Livraria Lello

The forked red staircase of Livraria Lello on Rua das Carmelitas in Porto, Portugal, climbing toward the stained-glass ceiling. The shop opened on January 13, 1906, and engineer Francisco Xavier Esteves designed both the building and this staircase, one of the first in Portugal built in reinforced concrete. It is the image most people have in mind when they picture a beautiful bookstore. Entry needs a ticket, and buying one online is the way to skip the line.