There are plenty of breathtaking bookshops around the world but there’s one that’s so popular you have to pay if you want to simply browse the collections
My two biggest passions are travel and books, so whenever there’s an opportunity to combine the two, I’m there.
While planning a recent trip to Porto, Portugal, I found out that it was home to what’s been hailed as the “world’s most beautiful bookshop”, so naturally it was instantly on the itinerary.
Livraria Lello is likely to have made an appearance on your social media feeds already. Said to be an inspiration for scenes in Harry Potter, the spectacular bookshop boasts huge bookshelves, intricate architecture, stained glass ceilings and an iconic red spiral staircase in the heart of the building.
However, its ever-increasing popularity means that overcrowding became a huge concern; so you now have to book a time slot to go and visit. I didn’t realise this until I turned up in Porto, but thankfully there were still a few slots left during our trip.
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Visiting quite literally comes at a price; you have to pay €10 in advance. The bookshop introduced the rule because of the amount of people who were visiting for the photo opps, but not actually buying any books. If you do buy some books, the €10 fee gets deducted from your total purchase.
I opted for a 9.30am slot in the hope that the crowds wouldn’t be too bad. I wasn’t prepared for the crowds that were queueing up already though, from earlier time slots and some later ones too. We dutifully queued up for our time slot entrance, and I was ready to have to wait for a frustrating amount of time; luckily, it turned out that I was just being pessimistic because about 15 minutes later we made it into the shop. Instantly, I could see what all the fuss is about.
Livraria Lello truly looks like it belongs in a storybook castle. You walk in and the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are pretty impressive, not to mention the imposing grand staircase makes you feel like you’ve walked into a ballroom scene in Bridgerton.
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I was sceptical about whether I’d actually end up buying any books considering we were in Portugal, and therefore incorrectly assumed all of the books would be in Portuguese. However, the bookshop has absolutely catered to the crowds of worldwide visitors, and books are organised in sections depending on the language you speak. It was brilliant as it meant I could browse the books (and yes, I did end up picking up about five).
There were also some beautiful limited edition covers created just for Livraria Lello, as well as plenty of exclusive merchandise whether you’re a Harry Potter fan or love The Little Prince. The queue for the till wasn’t very long, so I can see why they decided to charge an entrance fee.
What’s also great is that Livraria Lello is in the centre of Porto, so it’s a short walk from heaps of the beautiful landmarks. However, being a Brit, I couldn’t resist heading over to the nearby McDonald’s but before you judge me, I should add that it’s known for being the world’s most beautiful McDonald’s, so I had to see if it lived up to the hype!
You can find out more and book tickets at livrarialello.pt. For more information about Porto, head to visitporto.travel.
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