Once upon a time a guy named Az (bukan nama sebenar) would walk into a bookstore not only for the obvious reasons of buying a book but also to meet cute girls while browsing books. I mean what is hotter than a cute girl that reads books right?!

So people go to bookstores for various reasons. Some would just love being surrounded by books for hours, some love to escape from the real world and just kill time in a book store while some would just be there for the free air-con. Whatever the reasons, bookstore is a great place to be at.

And on our recent trip to Italy i realised that a bookstore can also be a great setting for an instagram photo and also be a hidden attraction to hundreds of tourists a day.  Like this little book store in Venice known as Libreria Acqua Alta.

After few days in London (click here to read) and Rome (click here and here to read), our first Italian adventure continues in Venice. I will write in details about the famous canals and gondolas in the next post but for now, it feels right to share about this lovely Libreria Acqua Alta, our first stop in Venice. The owners of the shop claimed that they are “most beautiful bookstore in the world”. I was sceptical at first.

Entering the store, I noticed how messy the books were. Do not expect books to be properly arranged by categories, I’m sure it is, but somehow it seems that the books were randomly thrown to different sections.

One thing for sure though, it is unique.

Where else can you find  a Gondola in a bookstore?

Apparently when the local waterways rise to fill the store, the combination of Gondola, bath-tub and waterproof containers help to keep the books dry.

While most of the books are in Italian, I actually had fun browsing some of it.

Even managed to spot a few magazines on aviation.

The real hidden gem of this hidden-gem attraction is of course it’s “Instagram-worthy” settings. Right at the back of the shop is its famous “stairs created from old large volumes of books”.

And the best part is that the stairs lead visitors to an awesome view that I bet not many bookstores would have, a beautiful canal.

The owners are more than happy to let customers snap photos at this section, so have fun with those poses!

Another interesting section is the fire exit. In case of fire, jump straight to the canal!

Now this is a great view to enjoy a book!

A visit to Libreria Acqua Alta is not complete until you spot these lovely cats which have taken residence in the shop. Apparently this is a great place for the cats to remain dry during the flooding season.

While I did not walk out with a book (or a cute girl’s number), I actually enjoyed our short trip to this bookstore and I can safely claim that  Liberia Acqua Alta is the most charming bookstore I’ve ever visited!