Books have shaped the way many people imagine the cities of Europe. Long before month-long holidays and online photos, readers traveled through stories, visiting faraway places with their imagination and words as their guide. Today, this connection between reading and travel is stronger than ever.
Many European cities now attract visitors who want to walk the same streets as their favorite characters. A recent study of more than 25 million books shows how often European cities have been mentioned between 1920 and 2019. In this gallery, we explore the European cities that have been immortalized in literature the most. Curious? Click to find out which ones they are.