The most beautiful bookshop in Europe
There are not many cities in the world where a bookstore can become a cult object, and Porto is one of them. Considered the most beautiful bookstore in Europe, Lello & Irmão is an unmissable stop in your visit, being one of the places that never goes unnoticed by tourists, in a city characterized by its magic.
Considered as a bookstore for over a century, its interior became in a privileged setting that takes you to other times, travelling among thousands of books. Have you already visited it? Do you have it on your travel agenda? Join us. Here we tell you its story.
In order to know the origins of the Lello & Irmão bookstore, we should look back to history of Porto. The brothers José and António Lello began their activity as booksellers in 1881, in a nearby location. But the building that now stands at Rua das Carmelitas, number 144, was designed and constructed to host the new bookstore.
Porto was experiencing an enormous economic growth, and the opening of the bookstore, on January 13th 1906, caused positive emotions to the most cultivated people, being extraordinary welcomed by portuense society. No one expected this library to become one of the most beautiful in the world, and one of the most attractive places in the city a century later.
At the first sight, the building, built in the neo-Gothic style, presents a magnificent facade that gives way to a majestic interior that looks like something more than a library. In 2016, the bookstore carried out a deep cleaning and repair of all its heritage elements, appearing what we can see and enjoy today.
But let’s visit it. It’s worth.
The Lello library has a privileged location. Situated in the old town of Porto, it’s a must-see of the city, and you can plan your visit on the same route as the Torre de los Clérigos, the University, the Cathedral or the centennial Café Áncora d´Ouro.
There is no doubt that Lello bookstore is much more than a place to buy books. Here we can admire them in some other way. But perhaps the first thing that will get our attention will be the long queues of people waiting to visit the library, every day of the week. It’s not surprising that to access the interior you must pay an entry of five euros, which will be discounted from any purchase you make inside. The increasing tourist flow experienced in recent years forced this new measure in the organization when visiting the building.
Once inside, without a doubt at the first glance we see the double-sided staircase that is the first target of all the photographers. At the back, we see two bronze busts by the sculptor Abel Salazar, belonging to two of the great writers of the Iberian Peninsula, Miguel de Cervantes and Eça de Queiroz. On the first floor, we find a comfortable room with reading chairs, in which we can also enjoy a coffee or a drink.
The shelves that flood the building with thousands of books seem as if they were pouncing on you. The roof, that appear to be made of wood, is also very eye-catching, but it was actually made of carved plaster.
Crowning the space, we find a spectacular stained-glass window, which is about 8 meters (26ft) long and 3,5 meters (11,5 ft) wide, giving an extraordinary colourful illumination to the place, which undoubtedly provides an unforgettable setting for our pictures.
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Halfway between history and legend, the Lello bookstore has gained fame in recent years by the rumour that some of the scenes from Harry Potter movies were filmed inside.
Although this is not exact, because the film was filmed on British stages and in Warner studios, it is true that these scenes are inspired by the portuense bookstore. The author of the story, J.K. Rowling, was a professor at the University of Porto for two years and fell in love with the bookstore and many other corners of the city. Do you want to know all about them? Join our guides and they will explain you all the details about everything you need to see in Porto.
If you are planning a visit to the historic centre of Porto and want to stop at the Lello bookstore, don't miss it. Don’t be scared by the queues or be discouraged. Think that it’s an unique place, that you will have an unforgettable visit and also that you will be able to see an extraordinary bibliographic collection. Manage your time, try to go there early, or half an hour before closing.
But, if you want a different visit through the centre of Porto, trust our guides and sing up for the Free Tour Porto. You will avoid waiting and they will reveal to you like nobody all the secrets of the city, its history and its corners. Porto is waiting for you!
· Address: Rua das Carmelitas, 144
· Price: 5 euros that you can discount on the purchase of any book. You can purchase tickets online at www.livrarialello.pt. Buying the coupon online does not give priority to the bookstore entrance.
· How to get there: Bus: lines 201, 207, 500, 601 and 602.Metro: Aliados stop. 10 minutes walking to the library.
· Schedule: Monday to Sunday: from 10:00 to 20:00
