Portugal is for Book Lovers
Though growing in popularity, Portugal is still a relatively under-the-radar destination for travelers. Until I visited I knew little beyond the basics of what it had to offer and even less of its history. I was pleasantly surprised by both. The most pleasant surprise though is that Portugal is a perfect destination for book lovers!
Panoramic of Graça neighborhood in Lisbon, Portugal
I love to read, but I am usually a very active traveler. I don’t like to waste a minute of daylight that I could be seeing or exploring whatever new place I find myself in. I’ll read waiting in line, on public transit, or in the airport, but usually once my feet touch down whatever book I have with me is all but forgotten. In many cities it feels like time spent reading is time spent missing out.
View of Luis I Bridge from Vila Novo de Caia
Foyer of Sao Bento train station in Porto, Lisbon - voted the most beautiful train station in the world
But not in Portugal.
Lisbon’s famous tram
Above the alter at the Sé do Porto, the Cathedral of Porto, Portugal
It is not a lack of things to do that makes Portugal a perfect booklovers’ destination. But the atmosphere and ambiance, even of its two largest cities, invites visitors to crack open a book. Portuguese lifestyle is laid back with a disregard for promptness and an insistence on afternoon siestas. This, along with its numerous beaches, parks, and mellow cafes, provide ample opportunities to take a hiatus from what might elsewhere have been a hectic travel schedule. The demanding hills of both Lisbon and Porto will have your legs begging you for a respite anyway and a book is a great way to appease them and not look like you’re too out-of-shape to be there. Plus, it is home to three World-Record-holding bookstores!
Exhibit at Ler Devagar Bookstore, LX Factory, Lisbon, Portugal
World’s Oldest Bookstore - Livraria Bertrand, Lisbon
Now a national chain, this was the first location of their first bookstore
World’s Smallest Bookstore - Livraria Simao, Lisbon
Too small for more than one person to fit inside
Most Beautiful Bookstore - Livraria Lello, Porto
Known too for inspiring JK Rowling’s moving bookcases in Harry Potter’s Hogwarts
Have you visited Portugal? What were you reading there? Did you get an opportunity to visit any of these bookstores? Comment below!
-Ff
