The Livraria Lello in Porto

A stone’s throw from the Clerigos Tower, in the center of Porto, the Livraria Lello is unanimously considered one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world! JK Rowling, author of the famous Harry Potter saga, was actually largely inspired by this mythical bookstore!

Follow the guide! ⚡

Brief history of the Livraria Lello in Porto

The origins of the Lello Bookstore

Let’s go back in time to the 19^th century: Ernesto Chardron founded in 1869 the Livraria Internacional de Ernesto Chardron.

Twenty-five years later, brothers José and António Pinto de Sousa Lello bought the business and renamed it Livraria Lello e Irmão (“Lello and Brother Bookstore”).

But the building which now houses the bookstore did not exist at the time. The Lello brothers entrusted the construction of the bookstire to the engineer Francisco Xavier Esteves, and the brand new Livraria Lello opened its doors to the public on January 13, 1906.

St Rowling, Harry Potter & the Livraria Lello

In the early 1990s, English author JK Rowling moved to Porto, where she taught English for two years. She gave English classes in the evenings, and spent most of her days writing… She was a regular at the Livraria Lello, as well as the Café Majestic, an historic café located at Rua de Santa Catarina (which Captain Ulysses definitely recommend checking out).

In 1993, JK Rowling left Porto with the first three chapters of Harry Potter in her suitcases. Her 2 years in Porto left her with a lasting impression, to such an extent that she drew inspiration from the “Northern Capital” to write her mythical saga. The Flourish and Blotts bookshop, located on Diagon Alley, as well are the moving stairs of Hogwarts, are inspired from the Livraria Lello in Porto!

From the bankruptcy to resounding success

In 2015, the Livraria Lello was on the verge of bankruptcy. In order to save the bookshop, the management decided to start charging an admission fee to visitors (5 €, convertible into a deductible voucher to purchase books).

The bet paid off! The Lello Bookshop welcomes some 4,000 visitors and sells an average of 1,200 books per day! The bookstore now counts 60 employees (only 9 in 2015) and has never been this profitable.

The other side of the coin: the queues are very long at the entrance and you will need to be patient to be able to enter the bookstore.

Visiting the Livraria Lello

The facade of the Livraria Lello

Before entering the bookstore, take some time to admire its immaculate facade blending neo-Gothic and art nouveau influences.

The two figures painted by the artist José Bielman on the facade represent Art (on the left) and Science (on the right).

Inside the Livraria Lello

While the facade of the building is beautiful, the interior of the bookshop is quite simply sumptuous.

The walls, lined with large bookcases from floor to ceiling, are filled with books of all kinds: heaven on earth for book lovers.

The busts of famous Portuguese writers (Antero de Quental, Eça de Queiroz, Camilo Castelo Branco, Teófilo Braga…) are also on display all over the bookstore.

Upstairs, don’t forget to look up to admire the stunning stained glass windows decorated with the monogram and the motto of the bookshop: Decus in Labore (dignity in work).

The highlight of the visit: the emblematic forked staircase with its lacquered red steps. While it may seem made of wood, the staircase is actually built of plaster: impressive!

Here again, you will have to be patient: the Livraria Lello is often packed and traffic jams on the stairs are common !

Access

Getting to the Livraria Lello

The Lello Bookstore is located a stone’s throw from the Clérigos Tower and the University of Porto, at number 144 Rua das Carmelitas . The ticket office is located some twenty meters away, at the corner between the Rua das Carmelitas and the Praça de Gomes Teixeira.

If you haven’t purchased your tickets online, you will have to queue twice: first at the ticket office and then at the entrance to the bookstore.

To avoid wasting too much time, Captain Ulysses highly recommends:

• Either presenting yourself at the ticket office when it opens at 9:30 a.m.
• Or opting for a private or group guided tour including entry into the bookstore

The closest means of transport are:

• Metro: Aliados station (line D)
• Tram: Carmo stop (line 22)
• Bus: lines 6, 20, 35, 37, 52 and 78

Opening hours of the Livraria Lello

The bookstore is open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is closed on Christmas, New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, May 1^st and June 24.

Admission to the Livraria Lello & guided tours

Access to the Livraria Lello is free for children under 3 years old, and is €5 for all other visitors. The entrance ticket can be converted into a €5 deductible voucher in the bookstore.

Admission is included in some guided tours. Captain Ulysses suggests taking this magical Harry Potter-inspired tour of Porto.

Precautions to take before visiting the Lello Bookstore

Oversized backpacks and bags are not permitted inside the Livraria Lello. You will therefore be asked to leave them in a locker, next to the ticket office. Remember to bring a 1 euro coin for the locker and to keep with you the essentials (wallet and camera).

Speaking of cameras, photos are allowed in the library, but with no flash!

👉 Skip the lines: book your tickets and visits in Porto!

👉 Looking for a place to stay in Porto?