Venice's Best Independent Bookstores

The independent bookstores of Venice are a reflection of the city’s diversity and long literary history. There are new and well-curated shops, historic booksellers in operation since last century and secondhand stores stuffed with old, dusty books. Here are some of the best places where you can pick up something great to read or spend an hour delightfully browsing.

1. Libreria Acqua Alta

Bookstore

The sign outside declares: Welcome to the most beautiful bookshop in the world. That’s a statement you’d be hard-pressed to contest, as you take the view of the canal in the backyard standing atop a set of stairs constructed entirely of old books. The dominant aesthetic is much like the city it is situated in – old, crumbling, haphazard yet somehow still functional and full of the beauty that accumulates only with time. Secondhand book lovers will delight in sifting through bathtubs and gondolas piled high with books, with shelves for English, French, and German speakers. Cat lovers will come to see the furry creatures that inhabit the store with a total disregard for all the human activity around them.