With the ease of obtaining e-books with a single click, brick-and-mortar bookstores, ranked globally, are sadly losing popularity. However, book lovers argue that a traditional temple of books can create an eclectic atmosphere that propels discovery, fosters fantasy, entertains, promotes solitude, and facilitates social networking. These amazing bookstores around the world will encourage readers to put down their cell phones and immerse themselves in the printed word. There is something magical about walking into a beautiful bookshop – the smell of paper, the quiet rustle of the pages and the feeling of time slowing down as the stories swirl around you.
Bookstores are not just places to buy books; they are cultural sanctuaries that celebrate imagination, art, and community. Across the world, iconic bookshops to visit are designed like works of art themselves — housed in old theatres, churches, boats, or historic buildings that turn reading into a visual and emotional experience.
The richly decorated Livraria Lello in Portugal, with its stained glass and spiral staircase, evokes a fairy-tale setting, while the cosy, bohemian corners of Shakespeare & Company in Paris tell their own story of a globally renowned bookstore. Some fascinate visitors with magnificent architecture and history, while others charm with quirky interiors, murals and creative exhibitions.
Whether you're a passionate reader, a traveller seeking hidden gems, or simply someone who appreciates beautiful spaces, these bookshops invite you to lose yourself in words and wonder.
In this blog, we'll journey through some of the most beautiful bookshops around the world, exploring the places where literature meets art — and where every shelf, corner, and cover whispers a story waiting to be discovered.
1. Librería El Péndulo, Mexico City, Mexico
Besides browsing through the shelves, you can sip a mojito, munch on food, enjoy live music or stand-up comedy at this cross between a café and a bookshop. It even offers valet parking, elevating the café bookstore concept exceptionally well. Be sure to give the sand-filled pendulum a nudge as it sways back and forth, making patterns as customers gently push it; it is one of the best historic bookstores worth visiting.
2. Polare, Maastricht, Holland
Transformed from a 700-year-old Catholic church to an ornate bookstore, the Polare is indeed a class apart. It houses a massive three-storey bookshelf with staircases, elevators and walkways. Strangely enough, before the Amsterdam-based architecture firm Merkx+Girod designed the current structure, it was a bicycle shed that became the world's prettiest bookshop.
3. Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid Buenos Aires Argentina
El Ateneo Grand Splendid is a gorgeous, renovated movie theatre that is now home to a variety of books. It retains the 1920s glamour using theatre boxes for reading rooms, painted ceilings, and crimson stage curtains. It is estimated that over a million people visit this majestic bookstore annually.
4. Livraria Lello, Porto, Portugal
Often called one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, Livraria Lello bookstore in Porto is a Neo-Gothic masterpiece. The grand staircase, stained-glass skylight, and delicate wooden carvings create a magical atmosphere. Visitors can browse rare Portuguese and English books while surrounded by history and artistry. If you're not a book lover, stepping into Lello feels like entering a fairytale — an unmissable stop in Porto.
5. Boekhandel Dominicanen, Maastricht, Netherlands
It is housed inside a 700-year-old Gothic church, Boekhandel Dominicanen Maastricht, that transforms sacred architecture into a literary sanctuary. The High vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, and a central black steel staircase create a breathtaking contrast between old and modern. The peaceful ambience makes browsing books feel almost spiritual. Alongside thousands of titles, the store has a café set in the choir area — perfect for coffee and quiet reflection. It's one of Europe's most extraordinary bookstores, blending history, culture, and creativity.
6. Daunt Books, London, United Kingdom
Daunt Books in Marylebone, London, is a paradise for travellers and literature lovers. It is noted for its oak galleries, skylights and elegant Edwardian design. It specialises in a mix of travel books, fiction, memoirs and guides, organised by country. The atmosphere is calm, scientific and timeless, inviting you to wander the wooden corridors for hours. Whether you're planning your own adventure or just love bookish haunts, Daunt Books perfectly captures the spirit of literary London.
7. Cafetería El Péndulo, Mexico City, Mexico
A unique and systematic blend of bookstore and café, Cafetería El Péndulo Mexico City surrounds visitors with bookshelves, greenery, and the aroma of fresh coffee. Plants cascading from the balconies, soft music and natural light pouring in through large windows make it one of Mexico City's most fascinating cultural destinations.
8. Kid's Republic, Beijing, China
Opened in 2005, Kid's Republic is the world's first-ranked bookstore specialising in children's books. The bold, bright rainbow-coloured design makes it a fun and comfortable place for kids, encouraging them to let their imaginations run wild. Although it is a haven for kids, you can imagine yourself tucked away in one of your reading cubbies, of course, with a book in hand.
9. Shakespeare and Company, Paris, France
For those who love books stacked over books in narrow hallways, don't look further than Paris's Left Bank. Hidden behind the shadows of Notre Dame, Shakespeare and Company is a stunning English-language bookstore opened worldwide in 1951 by George Whitman. It was featured in Woody Allen's film Midnight in Paris.
10. Bart's Bookstore, Ojai, California
Overwhelmed by his collection of books, Richard Bartinsdale built a collection of bookcases in 1964 along a California sidewalk so that passersby could browse them. Today, Bart's is the world's largest outdoor stunning bookstore worldwide. Not only does it flaunt an extensive collection of rare books, but it also offers a range of services.
11. Ler Devagar, Lisbon, Portugal
This state-of-the-art, modern bookstore, one of the most beautiful in the world, occupies multiple stories of a former factory in Lisbon, a building built in 1884 to manufacture thread and fabric. Readers can drive in Portuguese and international paperbacks on various subjects while a bicycle with wings overlooks them.
12. Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice, Italy
Only in Venice can you find thousands of books inside a rowing boat gondola and even bathtubs. Its owner, LKuis Frizzio, a 70-year-old Venetian, has many cats who love to roam through the books. The shop overlooks one of Venice’s famous canals and has one of the world's most stunning bookstores.
13. Livraria Lello e Irmão, Porto, Portugal
For Harry Potter fans, this bookstore may seem familiar as it has been featured several times in the movie series. The Neo-Gothic walls, stained-glass ceilings, and ornamented pillars are sure to impress you.
14. The American Book Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The American Book Centre, or simply ABC, plays an important role in promoting English literature in the multicultural city of Amsterdam is one of the world's prettiest bookshops. For a book lover, ABC is more of a department store with an organised selection of books and magazines. In the backdrop of a pleasant interior. Their Treehouse section hosts numerous events, conferences, workshops, courses, and performances by emerging artists.
15. Plural Bookshop Bratislava, Slovakia
Plural Historic Bookshop is worth visiting; though smaller than more established stores, its smart, innovative design makes it well worth a visit. It has a climbing wooden floor sandwiched between bookshelves, serving as seating for browsers and an auditorium for spectators during talks and events. There is also a coffee shop at the floor’s peak.
16. Librairie des Colonnes, Tanger, Morocco
Oozing French charm, this historic bookstore, worth visiting, is a famous landmark with wonderful architecture. It is long associated with authors who made their home there for a few months or permanently. The Wonders Plerre Berge and Simon Pierre Hamelin often host events such as book signings, film screenings and musical evenings.
17. Books Actually, Singapore
Specialising in fiction and literature, this independent, stunning bookstore worldwide deserves a visit. Although it is relatively new, it has already made a mark for itself as one of Singapore’s most beautiful places. In an inviting, warm setting, you can lust over a treasure trove of books and retro items, including typewriters.
18. Librairie Avant-garde Nanjing China
In 2013, CNN named Libraririe Avant Garde as China’s most beautiful bookshops in the world. It is located in a mammoth parking lot spanning 4,000 square feet, which was once used as a bomb shelter rather than a storage area for best-selling books. Visitors are welcomed by a replica of Rodin’s The Thinker sculpture.
19. Livraria da Vila, São Paulo, Brasil
What really makes Livraria da Villa's design unique is how it utilises books not just as products to be sold, but also as decorative elements. Isay Weinfeld has beautifully designed every corner of this tower, including atriums on the ground floor, so that visitors can access other floors of one of the world’s prettiest bookshops.
20. Bookbar Bookshop, Rome, Italy
The Bookbar is situated in Palazzo delle Esposizioni, the biggest interdisciplinary exhibition in central Rome. It has three stages: airy rooms, two of which are devoted to books, catalogues, DVDs, and CDs, while the third houses a stylish museum store—one of the most stunning bookstores in the world. Adjacent to the bookstore is a café featuring a menu inspired by the museum's current exhibitions on display.
21. John K King Used and Rare Books, Detroit, Michigan
This houses more than a million books in an abandoned glove factory in Detroit's industrial wasteland. Need I say more? You can spend hours here finding one gem after another. The cardboard signs and musty paperback aromas add to the store's industrial feel.
22. Barter Books, Alnwick, UK
Back in 1991, in the face of a rather large overdraft. Mary Manley decided to open a secondhand iconic bookshop worth visiting. Based on the swap system, and called Barter Books. It hit the headlines in 2001 when the owner rediscovered an old World War II poster featuring the slogan "Keep Calm and Carry on", and the simple design has since turned it into an international phenomenon.
23. Cook and Book, Brussels, Belgium
Conveniently located on the main line of the metro in Brussels is a whimsical, globally ranked bookstore. Don't be confused by the name: Cook and Book does not specialise in cookbooks. Instead, it is a unique combination of good food with good books that you can read while you eat.
24. Atlantis Books, Santorini, Greece
The neglected old village house was converted to a magical place when two young friends decided to open it on the island over a bottle of wine. It was the only thing the Mediterranean island was missing: a haven for readers and writers. Atlantis hosts festivals and sunset readings on their terrace with sea views. They even started their own publishing house in the back room of the shop is indeed one of the world’s prettiest bookshops.
25. Brazenhead Books, New York, USA
After the rent at his Brooklyn retail space skyrocketed, Michael Seidenberg relocated his secondhand bookshop to this Upper East Side apartment, where it operates under the radar, largely unknown to many of his building's residents. To schedule a visit, simply call and arrange an appointment. Good luck finding him in the phone book if you have one.
26. Le Bal Des Ardents, Lyon, France
French for the burning ball, this quaint, most beautiful bookshop in the world has an eye-catching arch entrance. Founded in 2003, it is dedicated to supporting the publication of unknown authors and independent themes that are often overlooked by traditional publishers.
27. Librairie Ptyx, Brussels, Belgium
La Librairie Ptyx is famed for its dictionary-square facade, featuring images and brief bios of some of the authors whose books are housed within the stunning bookstores worldwide. It offers a diverse range of literature, with a focus on fostering the exchange of views and perspectives.
28. Book Now, Bendigo, Australia
Old books are packed tightly onto shelves laid out on tables, categorised into small alcoves. Creaking timber floorboards and stairs lead up to a book-filled mezzanine. It would be difficult to come into Book Now and not find something of interest among the 60,000 or so second-hand titles they carry at one of the historic bookstores worth visiting.
29. Livraria Cultura, São Paulo, Brasil
Livraria Cultura was founded in 1948 by Eva Herz, who had left Berlin in 1938 to escape from the bazis. She started by using a spare room at her house as a rental library and eventually worked her way to Brazil’s largest bookstore. There are massive dragon statues to play on, areas to lounge, and four stories of pure book field aisles to wander through.
30. Brattle Bookshop, Boston, USA
It was founded in 1825; this is one of the largest antiquarian bookshops in the country. The store got its name from Brattle Street in Boston, where it originally was located. Today, this renowned bookstore, which is a stunning attraction worldwide, stands on West Street in downtown Boston. The vacant parking lot next to it serves as an outdoor wing of books, weather permitting, of course.
Travel Tips for Visiting Iconic Bookstores
Visiting the most beautiful bookstores in the world is a dream come true for any book lover. To get the most out of your literary journey, a little planning goes a long way. Here we've listed some innovative and practical travel tips to ensure your bookstore visit is as magical as it looks on Instagram.
Visit During Off-Peak Hours
The charm of a ranked bookstore globally lies in the quiet corners and cosy aisles. To truly experience the atmosphere, visit early in the morning or on weekdays. Famous bookstores like Shakespeare and Company (Paris) or El Ateneo Grand Splendid (Buenos Aires) can get crowded — off-peak hours give you time to browse and take photos without rush.
Take a Moment to Soak It In
Don't rush through — sit, read, and let the environment inspire you. Many iconic bookshops to visit, such as Daunt Books (London) or Cafébrería El Péndulo (Mexico City), feature reading nooks and cafés where you can enjoy coffee while reading a good book. It's not just about buying — it's about feeling the soul of the place.
● Be Respectful With Photography
It's tempting to capture every shelf and corner, but some stunning bookstores worldwide have photography restrictions or ask visitors to limit the use of flash. Always check signage or ask politely before taking photos — respect the calm atmosphere that makes these places special.
Pack Light- and Leave Space for Books
If you're travelling abroad, make sure to leave extra room in your luggage for your finds. Many famous bookstores sell exclusive editions or tote bags that make for perfect keepsakes.
Final Takeaway
From grand historic bookstores worth visiting halls to quirky hidden gems, these 23 beautiful bookshops prove that bookstores are far more than just places to buy books; they are sanctuaries of imagination, art, and culture. Each one tells a unique story through its architecture, atmosphere, and soul. Whether you’re a traveller, dreamer, or book lover, these literary havens remind us that the magic of reading is universal — and the world truly opens up between the pages.