1 / 8El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires | What was once a lavish 1919 theatre—and later a cinema—now stands as one of the world’s most breathtaking bookstores. With original frescoes, ornate balconies and over 120,000 books, El Ateneo invites readers to browse beneath a ceiling painted for tango-era audiences, or sip coffee on a stage once alive with performance. (Image source: Reuters)
2 / 8Peter Harrington, London | From a modest stall in Chelsea Antiques Market in 1969 to a world-renowned antiquarian bookstore, Peter Harrington has come a long way. Today, its elegant London townhouses are lined floor to ceiling with rare and vintage books, overseen by a knowledgeable team that makes collecting feel inviting rather than intimidating. (Image source: Official website)
3 / 8Shakespeare and Company, Paris | Opened in 1951 on Paris’s Left Bank, this legendary English-language bookstore carries the spirit of its earlier incarnation, founded by Sylvia Beach. Tucked inside a warren-like 17th-century building, its shelves have witnessed readings by literary greats and continue to house writers who sleep among the books under the store’s famed “tumbleweed” tradition. (Image source: Official website)
4 / 8The Strand, New York City | Founded in 1927 when Fourth Avenue was known as Book Row, The Strand is the last remaining bookstore from that era. Still family-owned, it boasts 18 miles of new, used and rare books, bargain carts on the pavement, and its famed “books by the foot” service that turns literature into décor. (Image source: Instagram)
5 / 8City Lights Bookstore, San Francisco | Established in 1953, City Lights began as the country’s first all-paperback bookstore, with the aim of making books accessible to everyone. It soon became a literary meeting place—and later a publisher—most famously releasing Allen Ginsberg’s Howl, a moment that cemented its place in cultural history. (Image source: Official website)
6 / 8Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice | Founded in 2004, this Venetian bookstore protects its stock from flooding by storing books in bathtubs, plastic bins, boats and even a gondola. The result is a space that feels delightfully chaotic, where rising water has shaped both its layout and its legend. (Image source: Official website)
7 / 8Powell’s City of Books, Portland | Often called the largest independent bookstore in the world, Powell’s occupies an entire city block. Founded as a family business in 1970, it brings together new, used and rare books under one vast roof, earning its reputation as a city made entirely of shelves. (Image source: Official website)
8 / 8Livraria Lello, Porto | Opened in 1906, Livraria Lello is celebrated for its old-world elegance and sweeping staircase. Designed by architect Xavier Esteves, the bookstore has become so popular that visitors now pay to enter. (Image source: Official website)
