A Bookstore in Venice: Libreria Acqua Alta

by May 21, 2019Retail Tales -

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Bookstore in Venice: Libreria Acqua Alta

Imagine a book store where books are kept in gondolas and canoes. A book store, where you can climb a staircase of books and watch a canal running below, where every wall seems made of books, and where every corner invites you to sit, read, and forget the world that exists beyond the walls of books.

Welcome to a bookstore in Venice:  Libreria Acqua Alta

To find this bookstore, you need to snake your way into the winding, narrow alleys of Venice. And if you are a first time visitor, finding Alta Acqua Libreria is not easy, even Google gets confused. However,  after playing a maze-game in the streets near the Rialto Bridge, and using your limited vocabulary of Italian, once you reach the ‘most beautiful bookshop in the world’ it’s worth it.

A book lover’s heaven? Yes.

Book Store Inventory Management challenge? You bet!

Bookstore in Venice

A Bookstore in Venice: ‘The Most Beautiful Bookshop’

There is a friendly, happy ambiance about the place. The unusual décor of Libreria Acqua Alta attracts many tourists and locals. The place is usually crowded, you find people of various age groups thumbing through books and clicking their mobiles to capture some interesting object on display in the shop.

Many visitors come here to gets hands on a rare find, some just want to escape the crowds on the streets and settle in a nook with a favorite author, and others are curious about the books that live in gondolas.

And nobody is disappointed.

Books in Gondola in a bookstore in Venice

The interesting entrance to the bookstore causes you to linger and leaf through the books displayed on stands and tubs. As you enter the shop, the friendly staff greets and promptly provides the required information about book titles or authors, which seems quite a feat considering the number of books and their arrangement.

Meet the Cats that Love Books

Another interesting feature of this Venetian bookstore is its feline book lovers. The cats are friendly. Book lovers usually are!

You can pet them and, if you feel like it, can discuss your existential angst with them. The cats have the answers. They may not reply, but they will listen–something that many humans are not good at– and this solves about more than half of the problem.

Try it!

Cats that love books - Libreria Acqua Alta

A Staircase of Books

This is the highlight of the shop. A staircase made of books… there is no place in the world it can’t take you! You just have to follow the steps and go where the books take you!

Besides, who can resist the sign on the book-wall that says ‘Follow the Books Step and Climb up for a Wonderful View.’

But you have to wait your turn. This is the most sought after corner, everybody wants to climb the stairs, have a glimpse of the canal running below, and sit for a while on the pile of books. It’s a happy feeling. Of course, a picture amid the books is a must; it becomes a memory to cherish.

Staircase of books and view of canal from Libreria Acqua Alta

Grab a book and Read

If you are in Venice and not too pressed for time, visit this bookstore, get a book and spend a happy hour or so in a world where only books can take you. Libreria Alta Acqua has many interesting nooks that seem inviting.

How many books are there at this fascinating shop? Which titles make up the walls and the staircase? Which best-sellers are nestling in gondolas? A sturdy bookstore software is needed to keep track of all these answers.

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