Livraria Ler Devagar – Magical LX Factory Bookstore (2024)!

If you’re a book lover then you must check out the famous Livraria Ler Devagar in Lisbon’s trendy LX Factory.

Meaning “Read Slowly”, this mammoth bookstore is set in a former printing press within a 19th-century industrial factory.

Today, it’s been voted as one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world and has over 50,000 volumes to offer visitors as well as a record shop, art exhibition and cafe/bar. 

Here is a complete guide for visiting LX Factory’s bookstore, the magical Livraria Ler Devagar in Lisbon! 

What is the LX Factory Bookshop? 

LX Factory’s bookshop is called Ler Devagar, which translates to “Read Slowly”. But, it’s way more than just a bookshop.

As well as every corner bursting with tomes it also functions as a creative meeting space for artists, writers and musicians. 

It made a home in Lisbon’s trendy LX Factory in 2008, a now bohemian area of the Alcântara neighbourhood. But, this used to be an area of factories and industry.

The factory started off in 1846 as a weaving and textile company called Companhia de Fiação e Decides Lisbonense.

It later became the home of a few fabric warehouses and printing press industries for Lisbon. By the 1980s, the factory shut down during a huge deindustrialization movement. 

The warehouse was then abandoned and left to ruin. But, it experienced a renaissance in 2008 when it was given a new lease of life as an arts village. 

Overnight, it became one of the trendiest addresses in Lisbon and welcomed many restaurants, art studios, bookshops and bars into its fold. 

Ler Devagar history 

Although Ler Devagar is famous for its LX Factory store, it was originally founded in 1999. Their shop was located in Bairro Alto in the former National Lithography. 

They were pioneers in Portugal as they created a bookshop as a meeting, event and discussion space for artistic expression as well as selling books. 

After their move to the LX Factory, it was an instant hit with Lisboans. They also grew international fame as the bookshop was featured in magazines and newspapers.

In more recent years, the bookshop has gone viral on social media platforms and they have since collaborated with many artists, musicians and media outlets. 

Today, they have opened more bookshops in their chain like Pensão Amor in Cais do Sodré and the ‘City of Books’ in Óbidos.

As well as being consistently voted as one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world by media publications, Ler Devagar has been revered as one of Portugal’s most successful cultural projects. 

So, if you’re a reading lover, you must plan to visit this incredible bookshop in Lisbon! 

What do they sell at Ler Devagar? 

Ler Devagar has a huge collection of over 50,000 books for sale in the LX Factory bookstore. There are over 40,000 new titles on offer as well as 10,000 used volumes to browse.

But, this place goes way beyond a bookstore. It actually has a printing press onsite, a café/bar, a vinyl record shop and Pietro Proserpio’s kinetic art showroom. 

They also host literature events, theatrical performances, antique markets and concerts throughout the year. 

Does LX Factory Bookstore sell English books?

Yes, there is a large section of English books at Ler Devagar, these are mainly English classics and famous titles.

From what I saw, they had well-known works like The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Secret History by Donna Tartt and Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski etc.

They also had a few newer titles for sale like the uber-popular The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

I bought a copy of The Alchemist by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho and it is a classic for a reason. It was originally written in Portuguese but this version was translated into English and was so pretty.

You’ll also find French and Spanish books and a variety of other languages as well!

Vinyl records, music and kinetic art

There are many parts to Ler Devagar and you could honestly spend an age finding all the amazing features of their bookstore.

Make sure to look out for their vintage printing press from the 19th century! It’s a great reminder that this now creative space used to be a place of smoke and industry. 

The shop has entire cooking and music sections including jazz if this is something that you’re into. There is also a whole area selling vinyl records but this wasn’t open on my visit.

You’ll probably notice the amazing artistic installations of a winged lady riding a bike and a man riding a unicycle in the sky. 

These are all Kinetic Art machines by Pietro Proserpio, an Italian artist who moved to Lisbon in 1949 when he was just 11 years old. 

Proserpio made these incredible pieces in his workshop at the store and they were all made using recycled materials. 

Ler Davagar café & bar

If you fancy taking a break from book browsing, the LX Factory Bookshop has a small café / bar called Beber Devagar you can relax in.

You can have a coffee or tea in the morning or enjoy a beer or wine in the afternoon whilst surrounded by all this knowledge!

It makes a great place to relax with your new book purchase or you can visit this bookish café with friends. 

Also, look out for their cake shop O Bolo da Marta where you can purchase and enjoy some freshly baked sweet treats. 

How to visit Ler Davagar & LX Factory in Lisbon 

Ler Devagar is located within LX Factory in the neighbourhood of Alcântara in Lisbon.

As the capital of Portugal, it’s a huge city and getting here can be quite a journey from the historic centre.

You could walk here but it can take around an hour from Praça do Comércio. I would actually suggest taking an Uber or Bolt taxi to the factory as journeys are really affordable.

If you’re using public transport to get around, you can take one of the many buses or trams from Calvário by Praça do Comércio to the LX Factory.

Once you’re inside the LX Factory, you’ll find Ler Devagar bookstore next to Benamôr 1925.

Ler Devagar address is R. Rodrigues de Faria 103 – G 0.3. Click here for a Google Pin! 

Livraria Ler Davagar opening times

You can visit the LX Factory Bookshop daily and it’s open from 10 am – 9 pm. 

Despite it being a really large store, it can get quite busy inside, especially on weekends and when the Sunday flea market is on.

You could easily spend hours wandering around and admiring everything inside. But, I’d say you could see everything in 30-45 minutes or so. 

If you wanted to take the famous Instagram photos of the bookshop I would recommend getting here around opening time or at least early in the morning! 

The LX Factory is busiest in the afternoons and evenings as this is a popular restaurant and bar area. 

Explore more of the LX Factory 

After you’ve finished exploring Ler Devagar, there is plenty more to see in the LX Factory. 

You can find lots of incredible street art here so keep your eyes peeled. My favourite was the Bee installation by Bordalo II which can be found on the LX Hostel building.

Bordalo II is a famous Portuguese street artist and activist and he often uses abandoned materials and trash around the city to create his creative masterpieces.

You can find more of his work dotted around Lisbon like the Half Chimp on Rua de Xabregas and even in Porto with the Half Rabbit in Gaia. 

There are plenty of incredible restaurants to try in LX Factory and the most popular are Mex Factory, Cantina and The Therapist.

There are also lots of shops to browse for all sorts of bohemian clothes, art, toys and cork merchandise.

Or, if you visit on a Sunday, you’ll get to experience their famous flea market. There will be countless stalls from indie businesses selling a bit of everything.  

I adored the Comur canned fish store. It looked like a historic library or something out of Harry Potter!

You can also visit Village Underground just a short walk away. You’ll find all sorts of stalls, bars, street art and tattoo bars here. 

Looking for more things to do in Lisbon?

Lisbon is a beautiful city in Portugal. As the capital, you can expect there to be a wealth of things to do on your visit.

Near to the LX Factory, you have the gorgeous waterside area of Belém which was my favourite area.

There are plenty of incredible things to do here along the mighty River Tagus such as the Belém Tower, Belém Lighthouse and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos. 

You can also visit the MAAT museum and get a picture-perfect view over the 25 de Abril Bridge. This almost looks like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

One of my favourite attractions was the magical Jeronimos Monastery with its stunning cloister courtyard. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is built in the Manueline style.

It was founded in 1501 and took nearly 200 years to build. It had some of the most beautiful carving work I’ve ever seen in my life. Warning, visit early to avoid really long queues.

Just nearby, you must visit Pastéis de Belém which is the birthplace of the famous egg custard tarts. They have patented their recipe so any other custard tarts are called Pastel de Nata.

The café was founded in 1837 and uses an ancient recipe from Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. It’s a must-visit in Belém but it gets extremely crowded with long lines for tables in peak season.

To avoid this, I’d visit for an early morning hot chocolate and pastry before you visit the monastery next door.

In the historic centre there are many amazing things to see such as Livraria Bertrand which is the oldest bookshop in the world according to Guinness World Records. 

Pop by the famous Café A Brasileira for a Bica espresso and Pastel de Nata and take a ride up the Santa Justa Lift for amazing views over Lisbon.

Nearby you can pop into Carmo Covent, a goth ruin which gives you an idea of the devastation caused by the great earthquake of 1755. Don’t forget to try the cherry liquor, Ginjinha in Rossio Square below.

There are plenty of Miradouros to enjoy amazing views over the city and one of the best is Miradouro de Santa Luzia near Lisbon Cathedral (Sé de Lisboa).

Praça do Comércio is the heart of the city by the river with its Arco da Rua Augusta and from here you can visit the famous Pink Street and Time Out Market. 

And no visit to Lisbon would be complete without a ride on a historic tram. You can catch the famous Tram 28 or take the Elevador de Bica.

Don’t forget to purchase a Lisbon Card. This gets you free transport and access to many of the city’s main attractions at a bargain price. 

Read more of my Portugal guides

Livraria Bertrand – the oldest bookshop in the world

Why you must visit Café A Brasileira do Chiado in Lisbon

Livraria Lello – magical bookshop in Porto

Was Harry Potter written in Porto’s Café Majestic?

Visiting the fairytale Palacio da Bolsa aka Bolsa Palace

Why you shouldn’t skip Monserrate Palace in Sintra

The mysterious Initiation Well in Quinta de Regaleira

Save Livraria Ler Devagar for later!