Tourists have slammed one of Portugal’s top attractions as they claim it’s “shockingly overcrowded” and say they had to wait in a “massive queue”.
Often described as the ‘most beautiful bookstore’ in the world, Livraria Lello is located in the northern Portuguese city, Porto.
The shop’s spectacular architecture with its forked staircase and stained glass window make it one of the city’s top attractions. However, there’s another reason the shop attracts over one million tourists per year.
Lirvaria Lello is rumoured to have inspired Harry Potter as author JK Rowling used to enjoy having coffee there when she lived in Porto. Despite its claims to fame, the shop wasn’t a great experience for everyone.
‘Gillian L’ wrote on Tripadvisor: “Far too crowded to enjoy the interior. Had to wait in a massive queue. Could hardly move.”
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‘Emma B’ wrote: “Waste of time. Shockingly overcrowded. Beautiful bookshop but spoilt by so many people. Don’t waste your money.”
‘Vegan Traveller’ said: “Highly overrated. Ghastly experience with so many people blocking the space. A true nightmare.”
‘Xavier S’ wrote: “Mass tourism ruins a great bookstore. It’s a very beautiful bookstore, but it’s a highlight people cross off their to do list. So it’s super, super crowded. It ruins the whole experience.”
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Livraria Lello gets so many visitors, the shop started charging an entrance fee in 2015. Tourists can buy a ticket for 8 euros (£6.89) online.
Although tourists do need to pay to access the bookshop, they can redeem the price of their ticket if they buy a book.
Although some people found the shop far too crowded, others enjoyed the experience but complained about people posing for Instagram photos.
‘Nottobeunderestimated’ wrote: “Totally deserving of the epithet ‘most beautiful bookshop in the world’. Worth ticket price as you get a discount on books purchased. Only thing which lets it down is the selfishness of folk posing for Instagram.”
But Lirvaria Lello isn’t the only top attraction to be overcrowded. Buckingham Palace was recently named England’s most overcrowded destination.
Edinburgh Castle was Europe’s most crowded destination while a top tourist spot in Thailand is the world’s busiest with 100 tourists to every resident.
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