There are places on this Earth that inspire you not only because of their warmth and kindness or their beautiful surroundings, but also because of their strong commitment to creating a better future. Medellín is one of such inspiring places.

This second biggest city in Colombia has seen so much transformation over the past few decades that it is hard to imagine that the cosy, lush streets and artsy uphill neighborhoods that you can walk in today used to be the most dangerous on the planet only three decades ago!

Being a teacher myself, what I find particularly inspiring about this story is that education was such a big driver of Medellín's transformation success.

They believed that investing in education, especially for children at a young age, and putting up libraries all across the city to promote life-long learning was key to make a change.

And it worked!

Today, Medellín's public libraries are not only a place where people borrow and read books. They are also a place where people socialize, attend dance classes and art workshops, extend their education in different areas... and most importantly, get a proof every day that a better life is possible!

The architects of Medellin's public libraries

If you happen to visit Medellín one day, make sure to put the city's library parks on your travel itinerary, as the buildings are architectural masterpieces, too.

Here is a list of the three most impressive ones:

• Spain Public Library Park by architect Giancarlo Mazzanti

• San Javier Library Park by architect Javier Vera

• La Ladera Library Park by architect Giancarlo Mazzanti ‍