Melbourne is overflowing with cosy cafés and magical secret gardens where book lovers can bury their noses in a good read. But for true bookworms, nothing beats the hush of a library – where you have access to an unending supply of reading materials. These literary dens are more than just houses of books, though. Around the world, architects have designed libraries so incredible that they might just pull your eyes away from the page. And our city is turning both pages and heads, with one of the world’s most beautiful (and distracting) libraries located right here.
More than 200,000 votes were cast in the 1,000 Libraries Awards 2025, with the results tallied to crown the world’s ten most beautiful bookish spaces. According to readers, State Library Victoria is the world’s seventh-most beautiful for 2025. Melbourne's beloved house of books boasts the most popular front lawn in the whole city, and its magnificent, six-storey domed La Trobe Reading Room has wowed visitors since it opened way back in 1854. Now, the Neo-Classical building occupies an entire city block, with 23 interconnected buildings housing more than 2 million books. You could spend the rest of your life there and barely make a dent in your reading list.
Notably, this isn't the first time that our state library has gained global acclaim – back in 2024, it ranked among the world's most popular libraries, and earlier this year, it ranked as the third best library in the world.
Our city’s reading palace wasn’t the only Aussie library in the spotlight. While the Library of Trinity College Dublin took out the top spot, Australia’s very own State Library of South Australia was voted as the second most beautiful library on Earth.
It’s no wonder that Adelaide’s leading library is consistently ranked among the world’s prettiest. The grand bibliotheca showcases yesteryear features, with the likes of a glass-domed lantern roof, wrought iron-balustraded balconies and a marvellous clock that ticks above the hall.
Aside from the architecture, the State Library of South Australia itself holds more than 4 million items, including books, manuscripts, maps and special collections. There’s even a lovely little café, so you can easily spend a whole day reading and roaming the aisles. If you’re planning a visit, just a heads-up that the Mortlock Chamber is closed until September for carpet repairs.
The ten most beautiful libraries in the world for 2025:
- The Library of Trinity College, Ireland
- State Library of South Australia, Australia
- Abbey Library of St. Gallen, Switzerland
- Duke Humfrey’s Library (University of Oxford), UK
- Admont Abbey Library, Austria
- Cuypers Library, Netherlands
- State Library Victoria, Australia
- The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading, Brazil
- Wiblingen Abbey Library, Germany
- Sainte-Geneviève Library, France
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