Libreria Acqua Alta

Castello 5176/b

Wonderful little bookstores are scattered all over Venice and Libraria Acqua Alta (Bookstore of High Water) is one of these hidden gems. Named and themed around the fact that Venice’s floods are a peril to books, all of the store’s stock is placed in floatable receptacles, including a full-sized gondola. The store owner himself has been known to float somewhere above reality; he’s often seen in costume among his precious tomes.

More Recommendations

Venice Bookshop

Acqua Alta is a browser’s heaven with its books, maps and posters stacked from floor to ceiling, and even in a gondola. The chaotic organization is part of what makes the bookshop memorable; however I had no trouble finding materials on the painter Titian. Pretend you’re exploring the personal collection of a long-time resident of this salty city as you breathe in the ink smell and weave in between the uneven book stacks. Be sure to make your way to the back where you can look out over a quiet side canal and perhaps wave to a gondolier.

Information on this page, including website, location, and opening hours, is subject to have changed since this page was last published. If you would like to report anything that’s inaccurate, let us know at notification@afar.com.

Nearby highlights
Sign up for our newsletter
Join more than a million of the world’s best travelers. Subscribe to the Daily Wander newsletter.
More From AFAR