Livraria Lello & Irmão
Found close to the Torre dos Clérigos, the Livraria Lello & Irmão is considered the most beautiful library in Europe and one of the most beautiful in the world.
Livraria Lello & Irmão is a bookshop in the heart of Porto housed in a neo-gothic building from 1906, so exquisitely decorated covered in wood panelling that it will transport you to the nineteenth century.
The bookstore has two floors with shelves packed with books of all shapes and sizes covering every wall and touching the ceiling. An elegant wooden and red velvet staircase stands in the middle of the library connecting both floors, while the stained-glass window at the top fills the shop with natural light bringing the room to life.
A fairy-tale setting
You cannot miss a visit to this unique bookshop, where you’ll feel you’ve just walked into a fairy-tale setting instead of a library.
So much magic surrounds this bookshop that there is an urban legend that J.K. Rowling was inspired by the Lello e Irmao Bookshop to write her successful Harry Potter saga.
Schedule
Monday – Saturday: 9 am – 7:30 pm
Price
Entrance fee: € 8 (US$ 8.50) (if you buy anything you will be refunded the ticket price)
Nearby places
Clérigos Church and Clérigos Tower (86 m) Praça da Liberdade (281 m) São Bento Railway Station (359 m) Porto Cathedral – Sé do Porto (496 m) Igreja dos Grilos (498 m)
