Nationalbibliothek, Vienna

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I love the sight of books, the smell of books and well, I read them too.

If you happen to be in Vienna and it gets bitter cold - hide - seek comfort in the Austrian National Library. I've just done that. Well, in summer, I find other excuses to get there.

The State Hall of the Austrian National Library is said to be one of the most beautiful historical libraries in the world. You should see the frescos on the ceiling which were completed in 1730 by Daniel Gran.

About 200,000 books which have been printed between 1501 to 1850 are found in the State Hall.

Entrance to the Prunksaal is Euro 7.

The historical music and warfare exhibits were fantastic, but regardless of what collection you hope to see, the Austrian National Library is itself one of the most interesting and awe-inspiring buildings on Earth. Really.

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As we were tight for time, we were only able to visit the State Hall (Prunksaal) in the Nationalbibliothek (State Library) but it was certainly worth it. The decoration is marvellous, with some fine paintings and a large cupola with beautiful frescoes.

The walls of the library are lined with wooden bookcases housing volumes and volumes of ancient books - approx. 200,000 in all - and there are also some lovely statues and two large Venetian globes depicting the earth and the sky. We saw a man wearing a wooden yoke to transport books and I bet it's been done the same way for many, many years.

When we visited there was also a fascinating exhibition of a collection of old photographs which was siezed by the Gestapo in 1939 and had been stored in a safe place ever since. It's a great place for that kind of display so it would always be worth checking to see what's currently on.

Open 10am to 6pm, 9pm on Thursdays. Entrance Fee: 5 euros or 4.50 with a Vienna Card.

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The library is part of the compound of Hofburg. It is one of the largest I have seen. I can only imagine what treasures it holds, but it was closed when we were there. Callled Osterreichische Nationalbiblioteck. It has 7.4 million items and is largest in Austria, maybe in top 5 in Europe. It contains papyrus, manuscripts, rare books, many maps, and more.

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The State Hall (=Prunksaal) is the main attraction of the National Library although it is a place that has much more to offer than that (the Globe Museum, the Papyrus Museum and the Esperanto Museum and a wide range of collections). A place for bookworms!

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The former court library is an architectural masterpiece of the Viennese baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and his son Emanuel. This, the largest baroque library in Europe, was erected in the first half of the eighteenth century as an independent wing of the Imperial Palace.

The impressive State Hall of the library is almost 80 meters long, 20 meters high and crowned by a cupola decorated with frescoes by Daniel Gran. More than 200,000 volumes are exhibited here, among them the comprehensive library of Prince Eugene of Savoy as well as one of the largest collections of Martin Luther’s writings from the Reformation Era.

Among the exhibits are two exquisite Venetian baroque globes: one for the earth and one for the sky, each with a diameter of more than one meter.

Once served as the state hall, it is at present the national library.
But I believe 99% of the people who come here are not for borrowing books. Indeed, it's impossible you are not obsessed by the splendid interior deco!In this sense, it's not a good place for you to concentrate on your reading:P
It cost 3euro for students for the entrance. Yup, it's only one room, but definately worth a seeing!

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Why visit a library, you ask? Because the Austrian State Library is unlike any other I've ever seen. The mountains of books are kept on a floor away from the public's hands, but reading is not what brings people here. The library has shiny marble floors and soaring ceilings painted with bright frescoes that get lit up with the dazzling sunlight streaming through the glass windows.
The library is home to different exhibits during the year. I visited in the summer of 2005, 60 years after the end of WWII. There was a large, and very interesting, display showing the effects on the Austrian people, both during and after the war.
Entrance admission is 3 euro for students.