Storybook Holidays: Writers' Houses to Rent

Calling all bibliophiles: A cliffside villa in Greece, a desert-meets-sky retreat in Taos, a charming Bath townhouse, a Swiss hideaway

If you believe houses are infused with traces of their previous owners’ souls — and we definitely do — you will understand the irresistible magic of these holiday rentals that double as next-level literary pilgrimages. You can actually book these writers’ former residences, many of which were a magnet for other writers and artists—tread the same floorboards, cozy up in front of the same fireplace, gaze at the same views they would have admired, and in a few cases, sit at the very same desk from which many long hours of creative toil were undoubtedly spent.

1. JANE AUSTEN / BATH

In 1801, Jane Austen moved with her family to Bath and moved into a two-story townhouse at 4 Sydney Place. Today, the kitchen, scullery and vaults of her former family residence make up this charming two bedroom apartment available on Airbnb. The apartment is steps from still-fashionable Sydney Park, which Jane certainly walked in: In a letter to her sister Cassandra in 1801 after learning they would be moving to Bath, she writes, “It will be very pleasant to be near Sydney Gardens; we might go into the labyrinth every day.” HERE.