Livraria Lello

Porto

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DESTINATIONS portugal porto Shopping Livraria Lello

Livraria Lello

Book lovers will feel as though they have slipped between the pages of a fantasy novel in this lovely bookstore in downtown Porto. With magical architecture rumoured to have inspired J.K. Rowling, Livraria Lello is considered one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world and has thus become a major tourist attraction. The building itself is stunning, boasting elements of Neo-Gothic, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco embellishments that comprise intricate woodwork, a large stained-glass skylight, and an impressive spiral staircase, which starts as one set of stairs and splits into two that join in a circular design. Tickets to visit the bookstore can be bought on their website.

Shopping

Porto’s main shopping street is the pedestrianised Rua de Santa Catarina in the city centre, where you will find famous international brands as well as the large Centro Comercial ViaCatarina Shopping Center. However, the small streets off the main streets are also worth a visit, brimming with independent shops selling fresh bread, cheese, and cakes, interspersed with bookstores and traditional shoe shops. Gold jewellery is another speciality of Portugal, a reflection of its colonial past and its conquests of gold-rich lands in South America. For a taste of daily Portuguese life, pay a visit to one of Porto’s many open-air markets to mingle with the locals and try some local delicacies.