By Noreen Kompanik
TravelPulse

In an increasingly digital age, it appears that physical bookstores have become more than just places to buy books. They offer something that online shopping and e-books can’t quite replicate—the experience of discovery. Jen Campbell, author of “The Bookshop Book,” said: “You see, bookshops are dreams built of wood and paper. They are time travel and escape and knowledge and power. They are, simply put, the best of places.”

Bookstores offer settings in which people can imagine, linger, explore, and connect. There’s something serendipitous about wandering through rows of shelves a computer screen can’t reproduce: the smell of paper, the book in your hands, and myriads of colorful covers. For many, bookstores evoke childhood memories of visiting with family or friends, choosing a favorite book, or spending hours probing the shelves.

Here are some quirky, whimsical bookstores around the globe that are must-visit destinations for any bibliophile looking for something extra.

Livrario Lello (Porto, Portugal)

The historic bookstore is absolutely spectacular and one of Porto’s most famous landmarks. The venue is so popular that reservations are highly suggested. Livrario Lello opened in 1906 and is housed in an ornate building whose design blends Neo-Gothic elements with Art Nouveau. Though the exterior facade is impressive, the showstopper is when you step inside. It’s hard to describe the awe of a sweeping crimson-colored staircase, beautifully carved woodwork, elaborate bookshelves, and an incredibly huge stained-glass ceiling.

One of the most popular and misunderstood parts of the Lello story is the idea that it was associated with the “Harry Potter” books. Though it may look as though it could have inspired Hogwarts or a wizarding bookshop, given that J.K. Rowling lived in Porto in the early 1990s, the author has confirmed that the claim is a piece of lore. However, this hasn’t stopped “Harry Potter” fans from making the bookstore a pilgrimage stop.

Shakespeare and Co. (Paris)

The literary legend on the left bank of the Seine sits directly across from Notre-Dame. The current store was opened in 1951 by American George Whitman, who envisioned it as a place where readers, writers, travelers, and dreamers could gather.

The bookstore is known for nurturing 20th-century literary icons and for its bohemian history. Visitors can explore narrow staircases, hidden reading nooks, and thousands of volumes contained within a cozy, intimate environment.

Libreria Acqua Alta (Venice, Italy)

Libreria Acqua Alta is one of Venice’s most whimsical and photographed bookstores. Opened in 2002 by Luigi Frizzo, the bookstore takes its name from “acqua alta,” the Italian term for Venice’s periodic high-water flooding. As a result, books are piled into gondolas, small boats, and bathtubs—both a practical response to rising water and an irresistibly Venetian bit of theater. The result feels less like a conventional bookstore and more like a wonderfully chaotic literary treasure hunt.

The venue’s “Follow the Books” staircase is actually made from hundreds of discarded books destined for recycling. Visitors are welcome to climb the staircase for a view of the Venetian canals. Another quirky feature is the number of cats wandering among the stacks of books, affectionately known as the bookstore’s “guardians.”

El Ateneo Grand Splendid (Buenos Aires)

This is one of the world’s greatest bookstore transformations—a perfect example of how a historic building can find a second life. The building opened in 1919 as the Teatro Grand Splendid, hosting theater, ballet, opera events, and tango performances.

After becoming a cinema, in 2000 it opened as a gorgeous bookstore, with much of the original opulent theater architecture carefully preserved. The former stage is now a cafe, still framed by the dramatic red velvet curtain. Theater boxes have become intimate reading areas and balconies are lined with bookshelves. The frescoed dome remains overhead, creating an extraordinary ceiling, and the former auditorium floor is now filled with thousands of books.

Boekhandel Dominicanen (Maastricht, Netherlands)

From a church to a bookstore. One of the world’s most spectacular is located in Maastricht, Netherlands, and housed inside a 13th-century Dominican church. Contemporary bookshelves rise beneath soaring Gothic arches, vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows, medieval artwork, and centuries-old stonework, creating an almost surreal experience.

A place once devoted to contemplation and worship has become a place devoted to another kind of reflection—that of reading—and a wonderful illustration of why memorable bookstores aren’t just about the books alone, but also the setting, history, architecture, and sense of discovery that people travel for.

Baldwin’s Book Barn (West Chester, Pa.)

The setting is extraordinary and all part of the story. The Book Barn is a five-story stone dairy barn built in 1822 and originally part of a Quaker farm in Chester County’s Brandywine Valley. The Baldwin family moved their used-book and collectibles business here in 1946, transforming the historic barn into a bookstore.

More treasure hunt than traditional bookstore, Baldwin’s feels like stepping into a different place in time with its stone walls, rustic wooden floors, low ceilings, winding stairways, cozy nooks, and even a pot-bellied stove. The bookstore, an amazing place to wander, specializes in used, antiquarian, rare, and fine books along with maps, prints, antiques, and collectibles.

The Last Bookstore (Los Angeles)

A former bank transformed into a surreal book-art playground, The Last Bookstore is an adventure, with stacks of books transformed into massive art installations, arched tunnels, sculptures, and a book labyrinth with winding shelves and hidden spaces.

The store was founded by Josh Spencer in 2005, initially operating out of a small downtown LA loft and moved to its present location in 2011. The somewhat ironic and prophetic name is reflective of the decline of independent bookstores in the age of Amazon and e-books and fits beautifully into the larger story of why people still love bookstores, something an algorithm can’t achieve—serendipity.

Word on the Water (London)

How unique is a floating bookstore located on a 1920s barge? Moored along London’s Regent’s Canal in King’s Cross and nearby Granary Square, the historic vessel-turned-bookstore is packed with secondhand books. The atmosphere is a huge part of the attraction, with old wooden shelves, antique furnishings, and a wood-burning stove to ward off London’s chilly, overcast days.

The barge also doubles as a small literary and cultural venue, its rooftop hosting live music, poetry readings, and open mic sessions.

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