Livraria Lello in Porto is often cited as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world and many people visit it each year.
But is it worth all the hype? Some people say that it is an absolute must-see, while others claim that it’s simply overrated and not worth your time.
In this blog post, I will share both my experience of visiting Livraria Lello as well as my honest thoughts on the matter, so you can decide for yourself if it’s worth your time and money.
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Why is Livraria Lello famous?
Leaving its arhitectural beauty aside, there’s no denying that a big part of its fame is due to its rumored connection with Harry Potter. Since J.K. Rowling lived for a while in Porto, it was believed that she was inspired by the beautiful bookstore when she created Hogwarts.
However, the author denied it in a tweet saying:
For instance, I never visited this bookshop in Oporto. Never even knew of its existence! It’s beautiful and I wish I *had* visited it, but it has nothing to do with Hogwarts!
– J.K. Rowling
Now, if you are a Harry Potter fan and you wanted to visit the bookstore for this very reason, you might be disappointed to read that.
But J.K. Rowling did say she sometimes wrote in The Majestic Cafe, located on Rua Santa Catarina, which is a beautiful place as well. You could visit it, order a coffee, and imagine how bits of Harry’s magical world came alive there.
Where you can find Livraria Lello?
Livraria Lello is located at No. 144, Rua das Carmelitas, in downtown Porto. If you visit the city, it’s literally impossible not to find yourself in its vicinity, as it’s situated between two important landmarks: Igreja do Carmo and Igreja dos Clerigos.
Ticket options and where to buy
To visit the bookstore, you need to get a ticket/voucher. You can buy it online for 8 euros (Silver option – cheapest) or on-site for an extra euro. Upon entering the bookstore you can use it to get a discount on a book of your choice.
We initially didn’t plan to buy anything, but then we saw they had a collection of well-known books, translated into several languages and my fiance had the idea of getting one as a souvenir. And I thought that sounded great!
I got a selection of fairy tales by the Grimm Brothers in English (since I loved them when I was little) and he got The Great Gatsby in Portuguese. The price for a book was 16,90 from which they subtracted the euros we already paid to enter.
There’s also the option to buy a Gold or a Platinum entrance ticket/voucher which is more expensive: 15,95 or 50 euros respectively.
The Gold ticket allows you to pre-select a date and time for your visit and comes with a book from the collection: “The Collection – by Livraria Lello”.
A Platinum ticket on the other hand gives you priority entry (so you won’t have to wait in line) and access to the Gemma Room, a space where the most valuable books are stored (think first editions, rare works, manuscripts, etc).
You can also redeem the cost of the ticket as a discount for a book of your choice (the same as for Silver).
To be honest I don’t think this type of ticket is for the average visitor, unless they’re huge book enthusiasts or collectors. Gemma Room doesn’t seem to have any architectural appeal either, so if you just want to avoid the lines, it’s better to go for the Gold ticket and pre-plan your visit.
Is Livraria Lello worth visiting?
I have to admit, I wasn’t really planning on visiting Livraria Lello during my visit to Porto.
The reason is simple: before the actual trip, I already heard about how busy it could get, and then every time I passed by it while I was in the city, there was a huge line outside.
I loved Porto so much, that I wasn’t willing to give up a few hours of exploring, just to squeeze myself inside the bookstore for a few minutes, no matter how beautiful it was.
And yes, I could have purchased a more expensive ticket to avoid standing in line, but I didn’t feel like the extra money was worth it for me.
But on our last day in Porto, just as we were returning to our accommodation to retrieve our luggage and leave for Lisbon, we were surprised to see only a few people waiting in line outside the building.
We quickly decided to visit it and the queue moved so fast that we barely had time to get our tickets online.
Now about the actual bookstore: it’s truly stunning, there’s no denying it! The central staircase and the ceiling are works of art and I’m happy that I got to see them and also that I bought a different kind of souvenir that I can cherish for years to come.
However, would I have regretted it if I didn’t?! Hard to tell. I imagine that it’s usually way more crowded than it was during my visit, which would in turn make it harder to appreciate its beauty.
So is Livraria Lello in Porto worth visiting?! Well, if you want to see it for the sole reason that it’s supposed to have inspired Hogwarts (which we know J.K. Rowling denied), then the answer is no. But, if you want to visit it for its beautiful interior, then the answer might be yes.
However, you’ll have to judge for yourself if the time spent in line or the money for a Gold/Platinum ticket is worth it. Also, remember to take into consideration that if it’s crowded outside, then it’s also going to be equally crowded inside.
You might want to try to visit near the opening or the closing time, in hopes that it’s going to be less busy.
But, if you’re as lucky as I was and the queue to enter is small, I see no reason not to visit and admire its incredible interior.
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