Booklovers know that words cannot do justice to the pleasures of a good bookshop or an amazing library. But where globally can the most impressive ones be discovered?
To find out, language learning expert Preply ranked over 100 popular bookstores and libraries around the world. They analysed both Tripadvisor and Google Reviews, compiling the score on each platform to create an average and a final score.
The full research can be found via the following link: https://preply.com/fr/blog/classement-librairies-populaires-monde-2025/
London’s Daunt Books is the most popular bookshop in the world
| Rank | Bookstore/Library | City | Country | Rating |
| 1 | Daunt Books | London | United Kingdom | 96.58 |
| 2 | El Ateneo Grand Splendid | Buenos Aires | Argentina | 95.9 |
| 3 | State Library Victoria | Melbourne | Australia | 95.21 |
| 4 | Bookstore Dominicanen | Maastricht | Netherlands | 94.17 |
| 5 | The Last Bookstore | Los Angeles | USA | 92.85 |
| 6 | Starfield Library | Seoul | South Korea | 90.84 |
| 7 | Shakespeare and Company | Paris | France | 90.62 |
| 8 | Powell’s Books | Portland | USA | 89.73 |
| 9 | Trinity College Library | Dublin | Ireland | 88.56 |
| 10 | Libreria Acqua Alta | Venice | Italy | 87.78 |
| 11 | Klementinum | Prague | Czech Republic | 76.52 |
| 12 | Livraria Lello | Porto | Portugal | 74.14 |
Daunt Books, an emblematic bookstore known for its warm atmosphere and Edwardian architecture tops the list of most popular bookstores worldwide. It is located on London’s Marylebone High Street and features beautiful woodwork, oak balconies, and an impressive glass roof that bathes the space in natural light. Books are organized by country, offering an immersive and intuitive reading experience. Book lovers are sure to add a city break to London to check this out.
In second place is El Ateneo Grand Splendid, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Housed in a former theater dating back to 1919, it retains its former splendor with its ornate balconies, richly frescoed ceiling, and red velvet stage curtain.
In third place, State Library Victoria, located in Melbourne, is one of the oldest and most majestic libraries in Australia. Founded in 1854, it is famous for its La Trobe Reading Room, a spectacular octagon-shaped space topped by a huge dome that floods the room with natural light.
