Spellbinding

Get lost – and find yourself – among beautiful books inside the most gorgeous bookstores in the world

As soon as we walk through the doors, the world outside melts away and we lose ourselves in the stories that line the walls. No matter how easy it is today to simply click and download any book you want, the allure of bookstores is timeless. But across the world, there are some havens of books and literature that are uniquely special.

Whether it’s their Escher-like labyrinth of staircases, their history of gathering famous authors, or their Gothic exteriors and Art Nouveau interiors, these shops are as rare and unique as a classic first edition, and they need our support to continue thriving into the future. So, instead of swiping a screen, turn a page and visit one of these literary havens around the globe.

When you see this Porto landmark, it’s easy to understand its connection to Harry Potter lore. It’s believed that its red-carpeted grand staircase inspired J. K. Rowling’s descriptions of Hogwarts. But you need not be a Potterhead to appreciate its neo-Gothic exterior and Art Nouveau interior. Make sure to look up – a stained-glass, 55-paneled window made by a Dutch master covers the ceiling. Perhaps you’ll be lucky to spot the smiley icon, as tradition states when the restoration of the ceiling was finished, a small detail was added from the current era. 

The capital city of Argentina is also the bookstore capital of the world, with 25 stores for every 100,000 inhabitants. Among the manifold treasures to explore across Buenos Aires, El Ateneo Grand Splendid is the one not to miss. Housed inside a century-old former theater with its opulent ceiling frescoes, ornate carvings, and red stage curtains still intact, it’s a jaw-dropping literary destination. The theater’s stage has been transformed into a reading area and café, and you can nestle up inside the reading rooms created from the old theater boxes. Is this the most beautiful bookstore in the world? Just maybe.

Founded by a poet in 1953, this literary landmark began as the first all-paperback bookstore in the United States, and a cornerstone of beatnik culture. Today, City Lights’ three floors include newly released hardcovers as well as harder-to-find and specialty books, and it even publishes more than 200 print titles of its own. In 2020, independent owners raised over $500,000 through crowdfunding to keep the store alive, and it continues to be a pioneering public platform with its storefront banner series that responds to current events. 

This quirky little bookstore tucked away in a canal alley is high on charm and low on space. So, arrive early before the crowds, as it’s a popular attraction near Campo Santa Maria Formosa. Tourists love to snap photos of the staircase of old encyclopedias, or the bathtubs and gondolas that keep the books from getting wet. “Acqua Alta,” or the high waters that cause Venice’s notorious flooding, are both the shop’s namesake and archnemesis. 

With its stained-glass windows, oak balconies, and conservatory ceiling, this Edwardian bookstore is known for catering to literary-minded and adventurous travelers with its guidebooks, travelogues, language books, antique maps, and books organized by country. It pays homage to every great escape your imagination can conjure with its wide range of fiction, non-fiction, and children’s books. 

There was huge anticipation around the reopening of this New York literary landmark when it moved from its well-loved previous location to the ground floor of Broadway’s St. James Building in 2015. The new store is a beautiful and classy place to browse, retaining the cherry wood shelves from its original location and siting them among high ceilings, chandeliers, and lofty pillars. The collection includes richly illustrated large-format books and a range of European magazines. Regular events include book signings and wine tastings. 

Since opening in 1951 on the banks of the Seine opposite Notre-Dame, this English-language bookstore has been a meeting place for history’s literary greats, such as Henry Miller, Anaïs Nin, and James Baldwin. Aspiring writers and artists through the decades have been invited to stay in cots in exchange for a few hours of work and a promise to read a book and write a one-page autobiography. Ethan Hawke was even one of the 30,000 “tumbleweeds” to stay here (the store made a cameo in movies such as Before Sunset and Midnight in Paris, too). Today, it’s known for antiquarian books and its magical atmosphere, and it offers a free reading library for the public. 

Dublin is a city for readers; it’s a UNESCO-designated City of Literature and the birthplace of great writers. James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, and Bram Stoker all called the Irish capital home, and you might even be lucky enough to find rare editions by one of them at this family-run bookstore. At the time of publication, the store’s collection included a signed edition of Joyce’s Ulysses with illustrations by Henri Matisse from 1935, retailing at €27,500. This is a place for aficionados of genuinely extraordinary books.