There are a lot of places we would like to read. In a hammock under a setting sun. On a boat, shading ourselves from the sun. In bed during the wintertime, cosied up with our favourite blanket and preferably a hot water bottle. But sometimes we're encouraged to dream a little bigger – and when it comes to places we'd really like to read, there isn't a dream much bigger than browsing the bookshelves at one of the world's most beautiful book stores.
Dua Lipa's favourite bookstore in Porto, Portugal. James Joyce Parisian hot spot (complete with house cat). Wherever you may be, there's likely to be a grand and gorgeous book store idling nearby. And if you'd like our pick of the best (and all the RUSSH team tips for how to get there, what to peruse, and recommendations in the area), then read on...
1. Livraria Lello (Porto, Portugal)
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Often described as the world's most beautiful bookshop, Livraria Lello's neo-Gothic interiors, stained-glass ceiling and sculptural crimson staircase have made it as much an architectural pilgrimage as a literary one. There's a an entrance ticket redeemable against the purchase of a book – and we'd suggest booking your tickets online at least several days ahead – or with an even longer lead time in summer – and arrive either for the first session of the morning or the final entry of the day. (Queues here regularly stretch down the street.) Once inside though, don't miss the impressive multilingual classics section, where beautifully bound English-language editions make for exceptional souvenirs.
2. Shakespeare & Company (Paris, France)
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More than a bookshop, Shakespeare and Company has been a literary salon for generations, welcoming everyone from James Joyce to aspiring writers who still sleep among the shelves through the store's famed "Tumbleweed" residency. The English-language selection is one of the finest in Europe, and while entry is free, mornings are noticeably quieter than afternoons when the shop, café and nearby Notre-Dame Cathedral draw some pretty capacious crowds.
3. El Ateneo Grand Splendid (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
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Housed inside a lavish 1919 theatre, El Ateneo Grand Splendid retains its original balconies, frescoed ceiling and velvet stage curtain, with the former performance stage now transformed into one of the world's most atmospheric cafés. Although the majority of its vast collection is in Spanish, there is a well-stocked English-language section upstairs, and visiting on weekday mornings offers the best chance to appreciate the architecture before tour groups arrive.
4. Boekhandel Dominicanen (Maastricht, Netherlands)
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Occupying a 13th-century Dominican church, Boekhandel Dominicanen houses towering steel bookshelves that rise beneath centuries-old medieval frescoes. The English-language fiction and art books are particularly strong by European standards, and a weekday morning visit will reward you with a quieter atmosphere – and you can still grab a seat at the café housed within the church nave.
5. Cărturești Carusel (Bucharest, Romania)
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Known as the "Carousel of Light," this beautifully restored 19th-century merchant building spans six luminous levels connected by sweeping white balconies that have become one of Bucharest's most photographed interiors. Most titles here are in Romanian, but dedicated English-language shelves can be found throughout the upper floors. If you're looking for a clear photo opp, e'd suggest arriving shortly after opening.
6. Dujiangyan Zhongshuge (Chengdu, China)
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Designed by visionary architect Li Xiang, Zhongshuge's mirrored ceilings and undulating black bookshelves create the illusion of an infinite library inspired by the nearby Dujiangyan irrigation system. The architecture is really the principal attraction here, and there's a relatively modest English-language offering. We'd suggest visiting on weekdays if possible, as weekends are exceptionally busy with photographers and families.
7. Leakey's Bookshop (Inverness, Scotland)
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Scotland's largest second-hand bookshop occupies a converted Gaelic church where more than 100,000 carefully curated books surround a crackling cast-iron wood-burning stove at its centre. There are rare Scottish history books and out-of-print travel writing. It's particularly magical to linger here on cold Highland afternoons when the fire is lit.
8. Word on the Water (London, England)
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Moored on London's Regent's Canal, Word on the Water is an enchanting narrowboat bookshop whose compact shelves overflow with new and second-hand literary discoveries. The rooftop also regularly hosts intimate live music performances. The collection changes constantly, so repeat visits can be fruitful, although sunny weekends can see queues forming along the towpath.
9. MONA Phrontisterion (Hobart, Australia)
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Hidden within Museum of Old and New Art, the brand-new Phrontisterion is a contemplative library devoted to philosophy, art, science and the ideas underpinning MONA's famously provocative exhibitions. Access is included with museum admission. Here, you'll find extremely rare books like Shakespeare’s First Folio, a rare edition of Newton’s Opticks and even a copy of Darwin’s Origin of Species published during his lifetime.
10. Cafebrería el Péndulo (Mexico City, Mexico)
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Part bookshop, part café and part botanical sanctuary, Cafebrería El Péndulo sits between being a library and a greenhouse. It has these cascading plants suspended above shelves of literature and, while Spanish titles dominate, there is a thoughtfully curated English-language section.
11. Atlantis Books (Santorini, Greece)
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Founded by a group of young travellers in a whitewashed cave house overlooking the caldera, Atlantis Books has become one of the world's most romantic independent bookshops, hosting poetry readings and literary events throughout the summer. Its predominantly English-language collection reflects its international origins, but the tiny space fills quickly during the summer season, making early mornings or evenings the most enjoyable time to browse.
12. Albertine Books (New York City, USA)
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Located inside the historic Payne Whitney Mansion, Albertine is New York's leading destination for French and English-language literature, with more than 14,000 carefully selected titles celebrating Francophone culture. Admission is free, and the celestial reading room ceiling is reason enough to visit. They occcassionaly host author talks here too (though they book out well in advance, so reserving tickets early is highly recommended).
13. Stift Admont - Bibliothek und Museum (Admont, Austria)
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The library at Admont Abbey is the largest monastic library in the world, its dazzling late-Baroque hall stretching almost 70m beneath frescoes that celebrate the pursuit of human knowledge. As an active museum rather than a lending library, entry requires a ticket during the visitor season, and arriving early in the day allows time to explore both the library and the abbey's excellent natural history and contemporary art collections.
14. Libreria Acqua Alta (Venice, Italy)
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Built to embrace Venice's frequent flooding, Libreria Acqua Alta stores its books in gondolas, bathtubs and waterproof boats, which makes it one of the city's most eccentric literary landmarks. The English-language selection here is surprisingly broad – especially considering the shop's compact footprint – but expect queues to photograph the famous staircase made entirely of discarded books.
15. Starfield Suwon Library (Suwon, South Korea)
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Rising through the centre of Starfield Suwon, this soaring public library transforms a shopping centre into a striking civic space, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that have quickly become one of Korea's most photographed interiors. It is free to visit and includes a modest English-language collection among its predominantly Korean holdings, but weekday mornings offer a far calmer experience than weekends when locals, shoppers and content creators converge.
