Review of Libreria Acqua Alta - A Quirky Literary Haven in Venice Venturing from London to Venice, I was intrigued by the city’s cultural gems, and Libreria Acqua Alta, a renowned bookshop, was high on my list of places to explore. Pros: Libreria Acqua Alta’s unconventional ambiance immediately caught my attention. The books, stacked in bathtubs, crates, and even a converted gondola staircase, created a captivating maze of literary wonders. Each corner held a promise of hidden gems, making the experience akin to a literary treasure hunt. The shop’s embrace of Venice’s aquatic setting was evident, with books creatively incorporated to form benches and steps that led to a charming canal-side reading corner. It offered a unique glimpse into the city’s soul, with books and water intertwined harmoniously. Cons: Due to its popularity, the shop can get quite crowded during peak tourist seasons. Maneuvering through the narrow passages amidst fellow visitors can be a tad overwhelming, particularly for those seeking a tranquil reading environment. For travelers with mobility concerns, the uneven surfaces and tight walkways might pose challenges. Navigating the layout may require extra caution. In essence, Libreria Acqua Alta promises an unmatched and memorable experience for book aficionados. Its imaginative arrangement of books and its reflection of Venice’s essence make it an exceptional stop for any visitor. Just be prepared for the bustling atmosphere and allow yourself the time to immerse in the shop’s distinctive charm.

Super unique bookstore! I am not going to repeat the obvious but if you want to get some cute cat postcards in different sizes, you can definitely find some here. It's a nice way to help out the bookstore since I assume a lot of the books are for decoration purpose only. You can also take a picture on the gondola at the back of the store. Donations are welcome. Lots of tourists during high season. But the store lady was still being very patient while directing traffic in a crowded and hot bookstore. Definitely one of those places you should visit at least once. (July 2022)

I adore visiting bookstores, and this one is described as "the most beautiful bookstore in the world", however it seems like it appears in every what to do in Venice list you can find and as a result, it might as well he the busiest bookstore in the world. The crowds of people in this tiny space, even in December, made it impossible to enjoy browsing. Of course, everywhere in Venice can get quite busy, and it's just a fact of life there, but for those that actually intend to look at the books, beware busy times! Staff should consider enforcing a capacity for safety and health reasons- or to at least make browsing their books enjoyable for those that care to do so. We did enjoy seeing the cats though!

Really nice unique book store. My daughter loved the post cards sold there. Hard to find but definitely glad we went. Cool place to take pictures. You can go inside a gandola that’s park on the back by the “Fire exit”. The cats are so cute too.

The bookstore is pretty cool in and of itself. Unfortunately, it is also very busy with tourists, so they have to rush you through and it is very difficult to browse. It would be best to go during off-peak hours if you want to look at the books. If you're just there to see the bathtub and gondola full of books, and climb the staircase made of books, and just enjoy stacks of books, then anytime is probably good.

This bookstore is a very cute and kind of hidden bookstore. Pretty nice to go inside, lots of books to look through. They sell souvenir canvas bags and t-shirts as well. Very tight space inside, there can be lines to take photos of the book staircase. In the middle of the store is a gondola packed with books, so don’t miss that. On your way out, head out the side entrance, and there will be another photo opportunity there. The visit won’t take more than around 15-20 minutes, really depends on your browsing speed.

Libreria Acqua Alta(Acqua Alta bookshop). If you are a book lover, then you must visit this place. And if you are not! Still you should step inside this vintage bookstore. Located near the famous church of Santa Maria Formosa. Look for the resident cats inside the store!

Cool little spot here worth checking out if you’re in the area. It was a pretty crowded touristy destination and you can tell they deal with a large number of visitors because they have a one way system walking through the place. It was all kind of a haze really. It’s a cool spot to check out, but personally I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

I believe this book store is one of the kind in the world, so many YouTube videos in many languages that introduces this unique book store! We also came to stamp our visit while we are in Venezia! It is crowded all day long, the owner is constantly ask visitors to move along because everyone wants to have lots photos taken by the “Book staircase” in the backyard. That create a traffic jams! Lots of small gifts items that you can purchase to keep this unique store at flow!

Its a nice place, but honestly i didnt find it amazing. Yes it has quite a few old books but you dont get a chance to scan and buy as you are in que led throughout. It seems very touristy and rushed and the main point of the journey is pile of wet books which are a staircase and you walk over it, which i found a bit weird. There are many more nicer libraries in other cities where you get to read and enjoy the presence of books compared to this.

A very cute old book store that looked like a fairy tale shop. It's small and crowded with tourist, but it's very cute inside. The owner sells many cute post cards with their cat as the model (The black cat, i'm not sure it's theirs but it looks like it). It's free to enter but it's better to buy something if you're visiting. Dogs are not allowed since they have cat.

Super unique book shop to visit while a guest in Venice. Hidden away, but this gem is full of charm and features the iconic stairs (made of older, damaged books) around the back of the shop which leads to a cool view. If I had space in my backpack, I'd have easily bought a bunch of books as souvenirs. Also got to meet the lovely cat who lives there (I presume!)

I used to dream about coming to this place, and it actually exceeded my expectations. It’s such a magical bookshop, I could’ve stayed there for hours but the only not so cool thing is that it was really crowded. So lucky if you can take your time to be able to fully enjoy it!

An excellent place I saw on YouTube and wanted to visit. It was too busy so there were no cats to be seen, but I could smell them😅 I wish I had visited at a less busy time so that I could look at the books but there were so many tourist I was pushed through. I got some great photos of the stairs outside and bought a post card.

This is one of the most sought after places to visit in Venice and for a reason. This library is uniquely designed and has the Venetian boat theme. You'd see iconic books stacked in a long Venetian boat and that is definitely appealing. The only thing that I thought was missing is english language books. Didn't find many.

A unique place to visit while you’re in Venice. Stacks and stacks of books organized in a unique way, a long with souvenirs and others. Great experience we had there and I recommend it for those who gonna visit Venice and want to discover what those narrow alleys contains.

Lovely small library packed to the brim with books. Really like the exposed brick and ground through the premises which gives an old and humble vibe to the place. Out the back they have created a staircase of books where you can step off and look at the canals over the wall. They also created walls of books outside the premises. Well worth a visit for a couple of minutes. Great free activity in the city

Love this place! Cats and cat related gifts abound. Books are on wall shelves or in old gondolas and tubs to keep things off the ground in case of flooding. Books that were damaged in past floods are set up as a place for photo op. And… so many calendars, postcards, art prints at great prices! Also, an old gondola outside for more photo ops.

A very magical place for bookworms & explorers! This bookstore is a very unique place with all kind of books (comics, novels, drama, thriller - you name it). You will highly likely find a book in every language! They have great photo opportunities including a floating gondola! The book garden is fantastic too and absolutely worth it! It can become quite crowded but the store is very big. I would recommend to go there early in the morning. The staff was super friendly. Additionally, you can find all sorts of venetian souvenirs and LOTS of cats in the store! Definitely a must-check-out!

Most beautiful bookshop to visit. Friendly staff, interesting books, postcards etc. 🐈

Beautiful bookshop! They sell so many books and you can find notebooks, magnets and postcards! Just a shame they don't have more books in foreign languages (mostly all Italian books). Make sure to go during quiet times of the day (morning for example) as the shop is pretty narrow and it's difficult to move around if there are a few other people inside.

Very unique book store. A lot of old books and some new ones, mainly in Italian, but there are some in English too. Also sells many cool cards. Unique interior, gondonas inside of the shop, also one to take pictures if anybody wanted.

Such a beautiful library with so much history and the smell of old books! The cats are the cutest, the gondola at the back is such a photo moment. The book staircase is a must see with the view from the top of the canals… the books are such a great collection. Would definitely recommend to any book lovers

This bookstore is just amazing. One of the most interesting ones I've seen so far. The cats are so lovely ♡

Mixed feelings. My mother told me to go there because she liked it and I am book lover and cat person too. So, the place is beautiful and picturesque but it's not a good place for books. The humidity and even mold on books is sad to see. I was searching for a book to buy but it was rather hard as the place was crowded and the staff was rushing and telling to move forward. I found the book for myself and I bought it from the cat on the counter and that was super cute experience but still... Is a good place for Instagram photos and not good for actually admiring books.

Very cool place to explore, highly recommend going out of your way to see this place.

If you come to Venice you need to visit it. It's a must. And if you love cats, this is your place. Very pittoresque library where you can see the effects of the high water in the city. I love everything about this place. YOU NEED TO VISIT IT!!

A must stop on any tourist list to Venice. This amazing bookstore took my breathe away. To walk through and see year and years of sustained damage, but look so beautiful was mesmerizing.

Came for the books ,stayed for the cats. Really beautiful and cuddling. The atmosphere and the decoration are also unique. The books were not that interesting,but everyone has his/her own taste in these. If you happen to be around the area, it's worth the visit.

Really unique bookstore & very friendly staff. The book selection also has its cute style. A must-visit in Venice.

Very very very crowded with tourists. It’s a cool place to see and a cool photo-op in the back garden but don’t try this place for leisurely book shopping. Not a great variety of literature but lot of kitschy books, souvenirs, and attention grabbers. Other tourists are pushy in here too because it’s so tight. Cool store but attracts a bad crowd