image
1

Livraria Lello, Source: Facebook / Livraria Lello

Livraria Lello – the bookstore in Porto that inspired Harry Potter’s Hogwarts

Livraria Lello – the bookstore in Porto that inspired Harry Potter’s Hogwarts

This fantastical book shop is usually ranked at or near the top of lists of the most beautiful bookstores in the world

The Lello Bookstore was quite a sensation when it opened in Porto in 1906 and it is still. Livraria Lello displays a unique architectural style, combining neo-Gothic with “art nouveau” and “art deco”. Over one million people visit the bookstore each year.  To manage the stream of tourists, the shop started charging an entrance fee of 5.50 Euros, which is redeemable against the purchase of a book.  That’s helped to make the crowds more manageable and it’s resulted in a rebound in book sales.

It’s believed that the book shop Livraria Lello has inspired J.K. Rowling when she was writing the entire seven-book Harry Potter series. She was influenced by other aspects of life in Portugal as well. The Hogwarts’ uniform may have been inspired by the black suits and cloaks worn by students at nearby Porto University. 

Source: Travel Bliss Now

Newsletter

Back

Growing City

All

Smart City

All

Green City

All

Social City

All

New European Bauhaus

All

Interviews

All

ECP 2021 Winner TheMayorEU

Latest