The world's best bookshops

When planning a trip itinerary, most of us will pick out the biggest tourist sights, the greatest restaurants, the nicest parks. But a good bookshop can be a great addition to your schedule, mixing local history, architecture and souvenir shopping with the unparalleled joy of browsing.

Granted, buying lots of books to take home may not be good for your luggage allowance. But hey, a bookworm’s gotta do what a bookworm’s gotta do. And bringing home souvenirs you can actually enjoy and reuse is no bad thing. Books are a special kind of memento that help you return to that place in the future, without even having to leave your house. Bring back a travel journal by a local author describing the streets and neighborhoods they love so much; a biography of a famous figure that dips into a place’s history and culture; a photography anthology of the region’s greatest landscapes – it will be like returning to the destination all over again, and seeing it from a new and  intimate point of view. 

So here are some of our favourite shops around the world to add your bookworm bucket list. Just remember to plan your packing carefully before visiting these destinations, so you can fill your suitcase with all the books you can manage on the trip home!

Regarded as one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world, Livraria Lello was originally commissioned as a grand home for limited edition books, and all kinds of rare tomes are now on display inside. Elsewhere in the shop, the fantastical mix of Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Neo-Gothic styles is the perfect setting for book lovers to browse. Although it was always buzzing with local customers, Livraria Lello has gained even more popularity as an attraction since it was rumoured that J K Rowling found inspiration here for her Harry Potter series. It doesn’t take long to see why: the gallery, stained-glass roof panels and curving double staircase would not look out of place in Hogwarts.

A highlight for any book-lover’s itinerary of Paris, the iconic Shakespeare and Company was established by George Whitman in 1951. It was named after the renowned bookshop run by Sylvia Beach on nearby Rue de l’Odéon, which closed in 1941 during the Occupation. Over the years, the owner allowed young writers to sleep in the shop for free, asking them only to read, pitch in at the shop and write a page-long autobiography as payment. The shop continues Whitman’s traditions, and his daughter Sylvia – named after Beach – maintains the ethos. The shop is tiny, but well stocked with contemporary literature, Paris-themed books and a healthy selection of English travel books. Next door is a coffee shop, where you can settle down with a book at one of the outdoor tables facing the fabulous Notre-Dame cathedral.

Ireland’s literary heritage is truly remarkable, with four Nobel prize winners – in Bernard Shaw, Yeats, Beckett and Heaney – before even mentioning the likes of Wilde, Joyce, Swift, Stoker and C S Lewis. Book-lovers will enjoy the regular festivals, museums and re-enactments that honour these luminaries. For those hunting down a souvenir to match the country’s impressive literary legacy, head to Charlie Byrne’s in Galway, one of Ireland’s most popular independent bookshops. With over 100,000 books stocked on every topic imaginable, this bibliophile’s paradise regularly hosts musical performances and readings from big-name authors.

The bookshop-café is something of a Polish tradition, especially in the university city of Kraków, where the way of life is still heavily influenced by professors and students. The second-hand, English-language bookshop Massolit Books is one of our favourite spots to enjoy this Polish tradition, so pick up an apple pie and an espresso and settle down in one of the cosy, book-lined rooms. It’s common to find people pouring over books here for hours on end, and there’s also a busy calendar of readings, art exhibits or musical events.

Mr B’s Emporium is everything you could want in a bookshop, with a maze-like interior and quirky decor that make you feel like Alice tumbling into Wonderland. But what really makes this shop stand out is the way the booksellers encourage this normally personal – sometimes lonely – hobby to be something collaborative. You can book a Reading Spa appointment with your own “bibliotherapist”, chatting about your favourite genres and books and coming away with a list of recommendations to try out in the future. There are also a huge variety of events and book clubs to join, turning reading into a truly social experience.

Who can resist a bookshop with the title of “largest independent bookstore in the world”? Certainly not us, which is why Powell’s is a must on our bibliophile bucket list. Taking up a whole city block in downtown Portland, Powell’s houses more than one million volumes, including new, old, used, rare and out-of-print books. And yet, despite its size, it’s an easy place to browse. The 3,500 sections are divided into nine color-coded and well-marked rooms, and knowledgeable staff at the information desks possess the remarkable ability to find any book in the store. The in-store coffee shop allows browsers to linger for hours, making Powell’s a popular hangout any day of the year. (Indeed, it’s open all 365 of them!) Visit on a Sunday to explore the store and learn about its history on a free guided tour, which begins at 10am.

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