You’d be forgiven for thinking it’s just another quaint Tudor house on a cobbled English street—wooden beams, leaning windows, and a heavy oak door that looks like it has witnessed a few centuries. But this half-timbered cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon isn’t just old—it’s iconic. This is the house where William Shakespeare was born in 1564. And today, it stands as one of the most lovingly preserved literary relics in the world.
Tucked away in the sleepy English village of Chawton is a modest red-brick cottage with ivy climbing the walls and roses blooming by the window. At first glance, it seems like just another picturesque home from a Jane Austen novel. And that’s exactly what it is—because this house wasn’t just her inspiration. It was her reality.
Some cities whisper their stories through quiet alleyways. Montreal doesn’t whisper—it sings, dances, flirts, and occasionally yells across a bustling street in French. This island city in Quebec is where North America meets Paris, where centuries-old stone buildings rub shoulders with experimental art, and where maple syrup meets espresso.