The World's Most Beautiful Bookstores Worth Traveling For

We all remember that graceful ladder in the Beast’s library that could very well be the most beautiful means of transportation in cinematic history. And if we try, we can all practically smell the teetering piles of ancient books at Flourish and Blotts. Don’t even get me started on Kathleen Kelly’s quaint The Shop Around the Corner and the nostalgic yearning I have to crawl into that children’s nook. 

If only these places were real, I think a large portion of women’s issues could be resolved. Loneliness? Cured by a cup of tea with the shop owner. Heartache? Spend time in the Austen aisle. Uninspired? Simply get lost in the winding towers of books, stacked precariously high over creaking wooden floors and sleeping cats.

The good news is, bookstores like these do exist outside the bindings and off scripts. But like finding a good book, it’s a journey all its own to discover them. With 74% of Americans making travel plans this summer, let’s add some of these quirky and old-world bookstores to your must-visit travel list this year. From ornate historic emporiums to charming independent shops, these destinations combine literary culture with breathtaking aesthetics and travel inspiration.

An Unexpected Travel Destination

I’ll never forget when I lived in Philadelphia and stumbled across a beautiful Victorian rowhome with bookshelves out front. I had walked this street hundreds of times, but on this fall day, I paused and squinted up at the windows. It wasn’t just student housing like the homes that flanked either side. I wandered inside and immediately knew I found a hidden gem.

The aisles were no broader than the width of my shoulders, and the shelves stretched all the way to the fourteen foot ceilings. The bookkeeper didn’t look up from behind the counter as I walked in (as if he could even see me past his piles of books), and I gingerly walked up the steep stairway to the second floor that had books piled on each step.

Rooms were filled with wardrobes that crammed even more books, and even the closets were carved into spaces for niche genres like Contemporary Dance and German History.

From that day onward, whenever friends or family came from out of town, I would gladly steer them away from the touristy Old City or popular and overpriced cafes and instead take them to this bookstore. 

Over the years, bookstores have become cultural travel destinations for travelers hungry for a richer experience than most tourist destinations have to offer. They are no longer a place for locals or the PhD student in desperate search of an out-of-print book. Similar to cafes, independent bookstores are no longer solely about the goods sold. They’re an experience all unto themselves.

10 Bookstores Well Worth A Trip 

Livraria Lello | Porto, Portugal

Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal is often called one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, and for once, the hype feels justified. Opened in 1906, it’s all carved wood, stained glass, and that famous crimson staircase that seems to float. It’s the kind of place that makes you pause when you walk in, like you’ve stepped into something slightly unreal. People say it helped inspire Harry Potter while J.K. Rowling was living nearby, which feels easy to believe once you’re inside.

Libreria Acqua Alta | Venice, Italy

As if Venice couldn’t get any more dreamy, Libreria Acqua Alta feels like a whimsical dream. Tucked along quiet canals, this eccentric shop stacks its volumes in bathtubs, boats, and gondolas—an imaginative response to the city’s flooding. Narrow passages overflow with towering piles of books, inviting you to wander and discover something unexpected at every turn. In the back, a staircase made of old books leads to a canal view. It’s delightfully chaotic, where every corner tells a story.

Boekhandel Dominicanen | Maastricht, Netherlands

Set inside a 13th-century Dominican church, Boekhandel Dominicanen is all soaring arches, soft light, and the kind of stillness that makes you slow down without realizing it. The shelves rise gently within the old stone walls, blending the past with the present in a way that just works. It’s the kind of place where you don’t rush; you just wander, look up, and take it all in.

The Last Bookstore | Los Angeles, United States

The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles feels more like a maze than a shop. Set inside an old bank, it mixes grand architecture—vaulted ceilings, marble columns—with stacks of books that seem to take over every corner. Upstairs, tunnels and arches made of novels turn browsing into something closer to exploring. It’s creative, a little chaotic, and very easy to get lost in, in the best way.

Shakespeare and Company | Paris, France

As if you need another excuse to visit Paris, Shakespeare and Company feels like a quiet little world tucked along the Seine. Inside, it’s all winding shelves, creaking floors, and cozy corners you immediately want to disappear into for an hour (or three). Founded by George Whitman, it’s long been a home for writers and wanderers, Hemingway included, and you can feel that history in the walls. Notes from past visitors are tucked between the books, like small reminders that people have come here looking for the same thing you are.

And if Shakespeare and Company doesn’t have enough whimsy for you, be sure to also check out The Abbey Bookshop in the Latin Quarter! 

Atlantis Books | Santorini, Greece

Atlantis Books in Santorini feels like a secret carved into the edge of the Aegean. Tucked beneath whitewashed walls and winding pathways, this small bookstore opens out to sweeping sea views and those golden, end-of-day sunsets. Founded by a group of traveling writers, it carries a kind of creativity you can feel in every corner. As the sun dips, the whole place starts to glow. It's less like a shop and more like a moment you don’t quite want to leave.

El Ateneo Grand Splendid | Buenos Aires, Argentina

Set inside a restored 1919 theater, El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires still holds onto its balconies, velvet curtains, and painted ceilings, all of it wrapped in that kind of old-world elegance you don’t see much anymore. Books now fill the former auditorium, and the stage has been turned into a café. 

Cărturești Carusel | Bucharest, Romania

OK, I’m pretty sure if Heaven had a bookstore, it’d look like this. Cărturești Carusel in Bucharest feels like stepping into a luminous sanctuary of books and light. Housed in a beautifully restored 19th-century building, its elegant white interior spirals upward through multiple balconies, each lined with carefully arranged shelves. 

Bart’s Books | Ojai, U.S.

As one of the largest outdoor bookstores in the world, Bart’s Books’ shelves spill into open-air courtyards, shaded by trees and warmed by the California breeze. Books line the walls and even stretch onto the sidewalk, inviting passersby to pause and browse on an honor system. There’s a laid-back, almost timeless charm to the space.

Word on the Water, London, U.K.

Books on a boat…well, a barge. What a dream! Word on the Water floats along London’s canals, packed floor to ceiling with books stacked against every wall and railing. It’s cozy, a little cramped, and completely charming, with twinkling lights overhead and quiet corners to settle into. Between the gentle sway of the boat and the sound of the water outside, it’s the kind of bookstore that makes you want to linger much longer than you planned.