One of the oldest bookstores in Portugal (1881) and indeed in Europe can be found in a beautiful historic house in the city centre. It is popular with travellers not only for its wide range of books, but especially for its richly decorated interior and the world-famous staircase from the ground floor to the second floor.
The staircase that inspired Harry Potter
This magnificent neo-Gothic building with Art Nouveau elements will charm you with its incredible interior. Its main landmark is the wooden staircase with burgundy lacquer and beautifully decorated ceilings with carved wood. The bookstore is lit by an 8x3 meter stained glass window.
It is this staircase that, thanks to its magical atmosphere, has become the subject of myths about how it inspired J.K. Rowling, author of the famous Harry Potter saga, when writing the books. She lived in Porto in the early 1990s, but she has mentioned several times that she never visited the Livraria Lello bookshop.
Despite this, Harry Potter fans in particular flock to the bookstore's premises in such numbers that Livrario Lello ranks among the top three most visited places in Porto.
The architect of the entire bookstore building was Francisco Xavier Esteves.
Admission and opening hours
The place is definitely worth a visit, it's just actually smaller than it may seem from the photos.
Don't be surprised that there is a fee for just entering the bookstore. In fact, such are the crowds that stream into the small space that the bookstore management has been forced to regulate them. In addition, you now have to register the exact time of your visit on the official website livrarialello.pt/ticket-voucher.
Admission costs 8 eur, but if you buy a book, the full €5 will be deducted from the final amount.
It is open daily from 10am to 7pm.
How to get to Livraria Lello
The bookshop can be found on Rua das Carmelitas in the historic centre of Porto.
The nearest metro stations are São Bento and Aliados, both about 300 metres from the bookshop.
What to see around
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