Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
4 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
4 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
5 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
7 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Switzerland Iron Library
AO Edited

Iron Library

Everything from alchemy books to building plans for the Eiffel Tower are housed inside this museum.

Schlatt, Switzerland

Added By
TravelerOfBothTimeandSpace
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Eisenbibliothek   Iron Library / CC BY-SA 4.0
Eisenbibliothek   Iron Library / CC BY-SA 4.0
Eisenbibliothek   Iron Library / CC BY-SA 4.0
The old books room.   TravelerOfBothTimeandSpace / Atlas Obscura User
More of the old and rare books collection.   TravelerOfBothTimeandSpace / Atlas Obscura User
The oldest book in the library.   TravelerOfBothTimeandSpace / Atlas Obscura User
The treasure room.   TravelerOfBothTimeandSpace / Atlas Obscura User
The Iron Library   TravelerOfBothTimeandSpace / Atlas Obscura User
Paradise Convent.   TravelerOfBothTimeandSpace / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Iron Library is a true hidden gem. This special collection holds some of the world's oldest and rarest books about the history of iron metallurgy, science, and technology. It's located in the beautiful old Paradise Convent, the grounds of which are on the banks of the Upper Rhine.

The library was founded in 1948 by Georg Fischer Ltd. and has one of the world's largest private collections in its subject area. The original collection at the library focused on works about iron and steel, but it has grown to include physics, mathematics, alchemy, natural history, and engineering.

There are over 47,000 books covering 750 years, many of them from the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods. These include medieval manuscripts with writings by Aristotle, a copy of Isaac Newton's Principia (1687), and building plans for the Eiffel Tower just to name a few 

Related Tags

Science Books Museums

Know Before You Go

The Paradise Convent is located 15 minutes walk from Langwiesen train station. The library is open weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm. Visits have to be booked in advance (emails to eisenbibliothek@georgfischer.com). Tours are given by the librarian and last between 45 minutes and an hour.

Community Contributors

Added By

TravelerOfBothTimeandSpace

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

May 25, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Iron Library
4 Klostergutstrasse
Schlatt, 8252
Switzerland
47.684239, 8.676244
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Büsingen Enclave

Büsingen am Hochrhein, Germany

miles away

Museum Stemmler

Schaffhausen, Switzerland

miles away

Haus zum Goldenen Ochsen (House of the Golden Ox) Oriel

Schaffhausen, Switzerland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Switzerland

Switzerland

Europe

Places 171
Stories 21

Nearby Places

Büsingen Enclave

Büsingen am Hochrhein, Germany

miles away

Museum Stemmler

Schaffhausen, Switzerland

miles away

Haus zum Goldenen Ochsen (House of the Golden Ox) Oriel

Schaffhausen, Switzerland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Switzerland

Switzerland

Europe

Places 171
Stories 21

Related Stories and Lists

Our Favorite New Places of 2022

List

By Atlas Obscura

Related Places

  • Coimbra, Portugal

    Cabinet of Curiosities at the University of Coimbra

    One of the oldest universities in the world exhibits thousands of specimens from its 700-year-old collection.

  • Taichung City, Taiwan

    Wufeng Mushroom Museum

    An unassuming museum offers a deep dive into everything about mushrooms, from cultivation innovations to fungi that "talk."

  • Leuven, Belgium

    Museum voor Dierkunde

    This 19th-century zoological collection has withstood the test of time.

  • Panels of the original Norman Doppler Radar.

    Norman, Oklahoma

    National Weather Museum

    This enthusiast-led facility is the only museum in the country dedicated to the preservation of weather artifacts.

  • A display of glass eyes.

    Geneva, Switzerland

    Musée d'Histoire des Sciences (Museum of History of Science)

    A treasure trove of scientific instruments from the 17th and 18th centuries.

  • Tallinn, Estonia

    Banned Books Museum

    This free museum is building a collection of books that are banned, censored or burnt around the world.

  • Kadokawa Musashino Museum

    Tokorozawa, Japan

    Kadokawa Musashino Museum

    This airy five-floor library and museum houses thousands of books and rotating exhibits on Japanese monsters and anime.

  • Jahrtausendturm (Millennium Tower)

    Magdeburg, Germany

    Jahrtausendturm (Millennium Tower)

    A six-story, asymmetrical tower filled to the brim with scientific experiments.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.