Austria’s flagship library, the Nationalbibliothek contains an astounding collection of literature, maps, globes of the world and other cultural relics; its highlight, though, is the Prunksaal (Grand Hall), a majestic baroque hall built between 1723 and 1726, with a fresco by Daniel Gran. Commissioned by Karl VI (whose statue is under the central dome), the library holds some 200,000 leather-bound scholarly tomes.
Rare volumes, mostly from the 15th century, are stored within glass cabinets, opened to beautifully illustrated pages of text. The exquisite fresco by Gran depicts the emperor’s apotheosis.
