This Hotel in a 700-Year-Old City in Portugal Is a Book-Lover's Heaven

The bar lounge
The bar lounge | © Courtesy of the Literary Man Hotel
Nina Santos

It’s good to get away from everyday life now and then and head to a far-off land with nothing but a suitcase and a few books. Portugal is one country that’s perfect for bibliophiles, and it is home to some of the most beautiful bookstores and libraries in the world. In Obidos you will find the Literary Man Hotel, a literary haven where visitors can retreat from the world and bury their noses into as many pages as they could possibly want.

Obidos is a beautiful medieval town about an hour’s trek north of Lisbon that’s a favorite destination for day and weekend trips. Surrounded by castle walls and filled with beautifully decorated homes and shops, it is one of the country’s most famous treasures. It’s also an area known for producing one of the country’s favorite liquors, ginja, made from ginja berries.

The Literary Man Hotel is conveniently located in the center of town and offers much more than a comfortable room.

Signage outside

It is one of the largest book hotels in the world, and also serves as a library and bookshop, with over 40,000 titles for you to peruse and categories to satisfy every type of reader. The walls are literally stacked with books from floor to ceiling.

Books everywhere!

The building that houses the hotel today was once a convent, and a few of the rooms have maintained some of its traditional charms. When booking a stay, visitors can choose between sleeping in the convent’s old part or the chic modern rooms. No matter which room you choose, you are sure to feel comfortable, with the many amenities offered such as minibars, flat-screen TVs, and free WiFi to get you plugged back into the world, should you choose to.

A Suite

In this lovely hotel, you can curl up with a book while enjoying some delicious Portuguese meals from one of the two restaurants. The Literary Man Hotel also has a Gin Bar, and the beautiful lounge is yet another comfortable spot where you can relax.

The Literary Man Hotel, Obidos, Portugal, +351 262959214

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