Livraria Bertrand

The world's oldest operating bookshop, certified by Guinness since 2011, on Rua Garrett in Chiado. Founded in 1732, Livraria Bertrand has been a gathering point for Lisbon's literary life for nearly three centuries. The 18th-century interior — blue and white Azulejo panels, dark wood shelves, narrow rooms leading to further narrow rooms — is the atmosphere that other bookshops spend money trying to recreate.

The stock is primarily in Portuguese, but there is a good English-language section upstairs. A memorial plaque commemorates the writers who gathered here in the 18th and 19th centuries. Even if you have no intention of buying, it is worth stepping in for a few minutes to absorb the space. Entry is free; the books are reasonably priced.

shopping chiado market
A story
The Bertrand opened in 1732, making it the oldest operating bookshop in the world according to the Guinness World Records. It survived the 1755 earthquake (or reopened shortly afterward), survived the Napoleonic invasion, survived the monarchy's collapse and the decades of dictatorship, and today sells books to the grandchildren of the grandchildren of its original customers. The original location was nearby; the current Rua Garrett address dates to after the earthquake.

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