Is the Livraria Lello the Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World?
I explore Portugal’s historic bookshop, Livraria Lello, which is frequently named the world’s most beautiful bookstore.
Established in 1906, the Livraria Lello is a bookshop and publisher known for its stunning neo-gothic interiors.
The shop takes its name from founder Jose Pinto De Sousa Lello, who opened his first bookshop in 1881. The Livraria Lello came along 25 years later, opened in collaboration with Jose’s brother.
The shop quickly rose in popularity, becoming Portugal’s largest importer and exporter of literature between 1920 and 1950.
Although there are whisperings that parts of Harry Potter were filmed in the Livraria Lello, none of the movie franchise was actually filmed in Portugal. J K Rowling herself did live in Porto for a year and a half, however, which is how the two are connected.
I visited the bookshop during a summer holiday to Porto, where I spent a week exploring the city and relaxing by the Douro river. Naturally, the Livraria Lello was right at the top of my to-visit list, and I was excited to see whether it really was as beautiful as people said.
And, well, it’s true, the shop really is stunning inside. The floor and shelves are lined with dark, gleaming wood and a show stopping staircase curls through the centre of the shop like a red carpet. It’s almost otherworldly, wonderfully preserved and very rare for a bookshop to look quite this beautiful.
The only catch is that you’re very unlikely to actually see the bookshop quite as empty as it is in these photos. In fact, during the busy season the bookshop is completely swamped with tourists, and there’s often a long queue to even get inside the doors. The shop is so popular that visitors are now required to purchase a ticket before entering, although the cost of this can be deducted from any purchases that you make.
To capture these photos, I visited towards the end of the day and sweet talked the staff into letting me stay five minutes after closing.
While the shop itself is undeniably beautiful, I did find their stock to be somewhat limited. From what I could see, most of the books that they had on sale were classics that they had republished themselves in a variety of languages.
These were beautifully done, and make lovely souvenirs, but it did make for an unusual browsing experience which felt more like a gift shop rather than a traditional bookshop. A limited number of other books were also available, but these were few and far between across the shop’s two floors.
My overall feeling is that the Livraria Lello is a gorgeous historical building that feels more like a tourist attraction than a bookshop. That’s not to say that it isn’t worth visiting - it definitely is - but book lovers need to keep their expectations in check and not expect the usual bookshop browsing experience.
During my visit I picked up a lovely copy of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry for my home library, which will remind me of my lovely holiday in Porto for years to come.
Where to find the Livraria Lello
You’ll find the Livraria Lello in the centre of Porto, close to the São Bento train station.
The full address for the bookshop is:
Rua das Carmelitas 144, Porto 4050-161 Portugal
The city is easy to walk around but also has a variety of public transport options available, with buses and trains stopping near the Livraria Lello.
You can find full public transport instructions on their website site.
Ticket prices and opening times
The bookshop is open every day between 9am - 7pm.
The cheapest ticket costs €10 and may be bought in advance on their website, or on the door when you arrive. More expensive options are also available, and the cost is deductible from anything that you buy inside the shop.
Other things to do in Porto
There are so many things to see and do in this lively city, and after visiting the Livraria Lello, I highly recommend taking a stroll around the area to take in the sights.
Just a few minutes walk away from the bookshop you’ll find the Clérigos Church, which is a great spot for a rest out of the sun and to take in the baroque architecture. For a small fee, you can also climb the 75 meter bell tower for panoramic views of the city.
Wander through the Praça Gomes Teixeira and observe the beautiful blue azulejos tiling that decorates the nearby Catholic Church, Igreja do Carmo. You can see more of this gorgeous tiling inside the São Bento Railway Station, which is also nearby. Don’t forget to grab an ice cream from one of the many delicious gelato shops in the area.
Once you’ve finished exploring, walk down the hill to the Douro and take the Guindais Funi cable car across the river. Stroll up to Kittie Rock Point to enjoy the view and have dinner at a riverside restaurant before catching the cable car back.
Have you visited the Livraria Lello? I’d love to know what you thought.
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