Lello & Irmão bookshop

The Lello & Irmão bookshop

The Porto audio-guided tour presents you with the Lello & Irmão bookshop, one of the finest in the world, behind a deceptive Neo-Gothic façade.

A temple of the book

Inaugurated in 1906, the Lello & Irmão bookshop enjoys a success never denied. Its white Neo-Gothic façade, where the name of the founding brothers and allegorical paintings of art and science appear, is only a foretaste of the spectacle. Inside, the books line the walls from floor to ceiling, in a setting of dark woodwork and sculpted pillars crowned with a luminous glass roof. The centrepiece is the great central staircase, with double orientation and a carmine red floor: made of concrete imitating sculpted wood, it is one of the most photographed staircases in the world. To enter, one must pay a fee, deductible from the purchase of a book.

What there is to see

The Lello & Irmão bookshop dazzles with its breathtaking decor: woodwork, sculpted pillars, glass roof and above all its red central staircase with double flight. Even without being passionate about literature, one is struck by the beauty of the place. It is one of the most famous bookshops in the world, absolutely to be discovered in the heart of Porto.

Practical information

The Lello & Irmão bookshop is in the centre of Porto. Access is by means of an entrance fee, deductible from the purchase of a book; the opening hours and the attendance, often high, are to be checked on site.

Why is the Lello & Irmão bookshop so famous?

For the exceptional beauty of its interior, its woodwork, its glass roof and its spectacular red central staircase.

What material is the central staircase made of?

Of concrete, given a sculpted wood effect, which surprises by its singular appearance.