Dublin among top 10 most written-about cities in books, study finds

Dublin ranks eighth in Europe’s most written-about cities, appearing an impressive 15 million times in books, according to a new study.

Many cities that once served as the backdrop for timeless novels are now bustling with fans eager to experience their stories firsthand. Literary tourism has rapidly emerged as one of the hottest travel trends, turning pages into real-world adventures. But which European cities are the most written about in literature?

The printing experts at Aura Print scoured the Google Books archive, analyzing over 25 million works to uncover the 30 most written-about European cities between 1920 and 2019 - revealing the key locations that have most inspired the literary imagination over the past century.

Dublin ranks as the eighth most written-about European city.

Amassing a respectable 15,021,998 literary mentions, the Irish capital earns a spot as one of Europe's most written about cities. From its charming cobblestoned streets and lively pubs to the scenic coastline, Dublin has often been at the heart of the plot.

Dublin book recommendations: Ulysses, The Ginger Man, Dubliners and At Swim-Two-Birds.

James Joyce statue on North Earl Street, Dublin. (Ireland's Content Pool)

London, Paris and Rome crowned most famous cities in books

Beating all its European counterparts by a landslide, London snags top spot on the list to be crowned Europe’s most popular city in literature. Featured an astonishing 286,675,501 times, London appears nearly three times more than all other cities analysed.  From Dickens’ smoky alleys to Conan Doyle’s foggy mysteries, the British capital has served as both muse and stage for countless tales. As Dickens once described it, the city was his ‘magic lantern’ that fired his creativity. 

London book recommendations: A Tale of Two Cities, Sherlock Holmes, The House by the Thames

Trailing behind is Britain’s age-old cross-Channel rival, the beguiling French capital, Paris. Accumulating a mind-blowing 95,290,475 literary mentions, the romantic and intriguing City of Lights has captured the imagination of romantics and philosophers alike, from Hemingway to contemporary novelists seeking beauty in chaos.

Paris book recommendations: Paris Is Always A Good Idea, The Little Paris Bookshop, The Paris Wife

The Eternal City, Rome, claims third spot (48,840,949 mentions), triumphing over its fellow Italian cities with an impressive 74% greater share of literary attention than Florence (5th), Venice (11th) and Milan (16th), on average. From its glorious imperial past to the vibrant present, the Italian capital makes a captivating backdrop for books of all genres.

Rome book recommendations: Eat, Pray, Love, Conclave, Four Seasons in Rome

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Literary hotspots: 10 most popular European cities in books

1. London
2. Paris
3. Rome
4. Berlin
5. Florence
6. Vienna
7. Athens
8. Dublin
9. Amsterdam
10. Brussels