Experts' Choice Award Livraria Lello
What the experts agree on
This neo-Gothic 1906 bookshop dazzles with a stained-glass ceiling, ornate carved staircases, and a Hogwarts-like magic—but its fame draws serious crowds, so arrive early to beat the circus-like lines.
“Livraria Lello & Irmão is a bookstore in central Porto, just up the road from the Clérigos Church.”
– Afar Magazine
Travel + Leisure "The elaborate neo-Gothic façade of this former library barely hints at the opulence inside: carved wood, gilded pillars, ornamented ceilings, and a gorgeous red staircase lit by a stained-glass atrium." Full review
On the Grid "This bookshop’s distinctive architecture gives it historical and artistic value." Full review
Atlas Obscura "One of the most beautiful bookstores in the world hides a neo-Gothic interior behind an art nouveau facade. " Full review
U.S. News & World Report10.0
"A bookstore may not seem like one of the most necessary things to see in a new city, but when it's consistently named one of the world's most beautiful, it's worth a look." Full review
Lonely PlanetTop choice
"Ostensibly a bookshop, but even if you’re not after books, don’t miss this exquisite 1906 neo-Gothic confection, with its lavishly carved plaster resembling wood and stained-glass skylight." Full review
Travel + Leisure "Shows off opulent staircases, an ornate stained-glass ceiling, and towering shelves...Harry Potter fans might notice a connection between the magical interiors of the historic bookstore "
New York Times "The circus-like atmosphere along the Douro riverfront and outside Livraria Lello, a neo-Gothic 19th-century bookstore, are only the most obvious signs"
Lonely Planet "Step foot inside Porto’s Livraria Lello bookshop and you’ll feel as though you’ve been transported straight into a Diagon Alley boutique. The neo-Gothic interior (stacked floor-to-ceiling..."
Top 10 Harry Potter experiences in the world
January 28, 2020
Independent "The ornate Livraria Lello bookshop, said to have inspired the Hogwarts library, is among Porto's crown jewels"
"Alternatively, you can curl up under the stained glass ceiling with a book at Livraria Lello, one of the world's most fascinating bookshops"
