8. A city of books

Dublin was declared the City of Literature by UNESCO, and in a very short time it’s easy to see why. It’s rich with bookstores large and small, there are statues of Ireland’s literary icons everywhere, and quite a few of the museums are dedicated at least partially to rare books and manuscripts. It also hosts the International Literature Festival of Dublin in May which attracts iconic authors from all over the world such as Neil Gaiman and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Other European countries have treasures of gold, gems, and architecture. In Ireland, the treasures are books.