A storehouse of knowledge, a haven of peace and living history

Bibliophilia, [the]: from the ancient Greek βιβλίον biblíon “book” and φιλία “friendship love”; translated, therefore, “love of books” refers to loving and collecting beautiful, rare or historically valuable books.

Libraries encompass much more than places where books are kept. Often they are also places of work, a meeting place for people of all ages, origins and social classes, and provide space for readings and other events

Libraries and sustainability

Borrowing is more sustainable than buying. Sure, few things come close to the smell of a new book or the feeling of opening the pages for the first time, but how many books do we buy only to read it once and then realize we’ll probably never read it again? At the library, you can borrow works (or read them on the spot) and then if you really like them, you can always buy a copy.

Libraries are always a go-to place for travelers, too. Especially on long-term trips, they are a constant when staying in ever-changing places. They provide a place to stay, electricity, and usually Wi-Fi. 😉

But many libraries are also worth a visit simply because of their beauty and thus have the status of a landmark in some places. For example, the library of Trinity College in Dublin. Or the Abbey Library in the St. Mang Monastery near Füssen.

Place of interest: Library

St. Mang Monastery Library

The monastery of St. Mang is only a few minutes away from the sustainable Hotel Das Rübezahl. It was named after St. Magnus, who shaped the history of the town of Füssen with numerous miraculous deeds.

The former Benedictine monastery was founded almost 100 years after his death in the 9th century and houses, among other things, a beautiful library. You can admire it during a visit to the museum! You cannot borrow anything from this historic library, however. Not only that, but you’ll have to transfer that to the small but nice library in the hotel Das Rübezahl.

Maria Laach Monastery Library

This is also a monastery library, yet the history is different. Of course, Maria Laach monastery also had a library from the very beginning, but with the dissolution of the abbey at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the former library was also dissolved. Only a fraction of the Maria Laach manuscripts could be located until today.

With the Jesuits, books moved in again. Firstly, however, they built a new library room, oriented on monastic architecture as well as on contemporary style.

However, the present library, or rather its contents, dates from the years after 1892, after the Jesuits had to leave the area and the monastery was taken over again by the Benedictines two decades later. Meanwhile, an old stable of cows had to expand the library space. Some 260,000 books have their home at Maria Laach Monastery and can be admired in the considerable stacks with galleries and spiral staircases. Since the library is part of an active monastery, you can only visit it by appointment and with a guided tour. But it is definitely worth it!

By the way: If you are coming from the north or west to the Lifestyleresort zum Kurfürsten in Bernkastel-Kues, you will almost pass the Maria Laach monastery. From there, it’s about an hour’s drive to the hotel, from where you can explore the

Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris

As a book lover, you are in seventh heaven in Paris anyway with the numerous small bookstores and cafés. Despite all the distractions, you shouldn’t miss a visit to the National Library of France on Rue de Richelieu. It was created in the 17th century from a merger of several buildings, including the Palais Mazarin and the Galerie Mansart. Today, it houses over 30 million documents, books, and papers from the past and present. You can also find prints, photographs, letters, coins, and music.

If you stay at the sustainable Hôtel Le Pavillon during your visit to Paris, the National Library can be perfectly integrated into a city tour. From there, it’s just a good 30-minute walk across the Seine, past the Louvre, and along the Jardin du Palais-Royal. And there you are. You can book guided tours of the library and its museum. The tour itself is free of charge (as of November 29, 2022). For the reading rooms, however, you need a reading, culture or research pass.

Abbey Library of St. Gallen

It is one of the oldest and most beautiful libraries in the world! A must-see if you are in Switzerland or around Lake Constance. More than 170,000 books and manuscripts are kept here, including early medieval writings, what is probably the oldest drawn blueprint in the world, and the oldest German book: a manuscript of the Nibelungen saga. Oh, and the library has a mummy, too.

The library’s baroque architecture is particularly impressive. Not for nothing is it considered one of the most beautiful library buildings in the world. The splendor of the baroque will probably strike you at first. But don’t forget to look at the details, such as the centuries-old fir wood floor or the individual paintings and pictures, which, for example, depict the scientific care of the monastery.

If you’re vacationing at Lake Constance, you most likely won’t be able to avoid a visit to Sankt Gallen anyway. It’s only a few minutes from the sustainable hotel in Wartegg Castle, but even from the German side of the lake, you’re not long away. And a ferry ride across the lake is part of it anyway 😉 In Germany, the nature resort Gerbehof welcomes you and invites you to return to nature after the pomp and ostentation. A welcome contrast.

Book Lending: Library

Leaving aside the fact that every library is beautiful in its own way, you wouldn’t call the vast majority of them a sight to behold. They’re primarily a place where you can check out books. Even many hotels offer you as a guest a small selection of books that you can borrow for your stay. These often include the works of regional authors, non-fiction books about the history and sights of your vacation spot, as well as practical books such as hiking guides or guides. At Hotel Das Rübezahl, you will also find the fairy tale of Rübezahl. 😉

Also in the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio you will find a selection of special books on the hotel’s themes: mindfulness, detox, architecture and yoga, in addition to works of fiction. At Okelmann’s Hotel in Lower Saxony, the two hotel managers select books based on what they themselves like to read. Thus, in addition to the topics of yoga, mindfulness and spirituality, books on nutrition, health, gardening, and nature can also be found in the hotel’s small library. The books are also allowed to be taken home in case you don’t manage to read through them during your vacation.

If you are on vacation at Maslina Resort on the Croatian island of Hvar, you can discover a personal selection of the hotel owner in the library there. These are mainly books about art, culture, and travel in English, French and, of course, Croatian.

Exchange shelves or “Sharing is Caring”

A special form of library are so-called book exchange shelves or book swaps. The principle is simple and sustainable: In a public cupboard, you find different books that other people have put there. You choose one and take it with you. In return, you put one of your books in the cupboard. But don’t worry if you don’t have one at hand: Often more books are brought than taken.

In the Bad Herrenalb spa park in southern Germany, there is a public bookshelf. So, you can stock up on new reading material right before your visit to the park.

Also in Bad Herrenalb is the SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA. The team there has taken up the idea and adapted it for their employees. In the internal area, there is a swap box that helps clothes, books and other items find a new home.

„Blind Date with a Book”

Maybe you already know the principle from your local bookstore. With Blind Date with a book, you buy a book wrapped in paper with only a brief note about the genre or the first sentence. You don’t see the cover, and you can’t read the blurb, so you might get involved with books you would never have picked up otherwise.

At the Weihrerhof, the team led by hotel manager Klaus Pichler has taken up this approach for their hotel guests. In addition to the bestsellers in the house library (which, by the way, have all been read beforehand by the head of the house), guests can go on a blind date there. A hint is just a short note from a staff member or the hotelier’s family. Cool idea!

The books are packed in wrapping paper, which can easily be recycled 😉 

Retreat: Library

As indicated at the beginning, libraries are much more than book lending. They are retreats and places of silence and relaxation. Libraries are natural spaces of silence. There you can retreat from the hustle and bustle of travel and process your experiences.

At the Hotel Bella Vista in Zermatt, you can review your hikes with the illustrated books and mountain guides. Perhaps another guest will play the piano while you do so, adding to the relaxed atmosphere.

In Wartegg Castle, you can sit down in the reading room with a cup of tea and either enjoy the view of the sunrise. Or you can use the direct access to the east terrace to feel the first sunrays of the day directly on your skin.

Libraries are magical places. They preserve knowledge, conserve it and pass it on. To achieve this, they create spaces that are more than repositories. On your next trip, refer to the library at your vacation destination. Maybe you will be surprised.