The most beautiful bookshops (and libraries) in the world
By Photobox on 18 February 2026
We’ve rounded up the ultimate list of Instagrammable bookstores and libraries. Warning: May cause extreme wanderlust and a sudden urge to buy a plane ticket.
Okay, be honest. Do you choose your holiday destination based on the food, the weather, or… the aesthetics of the local library? If you answered ‘all of the above’, you are officially our kind of person.
There’s no better time to plan a little literary travel than, well… now. And we aren’t just talking about places to pick up a paperback – we’re talking about cathedral-like ceilings, spiralling staircases and that incredible old book smell that you just want to bottle up (why do they smell so good?!).
Whether you’re looking for Instagrammable bookstores to spice up your feed or hunting for hidden gems where you can pretend to be a wizard for the afternoon, we’ve curated the ultimate list. Here are the spots that need to go on your bucket list… immediately.
1. Admont Abbey Library | Admont, Austria
The vibe: Real-life Disney princess
Best for: Architecture lovers and Baroque enthusiasts
If you’ve ever watched Beauty and the Beast and thought, ‘I want that library’, then you need to get yourself to Admont. Located inside a Benedictine monastery, this is way more than a room with books – it’s actually the largest monastery library in the world. Pastel frescoes, gold leaf everywhere and seven cupolas that look like they were painted by angels themselves.
Why we love it: It’s incredibly bright. Unlike the moody, dark libraries you see in movies, Admont is flooded with light to symbolise ‘enlightenment’. It is easily one of the most beautiful bookshops (well, libraries!) on the planet.
2. Livraria Lello | Porto, Portugal
The vibe: Gothic fantasy
Best for: Harry Potter superfans
Often voted the most beautiful bookshop in the world, Lello is famous for its crimson ‘stairway to heaven’ and intricate stained-glass skylight. Rumour has it that this shop inspired the moving staircases in Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling lived in Porto in the 90s, after all…).
Why we love it: It feels like a movie set. Just a heads-up: because it is so popular, you actually need to buy a ticket to enter, but the cost is deductible if you buy a book. Well worth it? We think so.
3. The Long Room, Trinity College | Dublin, Ireland
The vibe: Cinematic history
Best for: History buffs and Star Wars fans
Walk through the wooden doors of the Old Library at Trinity College and try not to gasp. The Long Room is exactly what it says on the tin – a 65-metre chamber filled with 200,000 of the library’s oldest books. It’s moody, smells incredible (so we heard) and it’s lined with marble busts of famous writers and philosophers who are definitely judging your reading choices.
Why we love it: It houses the Book of Kells (super famous 9th-century manuscript), but purely for the aesthetic? The barrel-vaulted ceiling is the star of the show. Fun fact: It looks suspiciously like the Jedi Archives, so may the force be with your photos.
4. Boekhandel Dominicanen | Maastricht, Netherlands
The vibe: Sacred coffee break
Best for: A one-of-kind reading nook
What do you do with a 700-year-old Gothic church that isn’t being used? You turn it into the world’s coolest bookshop, obviously. Here, the bookshelves stand two stories high in the nave, allowing you to walk closer to the vaulted stone ceilings.
Why we love it: The café is located right on the former altar. Sipping a cappuccino under a stained-glass window while reading a new novel? That’s a divine experience in our book.
5. Joanina Library | Coimbra, Portugal
The vibe: Gold-dipped luxury
Best for: Seeing something totally unique
Located at the University of Coimbra, the Joanina Library is so fancy it makes other libraries look like garden sheds. Built in the 18th century, it is a masterpiece of Portuguese Baroque style – exotic wood shelves, intricate painting and actual gold leaf covering almost everything.
Why we love it: It has a secret cleaning crew. No, really. A colony of bats lives inside the library walls and comes out at night to eat bugs that might otherwise damage the ancient books. The furniture is covered with leather sheets at night to protect it from… bat droppings. Who knew?
6. Shakespeare and Company | Paris, France
The vibe: Literary nostalgia
Best for: Finding rare editions
Overlooking the Seine, this is the spiritual home of English literature in Paris. It’s famous for being a gathering place for writers like Hemingway and Fitzgerald. It’s cramped, chaotic, and cosy, with beds tucked between bookshelves where aspiring writers (known as ‘Tumbleweeds’) can sleep in exchange for helping out in the shop.
Why we love it: It’s strictly no-photos-allowed inside, which actually forces you to put your phone down and just enjoy the magic.
7. Strahov Monastery Library | Prague, Czech Republic
The vibe: Intellectual mystery
Best for: Art and curiosity lovers
Prague is already a fairytale city, but the Strahov Monastery takes it to a new level. It’s split into two main halls – the Theological Hall (stucco and globes) and the Philosophical Hall (walnut wood and soaring ceilings). It’s the kind of place where you expect to find a secret door that leads to a magical realm, so let us know if you find one when you visit…
Why we love it: The Cabinet of Curiosities in the corridor connecting the halls. It’s filled with weird and wonderful historical artifacts (look out for the Dodo remains!) that are just as fascinating as the books themselves.
8. Stuttgart City Library | Stuttgart, Germany
The vibe: Futuristic minimalism
Best for: Design lovers
Need a palate cleanser after all that Baroque gold? Enter Stuttgart. This is a monolithic white cube that looks like an Apple store met a book temple. Inside, it’s a five-story atrium of pure white, where the only colour comes from the books’ spines themselves.
Why we love it: It’s an Instagrammable bookstore dream. The clean lines and staircases create an M.C. Escher effect (give it a quick search!) that looks unreal in photos. If you love order, symmetry and peace, this is your happy place.
9. Libreria Acqua Alta | Venice, Italy
The vibe: Floating fantasy
Best for: Quirky explorers and treasure hunters
The name literally translates to ‘Bookstore of High Water’. To protect the books from Venice’s famous rising tides, the owner keeps them in bathtubs, waterproof bins, and even a full-sized gondola right in the middle of the shop.
Why we love it: The ‘fire escape’ isn’t a door – it’s a staircase made entirely out of old, ruined encyclopedias that lets you peek over the wall at the canal.
10. Vasconcelos Library | Mexico City, Mexico
The vibe: Industrial sci-fi
Best for: Architecture geeks
Forget dusty shelves, Vasconcelos looks like something from the movie Interstellar. Designed by Alberto Kalach, it’s a ‘megalibrary’ made of steel, concrete and glass. The bookshelves are suspended from the ceiling and look like they are floating in mid-air above a giant whale skeleton (yes, a real whale skeleton) that hangs in the centre.
Why we love it: It’s surrounded by a contrasting green and lush botanical garden. If you’re looking for a literal sanctuary for reading, this is the place to visit.
FAQ – your literary travel guide:
What is the most beautiful bookshop in the world?
It’s a tough battle. Livraria Lello in Porto usually takes the crown for shops, while Admont Abbey in Austria is often cited as the most beautiful library.
Which famous bookstores are located in converted buildings?
So many. Boekhandel Dominicanen in Maastricht is in a converted church, while Shakespeare and Company is housed in a building that dates back to the 17th century.
Do international bookstores have English-language sections?
Yes – most major ‘tourist’ bookshops like Shakespeare and Company (Paris) or Livraria Lello (Porto) specialise in English books. Even the historic libraries usually have guides in multiple languages.
Is there a fee to enter these places?
Often, yes. Historic libraries like the Joanina and Book of Kells, and famous shops like Livraria Lello, require tickets and pre-booking. Always check online before you go.
Once you’ve snapped a selfie on the floating shelves of Vasconcelos or caught the light hitting the gold in Admont, it’s time to actually document your bookish-adventures. Why not turn your literary travel memories into a photo book worthy of its own shelf with the help of Photobox? You know it makes sense…
