Further analysis suggested that the plane turned and went south into the Indian Ocean.However, it was impossible to figure out what happened from there.The only further information found was a final signal, which was too far from any landing sites to suggest a safe landing.The search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 became the widest and the most expensive search for an aircraft in the history of aviation.The only possible sign of the flight washed up over a year later on Reunion Island, near Madagascar.Though most are certain that the plane is at the bottom of the ocean and all the passengers and crew are dead, what happened to them and the plane that carried them is still a mystery. No one is sure whether it was a hijacking, electronic hijacking, terrorist attack, shot down, seized by private interests, seized by the US military or whether the plane was abducted by aliens.The Kensington RunestoneOn a normal sunny day in 1898 near Alexandria, Minnesota, a Swedish immigrant named Olof Ohman found a 200 pound slab of stone covered in runes. The runes were in-keeping with those of used by the Vikings in the 14th century.Ohman said that he found the stone while he was preparing new land for plowing and initially mistook it for being of Native American origin. The find was an important one for the area, which was primarily made up of Swedish and other Scandinavian immigrants.At the time, there was a renewed interest in the travels of Leif Ericson to North America, effectively making it the Vikings who discovered the New World and not the Spanish. It was being widely discussed in the nation and in the Scandinavian community because of the potential cultural significance of the event if it was true.Thus, the finding of this stone created a huge splash. The Historic Society of Minnesota bought the stone for $10 and it eventually reached a professor of Scandinavian Languages at the University of Minnesota who called it a hoax because the Norwegian runes used on the stone were more modern than the date given on the stone.However, others suggested the inscription could be nearly 500 years old because of the weathering on the back of the stone.The text roughly says that a group of Scandinavians went on a journey to explore the land west of Vinland and spent 14 days traveling from the island in 1362. While there, they went fishing and then encountered Native Americans.Whether or not the stone is real, it does beg an important question regarding whether the Vikings were really the first to discover America.BABUSHKA LADY“Babushka” means grandmother in Russian(who wear scarf’s) and the nickname arose during the aftermaths of President John F. Kennedy’s death when a mysterious woman was spotted at a very good vantage point with a camera wearing a light tan coloured scarf (hence babushka). It was filmed by many photographers before the parade in 1963 in which he was assassinated by several shots and she is a main feature of most of those films. During investigations, she never came forward with the possible evidence her camera could have captured and was not found on the national database as well. Rumours were that America wanted to warn the involvement of Russians and hence cooked up a fascinating story but the visuals tell a different tale of their own. Her untimely vanishing and the stark difference from other people clicked in the pictures hinting at paranormal elements at play surely rendered the effective government machineries of the US useless. Who was this lady, where was she from, and where did she disappear remain unanswered questions till date?KRYPTOSKryptos is an encrypted copper sculpted “Everest of codes” in Langley, Virginia, and is the fancy of all cryptographers in the world due to its fourth and toughest paragraph that defiantly remains obscure and challenging in the information leak plagued US. Designed by artist Jim Sanborn located on the grounds of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), it has captured the curiosity of both amateur and professional cryptanalysts. Mentioned by bestseller of Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and many others, it is nothing but a trailer of intelligence that even the CIA has failed to crack down. There are many other code mysteries that include the lost symbol etc and require the greatest acumen and IQ bearing too many questions since its dedication on November 3 , 1990.The Mysterious Secret Society of Ancient India and The Nine Unknown Men of AshokaThere is a pervasive legend in India of a secret organization that allegedly has a vast amount of advanced knowledge in their possession. Believed to have been formed over 2000 years ago, the Nine Unknown Men is widely suspected of manipulating political and societal trends in order to further the personal goals of the Nine. But is such a secret organization a reality or is it merely the stuff of legend?Origin StoryThe society of the Nine Unknown Men was formed shortly after 226 BC by Emperor Ashoka. Grandson of the legendary Emperor who unified the Indian subcontinent, Chandragupta, Ashoka was anxious to uphold his grandfather’s legacy and maintain the empire. In the region between Calcutta and Madras, the Kalingan’s resisted the imperial rule, leading to an all-out war. Ashoka’s vastly superior forces are said to have killed over 100,000 of Kalinga’s warriors and deported over 150,000 of the region’s villagers. Even though he had won the war, Ashoka was aghast at the carnage such a victory entailed. From then on, he swore off violence forever.An Indian relief that may depict Ashoka in the center. From Amaravati, Guntur district, India.An Indian relief that may depict Ashoka in the center. From Amaravati, Guntur district, India. ( CC BY SA 3.0 )Emperor Ashoka is best known for his conversion to Buddhism and his efforts to spread the peaceful religion throughout India as well as Malaya, Ceylon, and Indonesia. His efforts contributed to Buddhism’s later rise in China, Nepal, Tibet, and Mongolia. Ashoka was a sworn vegetarian but did not force others to do likewise. Indeed, he was incredibly tolerant of other religious sects. He did, however, prohibit the consumption of alcohol.Ashoka the Great: From Cruel King to Benevolent BuddhistBuddhism in Ancient Egypt and Meroe – Beliefs Revealed Through Ancient ScriptMini Golden Coffin Found in Crypt May Hold Skull Bone of BuddhaMost importantly, “he renounced the idea of trying to integrate the rebellious people, declaring that the only true conquest was to win men’s hearts by observance of the laws of duty and piety, because the Sacred Majesty desired that all living creatures should enjoy security, peace and happiness and be free to live as they pleased” (Pauwels and Bergier). So committed was the Emperor to this mission that he sought to prevent his fellow man from putting their intelligence towards perpetrating evil, particular the evil involved with warfare. The task of collecting, preserving, and containing all knowledge was too great for one emperor to do alone, not the least because of the other duties required by ruling an empire. So Ashoka summoned nine of the most brilliant minds in India at the time. For security purposes, the identity of these men was never made public. Together, these geniuses formed a secret society that came to be known as the Nine Unknown Men.Ashoka’s envoy declares peace. Illustration from Hutchinson’s Story of the Nations.Ashoka’s envoy declares peace. Illustration from Hutchinson’s Story of the Nations. ( Public Domain )The organization set up accumulating all of the scientific knowledge they could, from natural science to psychology to the composition of matter. Fearing that if ordinary men were given scientific knowledge they would use it for destruction, only the Nine Men were allowed to study and develop scientific theories and technology. To better accomplish this daunting task, each of the nine was charged with a specific book that he was to update, revise, and ultimately perfect the knowledge therein. When one of the nine could no longer complete the task – whether from the wish to retire, fading health, or death - the obligation was passed to a chosen successor. The number of members in the society was always to be nine. Thus the society of the Nine Unknown Men has allegedly lived on for over 2000 years.Indus Valley Civilization Built By Technically Advanced Ancient TribeThe Rise of Chandragupta Maurya, and the Golden Age of the Mauryan EmpireThe Mysterious Unakoti Bas-Reliefs: 10 Million Deities and the Curse of a God1923 BookSpeculation about the contents of each of the nine books varies widely. Talbot Mundy, an English writer, published a book entitled The Nine Unknown Men in 1923, which contained a list of the nine books. This list has come to be generally accepted.“1. Propaganda : The first book dealt with techniques of propaganda and psychological warfare. “The most dangerous of all sciences is that of molding mass opinion, because it would enable anyone to govern the whole world,” according to Mundy.2. Physiology : The second book discussed physiology and explains how to kill a person simply by touching him or her, known as the “the touch of death,” simply by the reversal of a nerve impulse. It is said that the martial art of Judo is a result of “leakages” from the second book.3. Microbiology: The third volume focused on microbiology and biotechnology.4. Alchemy The fourth dealt with alchemy and transmutation of metals. According to another legend, in times of severe drought, temples and religious relief organizations received large quantities of gold from “a secret source.”5. Communication : The fifth book contained a study of all means of communication, terrestrial and extraterrestrial. Alluding then that the Nine Unknown Men were aware of alien presence.6. Gravity: The sixth book focused on the secrets of gravitation and actual instructions on how to make the ancient Vedic Vimana, (like Vaiminika Shastra on aerospace technology).7. Cosmogony: The seventh contained cosmogony and matters of the universe.8. Light: The eighth dealt with light including the speed and how to use it as a weapon.9. Sociology: The ninth and final book discussed sociology. It included rules for the evolution of societies and the means of foretelling their decline.” (Mundy paraphrased by Ancient Explorers)Fact or Myth?But were the Nine Unknown Men real? Ashoka may very well have asked nine men of unknown identity to gather scientific knowledge, particularly with regards to its application to warfare. This was a very fractious time and other Emperors have been known to order similar initiatives. These men may have explored different empires’ battle tactics and training, weapons manufacturing, horse/elephant handling, and maybe even gunpowder usage. However, an ancient group living on in secrecy for over 2000 years, controlling global events from the remote jungles of India with not a hint of modern equipment, infrastructure, or technology is hard to believe. For many, the legend is most likely just a legend.Update 1:The Moai statues of Easter IslandThe mystery of Easter Island and the Moai statues that inhabit it is something that most of us are at least vaguely familiar with, but the fact that there are still so many legitimate unanswered questions surrounding the island is in itself quite remarkable.Back in Easter in 1722, a Dutch explorer happened upon something strange. He was originally in search of a hypothetical land mass called Terra Australis, thought to exist because at the time they thought that the northern and southern hemispheres should be balanced.Instead though, he discovered an island in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean, which he would later name Easter Island due to the date of its discovery.He was surprised to discover that the island was inhabited, and he reported seeing 2,000 to 3,000 people there. This was surprising, because the island is ... well … really far from anything else at all.A staggering 1,900 kilometres away from the nearest inhabited land, and about 3,500 kilometres off the coast of Chile. And yet despite its incredible remoteness, The Rapa Nui people who called the island home managed to carve and transport a mind-blowing 887 statues, some measuring 33 feet tall and weighing up to 82 tonnes, an average of 17 kilometres each. And this all happened roughly 700 years ago. The biggest remaining question mark concerning the statues themselves is definitely their transportation.Theories have been proposed that involve ropes, sleds, rollers, levelled tracks, or even that the people slowly rocked the statues back and forth to their destination. Attempts have been made to recreate the methods that could have been used, but most resulted in damage to the statues, or would have required hundreds of people making just 0.08 kilometres of progress per day.The truth is, we don’t really know exactly how they did it. But however the Rapa Nui managed to move the Moai, they would have certainly needed to be incredibly patient, creative, and organised to make them a reality.Antikythera MechanismThe Antikythera mechanism is an incredibly intricate analogue computer found in a shipwreck near Greece in the year 1900.The device was used to determine the positions of celestial bodies using a mind-bogglingly complex series of bronze gears.The device in and of itself would already be impressive, but the unbelievable part of the mechanism? It was created 100 years before the birth of Christ, and more than 1,000 years before anything even approaching its level of technological complexity and workmanship would be discovered again.The device also came long before our modern understanding of astronomy and physics. The Antikythera mechanism was built over 1,600 years before Galileo was born, and over 1,700 years before Isaac Newton was born.Now, the rational explanation is that the device used working theories on the movements of celestial bodies established at the time, and some remarkably brilliant craftsmen.But if you were looking for a jumping-off point for your new time-travel novel or alien sci-fi epic, this one should hit you like a 10-tonne brick. Because for all the explanations we can offer, the Antikythera mechanism raises even more questions.Baghdad BatteryWhen we think of electricity, most of us recall back to a time in school where we learned about Benjamin Franklin, a metal key, and a kite. The year of Franklin’s fateful discovery was 1752.But the existence of the Baghdad batteries suggests the possibility of far more shocking scientific advances in the field — a mind-blowing 2,000 years earlier. Discovered in 1936, and thought to have been created in the Mesopotamian region, these clay pots contain galvanised iron nails wrapped with copper sheeting, and some archaeologists theorise that an acidic liquid was used to generate an electric current inside the jar.If correct, these artefacts would predate the currently accepted timeline for the invention of the electrochemical cell, attributed to Alessandro Volta, by more than two millennia.Whether or not the artefacts were in fact used as batteries is highly contested by archaeologists, and what the resulting electrical current was used for is also a complete mystery, as we have no historical records from that time.Some people theorise that they might have been used for electroplating objects, but such evidence of their use for that purpose is yet to be found.What we do know, however, is that the batteries would actually work, at least in theory.At least twice, experiments were conducted to test replica constructions of the batteries, including once on the show Mythbusters, and both experiments showed that the batteries were indeed capable of producing electricity when filled with an acidic solution. But for now, the true purpose of these artefacts remains unknown.UPDATE 2:*Photos added as per requested in comments.Voynich ManuscriptThe Voynich manuscript was written in a language that men through the centuries have tried to decode to no avail. The only idea anyone has of its origin are the drawings found on various pages.The Unexplained Mystery of Crop CirclesWHERE? The first crop circle, recorded in 1966, was discovered by an Australian sugar cane farmer who claimed to see a flying saucer spaceship rise up from a swamp before flying away.WHAT'S THE STORY? Early crop circles were primitive circular patterns of flattened crops, often created in mysterious circumstances overnight, and attributed to aliens. They began at a time when flying saucers were hugely popular in sci-fi literature and movies. Over the decades, crop circles have evolved to be increasingly complex. Today, they appear in the form geometric shapes like the DNA double helix, or fractals like the nautilus shell.CROP CIRCLES EXPLAINED. The most compelling aspect of crop circles is their complexity and the speed at which they appear. But they lost this appeal overnight when, in 1991, two men from Southampton, England, admitted they had been creating hoax crop circles for 15 years.The pair were able to make intricate patterns using planks, rope, hats and wire - and could create a 40-foot circle in 15 minutes. The only reason they came clean was because one of the men was running up considerable mileage on his car and had to convince his wife he wasn't having an affair. He still publicly demonstrates the art today.TELL ME MORE? Another popularly held belief is that flying saucers leave nitrate deposits at crop circle locations. Sample testing has, indeed, found nitrate in the ground at multiple sites. But far from proving chemical evidence of alien visitation, this is the mark of farmers using nitrate-based fertilizers to grow their crops.Metal rodsA rock collector in China came across this phenomenon—a hard black rock with metal rods embedded within it. Since this discovery, other rocks containing metal rods have turned up in Russia too. The rods, of unknown origin and unknown purpose, have screw-like threads. This makes them appear like they have been manufactured, however the fact that hard rock has formed around them means that they have been in the ground for millions of years. One explanation is that they are meteorites that have dropped to Earth from space, but no one knows for sure.Devil’s Kettle FallsThe Brule River in Minnesota, USA drops 800ft in elevation over its course, forming waterfalls along the way. At one point, the river splits into two to flow around a huge rock. One side continues downstream, but the other falls into a hole known as the Devil’s Kettle. Here, it disappears underground, but no one has yet discovered where it emerges. Researchers have tried everything to find out where the water goes, including putting dye in the river and using ping-pong balls to track its course, but without success. There remains no geological explanation for the water’s disappearance.Nature’s greatest mysteries | Animalogichttps://list25.com/25-greatest-unsolved-mysteries-ever/5/https://www.listland.com/10-greatest-unsolved-mysteries-time/http://allthatsinteresting.com/sunken-citieshttp://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-asia/mysterious-secret-society-ancient-india-and-nine-unknown-men-ashoka-00671412 big mysteries scientists can’t solve

Motivation to travel can strike at any time. One of our favorite ways is through books. Reading about faraway lands or local gems can capture the imagination and turn us into explorers of life. Seeking out the cities where favorite literary luminaries lived, worked, were inspired (and continue to be today), is one of the best ways to find places that will pull you into the same realm of wonder that only the best stories achieve.Many of you seem to agree, because in our recent survey, over 78 percent of respondents said that books have inspired their vacations. That’s some pretty compelling evidence that the written word is a powerful driving force and book tourism is alive and well, so we went in search of cities across the globe that share this love of literature. And for those of you wondering, “What is literary travel?”, stick around. From book-centric events to intelligentsia-filled cafes to rich literary histories, these places embody all things books, and you may just recognize them from the settings of some of your favorites.For an added bonus, we’ve created ratings based on the following factors, so bookmark your top picks and make plans to see the literary travel destinations of your dreams:: Are the bookstores plentiful and unique?: Does this city carry hefty literary cred—historical ties, featured literary appearances, and draw for writers?: How many literary events does the city host?: What’s the city doing to foster future literary arts through writing programs, lectures, and workshops?Amherst/Concord/Lenox, MassachusettsIs it in the water? This area is bursting with literary history, and some of America’s greatest writers hung their hats here. The road from Concord to Lenox is paved with literary gold, and you’ll see why the area was so inspirational to brilliant artistic minds when you traverse its great open spaces.Places and events of note:Amherst:The Emily Dickinson Museum is the merged properties of two houses the poet called home, set on three acres of natural beauty that inspired much of her work.Robert Frost taught at Amherst College, where the beautiful campus could inspire your own epic verses, and the main library, named for him, is full of treasures.Concord:Philosopher and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, lived in Concord for many years, and his house has been designated a National Historic Landmark.Louisa May Alcott’s house, where she wrote and set the beloved classic, “Little Women,” also in Concord, is just how you would picture the March family home.Cruise by Walden Pond to get your Thoreau on and discover how to live deliberately.Lenox:Edith Wharton’s gorgeous house and grounds, The Mount, brings literature lovers to Lenox to see where the first female Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction lived and worked.The Bookstore is a charming community fixture, which encourages visitors to “get lit” at the on-site wine bar.Prague, Czech RepublicThe setting for many famous novels, including the “Unbearable Lightness of Being” and “Prague Tales,” this UNESCO City of Literature’s part in bolstering the written word unfolded in cozy cafes, literary salons, and scholarly circles that included the likes of Franz Kafka, Milan Kundera, and Bohumil Hrabal.Places and events of note:One of the highest concentrations of bookstores in Europe includes gems such as Globe (an English-language bookstore and café), Shakespeare and Sons (one of the best in the city, and also hosts author events), and PageFive (a newer, innovative bookstore and publishing house).Events such as the Prague Writers’ Festival and Deti Ctete (a festival that promotes children’s literature) demonstrate the power of free speech that post-communist Prague embodies.Pay tribute to the city’s most famous literary figure at the Franz Kafka Museum, where the long-term exhibit, The City of K. Franz Kafka and Prague, showcases how the city and the artist are inextricably intertwined.Tangier, MoroccoFamously the home of Paul Bowles and partial setting for his novel, “The Sheltering Sky,” Tangier captures the imagination of travelers looking to understand how “in Tangier the past is a physical reality as perceptible as the sunlight.” The Beat generation were moved to explore Tangier, thanks in large part to Bowles’ descriptions. William Burroughs, for instance, wrote and set “Naked Lunch” in the Blue and White City.Places and events of note:Librairie des Colonnes is a charming bookstore with books in Arabic, French, English, and Spanish, and Les Insolites is the cozy, eccentric atmosphere of your bookstore dreams.What’s more writerly than spending long afternoons discussing ideas at cafes frequented by giants of literature? Café Hafa, with its tiered terrace, may inspire the next great novel.The International Books and Arts Exhibition of Tangier is a bustling event filled with conferences, roundtables, workshops, and readings.San Francisco, CaliforniaThe Beats really got around, and San Francisco was a beloved stomping ground. Many generations of writers have been inspired by the City by the Bay, including Dashiell Hammett, who set “The Maltese Falcon” here, and Rebecca Solnit, whose “Infinite City” reads like a love letter, map, and history lesson to this magic spot.Places and events of note:Litquake is the largest independent literary festival on the West Coast, and its Lit Crawl event has extended to at least 15 other cities.City Lights Bookstore (and Vesuvio Café across the alley) is a legendary meeting space, Books, Inc. is the oldest independent booksellers in the West, and Book Passage is host to author readings and signings, classes, and conferences.Literary spaces can be found all over the city, like 826 Valencia, Dave Eggers’ brainchild, which is a writing center and creative space for young students. San Francisco Center for the Book is the place to discover the art of books and book making, offering classes and hands-on events.Columbia, MissouriHome to the “Missouri Review,” which is consistently featured on lists of top literary journals, Columbia is also the primary setting for “Stoner” by John Williams, a book lauded by many book lovers. Other writers influenced by this Missouri city are Thomas McAfee, a professor at the university who set many of his works here, and Alex George, noted Australian lawyer-author who still lives in Columbia.Places and events of note:Unbound Book Festival attracts writers and thinkers on every writer’s must-see bucket list. Past guests include Salman Rushdie, Mary Jo Bang, Ishmael Beah, and 2018’s keynote speaker is the incomparable Zadie Smith.Find untold treasure in area bookshops like the family-owned Yellow Dog Bookshop (named for their beloved yellow lab mix), and genre shop, Village Books, which also runs a reading group.Just under 100 miles northeast sits Hannibal, Missouri, Mark Twain’s childhood home and inspiration for the fictional setting of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Take a short road trip and visit the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum and other landmarks of his life, such as the Huckleberry Finn House.Iowa City, IowaThis city is legendary in the lit scene, and until 2017 was the only UNESCO City of Literature in the U.S. and the third in the world to be given the title. The University of Iowa consistently produces bright literary talent, and its Iowa Writers’ Workshop has seen notable staff like James Alan McPherson and alumna like Jane Smiley, as well as produced 17 Pulitzer Prize winners, six poets laureate and many other prize winners.Places and events of note:Prairie Lights Books is as famous as bookstores come, and a must-visit while in town if you want to count yourself among the who’s who.The Prestigious Iowa Summer Writing Festival holds The Eleventh Hour lecture series, which is free and open to the public every weekday, beginning June 8. Another worthy event is Mission Creek Festival, a 6-day celebration beginning in early April, which focuses on quality performance, literature, and community that make this place such a hotbed of talent.Iowa City Literary Walk pays tribute to 49 writers with Iowa ties, and includes bronze panels of quotes from the likes of Josephine Herbst, Flannery O’Connor, Philip Levine, Robert Lowell, and Raymond Carver.Portland, OregonMaybe it’s the rain, or the amazing coffee, or perhaps it’s the lush green landscape—whatever its secret ingredient, Portland has borne writers such as beloved children’s author Beverly Cleary; PEN/Faulkner finalist Molly Gloss; “Geek Love” author, Katherine Dunn; and multi-hyphenated artist Carrie Brownstein.Places and events of note:Wordstock is Portland’s ever-growing book festival that includes a huge book fair, writing workshops, and pop-up readings. It’s put on by Literary Arts, a non-profit organization that also runs the Portland Arts & Lectures series, which has welcomed authors such as Margaret Atwood, Jeffrey Eugenides, and George Saunders.While in town, pop into the renowned Powell’s Books and pick up a copy of Portland-based Tin House, arguably one of the best lit journals in the country.The Loggernaut Reading Series highlights authors across genres as they share readings and thoughts on select nights at Mother Foucault’s Bookshop.Edinburgh, ScotlandWith a long literary tradition, and home of bright names in literature, including J.K. Rowling, Irvine Welsh, Robert Burns, and Muriel Spark, Edinburgh was also the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature. Jackie Kay, Scottish poet laureate, was born here, and the city maintains its well-read stature with one of the highest concentrations of libraries, at over 60 per 100,000 people.Places and events of note:Edinburgh International Book Festival takes place each August in a whimsical tented village specially created for the over 800 events that include a debates and discussion series, book signings, workshops, and panel discussions.Sit in the very pubs and cafes where authors and poets have worked and played, such as “Poets’ Pub,” Milnes Bar and The Elephant House.Pay respects at The Writers’ Museum, which honors three of Scotland’s greats: Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Robert Burns. Displays include personal items and rare manuscripts of these three giants.Austin, TexasAustinites embrace all things books, and the city finds many ways to celebrate that. One example being it has the world’s 10th-most number of bookstores per capita (8.2 for every 100,000). Austin is home to authors such as Louis Sachar (his YA novel, “Small Steps” is set in the city), and political writer and legend, Liz Carpenter. O. Henry lived and wrote in Austin, and you can visit his home-turned-museum. The city’s also producing envelope-pushing publications like Fields magazine, which promotes the works of contemporary artists, including many writers and poets.Places and events of note:The Texas Book Festival in October is one of the largest in the country, and includes the black-tie First Edition Literary Gala, which raises money for the festival and outreach programs. Austin is also one of the growing number of Lit Crawl cities, which is a literary romp of the most fun proportions. Events include games, flash fiction composition, and storytelling performances in spaces across the city—there’s even a reading in the cemetery.BookPeople is the place to buy interesting works and has been since 1970. No Austin trip is complete without a visit to this independent bookstore.University of Texas at Austin houses the Harry Ransom Center, a prestigious research library that collects and preserves writing’s finest. Public tours are available, and includes viewing the Gutenberg Bible, the first full printing-press book, which dates from between 1450 and 1455.Hay-on-Wye, WalesIt may be small in size, but its commitment to literature is mighty. Described as a town of books, it’s also designated the National Book Town of Wales. Hay-on-Wye loves its books so much its ratio of bookstores to people is around 2 for every 150. Traverse the castles, the historical town, and the surrounding countryside and get lost in a story of your own.Places and events of note:Honesty Bookshop at Hay Castle began in the 1960s and continues to be a lovely place to peruse, read, and take in the sights of the inviting outdoor space. The Poetry Bookshop is one of the only second-hand, (and the largest) all-poetry bookstores in the UK, and its selection will have poetry lovers swooning.Richard Booth’s Bookshop is many things at once and includes a café, cinema, studio for workshops, and, of course, shelves and shelves of beautiful books. Careful though, once you walk in, you may never want to leave.Try your best to see the Hay Festival at least once, and though it has expanded to six other international destinations, the original is still in Hay-on-Wye. The 2018 theme is Imagine the World, and events include discussions by Margaret Atwood and Philip Pullman.New Orleans, LouisianaThe setting for countless novels and poetry, this city’s literary ties are tight. It’s been home to authors of all kinds, from queen of the underworld, Anne Rice, to stream of consciousness master, William Faulkner. Kate Chopin’s Louisiana roots show in many of her works, including the seminal “The Awakening,” meanwhile, the poet, journalist, and activist, Alice Dunbar Nelson was born in the city.Places and events of note:Enjoy the Big Easy the third week in March, when the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival brings authors, actors, and musicians together to celebrate and benefit literary and theater programs.Faulkner House Books has been described as America’s most charming bookstore, and its association with the local literary community also makes it a most worthy stop on any NOLA visit. Just down Royal Street to Canal, is the Ignatius J. Reilly statue, which honors the idiosyncratic hero of the Louisiana-set classic, “A Confederacy of Dunces.”Writers flock to certain haunts for various reasons, but once a location is part of the literati, the draw tends to remain. Such is the case with the Hotel Monteleone, where Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, and William Faulkner notably stayed. Tuck into the on-site classic Carousel Bar & Lounge, too, for an unforgettable drinking experience that echoes the toasts of writers past.Stockholm, SwedenScandinavian noir hit the literary world with a bang, especially after the late Stockholm resident and writer Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium” trilogy captured international imaginations (the city even runs a tour following in the footsteps of the characters). Sweden has a long and distinguished history of the written word, too, and its first literary text, the Rök Runestone, dates to 800 AD.Places and events of note:Stockholm Writers Festival is an invaluable resource for writers looking to enter the industry. Agents, editors, and established authors are on hand for networking and teaching with speaking events, panels, and breakout sessions held over three days in April.Another superb event is Stockholm Literature, a festival held in October that brings together international figures and includes lectures, poetry walks, readings, and more.There is perhaps no other place that lets you step into the realm of imagination as immersively as Junibacken. Based on the cherished children’s stories of Astrid Lindgren, the fairytale museum is also home to the largest children’s bookstore in Sweden.Atlanta & Decatur, GeorgiaEmory University has a highly esteemed writing program and a library worth losing yourself in, especially in the Matheson Reading Room. Atlanta was home for a time to both Flannery O’Connor and Margaret Mitchell, and other notable literary-leaning residents have been former U.S. poet laureate, Natasha Trethewey, Alice Walker, and W.E.B. Du Bois.Places and events of note:The largest independent book festival in the country, AJC Decatur Book Festival, takes over downtown Decatur over Labor Day weekend.Write Club Atlanta hosts monthly events at the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge and produced a 2015 anthology of local literary voices.If you’re looking to score your own piece of Georgia literature, head to the stylish yet cozy Read Shop, mini-chain Posman Books’ third (yet first outside NYC) shop, and get something for the kids at Decatur’s charming Little Shop of Stories.Santiago, ChileVia Flickr/Rafa AlvezThe list of great Chilean writers is long, and Santiago has been home to or influenced many, including: Isabel Allende, Gabriela Mistral, poet Nicanor Parra, Roberto Bolaño (though he was distanced from his native country), feminist novelist and short story writer María Luisa Bombal, Marcela Serrano, and, of course, Pablo Neruda. Evidence of their influence can be seen in murals, on the 5,000-peso bill, and at book-loving spaces like Café Literario.Places and events of note:The Neruda Foundation runs three of the poet’s area homes as museums. La Chascona is the only in-city location and is fascinating for its clandestine origins as the house he built for his secret lover.Santiago houses some wonderful bookstores, including the Feria Chilena del Libro (Chilean Book Fair), and for floor-to-ceiling options, try independent bookstore, Ulises in the Lastarria neighborhood.Café Literario has several city locations, but Bustamante is the liveliest, where books, food, and conversation meet, so come hungry for pastries and thirsty for knowledge.Monterey & Salinas, CaliforniaAmerican literary hero, John Steinbeck, has close ties to this area, as it’s both his birthplace and source of material for many of his works, including the classics, “East of Eden” and “Cannery Row”. Perhaps his influence was instrumental in how the community formed a love of literature, but other factors, such as the beauty, history, and charisma of the area should not be overlooked.Places of note:While in Monterey, hit up the following literary landmarks and hotspots: Old Capitol Books stocks new, used, and antique books and has a special interest in American and regional authors; Robert Louis Stevenson House is the place where the poet wrote “The Old Pacific Capital,” and was likely inspired to write “Treasure Island”; and the famed Cannery Row still houses buildings that were the bases for scenes in the eponymous story.Visit and dine at the Victorian-style boyhood home of John Steinbeck, The Steinbeck House, in Salinas, where dinners are hosted on the first Friday of every month, and lunch is available Tuesday – Saturday. And don’t miss the National Steinbeck Center in Oldtown to further celebrate his legacy with interactive exhibits, photos, documents, and more.Look out over all of Salinas Valley, as Steinbeck once did and chronicled in “Travels with Charley,” at Fremont Peak.Seattle, WashingtonThe second U.S. city to be named a UNESCO City of Literature, Seattle certainly loves a good book more than the next city. So many bookstores are on hand for discovery, and plenty of lit-leaning bars will lift your bookish spirits and cafes will boost your creative drive. It’s also another Lit Crawl city, during which lyrical love and merriment abound.Places and events of note:Seattle Arts & Lectures series brings the foremost thinkers and writers to town—from Ta-Nehisi Coates to Jesmyn Ward—and also borrows from the city’s own hefty supply—from Sherman Alexie to Timothy Egan. Another opportunity to engage is during Clarion West Writers Workshop’s summer reading series, when instructors read and discuss new works.Elliott Bay Book Company boasts a huge selection of books and an engaged staff, and also hosts frequent author events and book group gatherings.Authors, Publishers and Readers of Independent Literature, or APRIL, is an organization featuring small press and independent literature. They hold an annual festival, which we recommend for anyone who loves to get into a movement on the ground floor.Krakow, PolandHome to Matras, the oldest bookstore in the world (the location being in continuous operation since the early 1600s), and housing publishers of literary and poetic periodicals stretching back to the 1690s, Krakow is a city that has literature in its blood. It should come as no surprise then that it was among the earliest chosen as a UNESCO City of Literature.Places and events of note:Milosz Festival, the largest celebration of poetry in Central Europe, was first organized by the Book Institute Poland—which is an incredible artistic asset—and sees poets from all around the world, who ponder a particular theme each year as audiences and fellow artists read, listen, and discuss.You know a city is a good one when it possesses as many bookstores as Krakow does. Standouts include English-language Massolit Books & Café, Pod Globusemunder the iconic metal globe clock tower, and café/bookstore Bona, which also boasts incredible city views.Various spots around the city tell the story of Krakow’s literary heart and soul. Make stops at the statue of romantic poet Adam Mickiewicz; the mural, Lem’s Robot, dedicated to science fiction writer, Stanisław Lem; and long-time literary cabaret Piwnica pod Baranami.Middlebury, VermontHome to Robert Frost for many years, Middlebury is the place to celebrate all things Frost. Within his thinking grounds, Green Mountain National Forest, his spirit echoes strongly. From the Robert Frost Wayside picnic area to the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail, where you’ll find several of his mounted poems along the way, to the scenic Robert Frost Memorial Drive, you’ll feel transported to the world of his inspired poetic mind.Places and events of note:The New Yorker has called it “the oldest and most prestigious writers’ conference in the country,” and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference lives up to the hype. For 10 days in August, talented attendees are guided by luminaries such as poets laureate and winners of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award.Middlebury College is one of the most elite liberal arts schools in the country, and their literature programs are responsible for helping shape very fine authors of our age and through history. Visit the campus and pop into one of the libraries for an afternoon of reading, or wander the lovely campus to see if inspiration strikes.Get lost in the impressive stacks at Monroe Street Books north of downtown. While perusing the over 100,000 titles, your day can really slip away from you.Bath, EnglandBath has been the center of attention both in real life and in the pages of fiction, and readers will recognize it from many scenes in Jane Austen’s oeuvre. The whole southwestern region of England is of a literary state of mind, with strong historical roots and exciting current activities, so schedule some time to explore the International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay and the Fowey Festival to honor Daphne du Maurier.Places and events of note:Jane Austen Centre in Bath pays homage to Austen’s life and times, and true lovers of her work should not miss out on the costumes, readings, and revelry that the annual Jane Austen Festival has perfected.Continue the book-loving festivities at The Bath Festival, a multi-arts event featuring music and literature. Or, visit late September for the Children’s Bath Literature Festival, the largest of its kind in Europe.Don’t skip town without spending some real time in Topping & Company Booksellers, where you can find an author event, reading group, and rolling ladders to peruse shelves and shelves of books.Kolkata (Calcutta), IndiaThe unofficial literary capital of India, the city that bore Rabindranath Tagore (the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize for Literature), has not slowed down in its creative and lyrical output. Writers have used the city as inspiration and setting, from Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Namesake” to “Bengal Nights” by Mircea Eliade.