I visited the bookshop in Porto that 'inspired' JK Rowling

Livraria Lello is renowned as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world and as soon as you walk through the store’s ornate wooden doors, you can see why.

The bookshop isn’t very big, crammed into a little street in Porto, Portugal, among other shops — you could easily miss it if it wasn’t for the crowd of people queuing outside in the sunshine to get a glimpse of the famous neo-Gothic interior.

Once inside you can see why people are willing to line up and pay an entrance fee to get into a bookshop.

The famous staircase which towers in front of you as soon as you arrive is well worth the wait. Painted a striking red and beautifully hand-carved out of wood, the twisty-turny and slightly wonky stairs lead up to a second floor, and once you’ve got past groups of tourists all trying to get their perfect shot for Instagram, you can walk up and see the bookshop from other angles, each one better and more breathtaking than the last.

Livraria Lello Bookstore in Porto

It has been claimed that the wonky stairs in Livraria Lello inspired JK Rowling. (Image credit: Getty Images)

The bookshop sells books in almost every language, but it isn’t just your everyday paperbacks that line the shelves from floor to ceiling. Livraria Lello also offers the most beautiful editions of well-known titles, from “Pride and Prejudice” to “The Wizard of Oz”, there is something for everyone. Not only that, they also sell their own special branded editions of classic novels, all in tiny hardback books with stunning covers and gold-edged pages.

But most notably, there are editions of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books that you have probably never seen before. Translated into every language, these books are beautifully illustrated and while they aren’t the cheapest editions by any means, it’s worth noting you will get your €8 entrance fee taken off any purchase when you show your ticket.

It is said that Livraria Lello’s beautiful architecture and stunning dark-paneled walls and staircase inspired JK Rowling when she was writing her Harry Potter novels and describing Hogwarts. It’s very easy to see how this could be the case because as soon as you walk into the store, it most definitely has a magical, Hogwarts-esque feel to it. However, I have since discovered that this is something of an urban myth. While JK Rowling lived in Porto before finishing her Harry Potter transcript, she said in her autobiography that she regretted never visiting the bookshop while she was there.

Livraria Lello Bookstore in Porto

(Image credit: Future)

There is also an open letter on the official Livraria Lello website dedicated to JK Rowling that states: “Having declared that when she lived in Porto, she did not know about the existence of Livraria Lello, JK Rowling provides details for her autobiography, recognizing that the bookstore is very pretty and furthermore accepting that she would have liked to have visited.

“For this reason, Livraria Lello would thank JK Rowling for her kindness and invite her to comply with this reciprocal desire in the same spirit that the city of Liverpool welcomed back The Beatles after they became famous in London.”

Across the world there are claims that various locations have inspired JK Rowling while she was writing her famous novels… so much so that she has had to correct the myths time after time on social media.

Back in 2020 she also confirmed that she had never visited Livraria Lello in a post she shared with her followers…

For instance, I never visited this bookshop in Oporto. Never even knew of its existence! It’s beautiful and I wish I *had* visited it, but it has nothing to do with Hogwarts! pic.twitter.com/f83rxBeeyYMay 21, 2020

So there you have it, while Livraria Lello is most definitely the most beautiful bookshop I have ever visited and probably ever will, it doesn’t have the connection to Harry Potter that tourists believe. But don’t let this change a thing, if you ever find yourself in Porto, without a doubt this bookshop needs to be at the top of your to-do list. Perhaps the makers of the new Harry Potter TV series should give it a visit…