Do you know where the oldest bookstore in the world is located?

Holder of the Guinness World Record since 2011, Bertrand Bookstore is the oldest operating bookstore in the world.

Located on Rua Garret in Chiado, Lisbon, Bertrand Bookstore was founded in 1732 by a French family. Its first address was on Rua Direita do Loreto, but it was destroyed by the fires caused by the earthquake of 1755, which devastated much of the city of Lisbon, including the Baixa district.

Even with the place completely destroyed by the earthquake, Bertrand Bookstore survived and settled in the Chapel of Nossa Senhora das Necessidades until the year 1773. In that year, after the reconstruction of the Chiado area, Bertrand Bookstore returned to its initial location, and to this day, Rua Garret remains its address.

A home to great literary celebrities such as Aquilino Ribeiro, Eça de Queiroz, Antero de Quental, among others, it played a significant role during the dictatorship of Oliveira Salazar, serving as a venue for meetings of authors who opposed the dictatorship.

Today, Bertrand Bookstore can be visited for its history and book collection, as well as to enjoy dishes and creations inspired by Portuguese cuisine. Part of a chain with more than 50 stores in Portugal today, Bertrand Bookstore has been a part of Lisbon for 290 years.