Hotel With 45,000 Books

Tucked down among the old, cobblestone lanes of Obidos, a medieval Portuguese town rich in history, is a refuge for the written word—a place where the subtle scent of old wine blends with the seductive aroma of aged paper. For those who find comfort in the weight of a tome in their hands and the sound of pages, the remarkable 45,000 book collection of the Literary Man Hotel invites.

Once you pass the threshold of this literary oasis, you are instantly surrounded by an almost magical environment. The hotel’s interior reads like a masterfully written story, every room opening a fresh chapter in an epic bibliophilic wonder. Everywhere the eye drifts, it finds the multicoloured spines of books—a kaleidoscope of knowledge decorating shelves, walls, even unusual nooks and crannies.

The Literary Man Hotel has deftly spun its large library into the very fabric of its existence. In the bedrooms, visitors might fall asleep under the vigilant eye of literary giants. With well chosen volumes allowing customers to sip and view concurrently, the bars provide not only libations for the body but also for the mind. This literary infusion permeates even the restaurants and leisure areas, offering a feast for the mind as much as the palate.

This actual maze of books suits a remarkable range of tastes and interests. While poetry aficionados can sink themselves into lines that dance off the page, history buffs can lose themselves in tales of bygone eras. Cookbooks full of gastronomic inspiration will be found by culinary adventurers, and fiction readers can explore worlds constrained just by their own imagination. The variety of genres guarantees that every visitor, with different literary tastes, will find a treasure store catered to their needs.

For its guests, this literary paradise does, however, offer a wonderful conundrum. Many people find themselves reluctant to turn away from the pages to explore the lovely surroundings of Obidos itself since the appeal of the written word is so strong and all-encompassing. It is a situation that tells volumes about the appealing atmosphere of the hotel and the caliber of its collection.

The magical setting for this bookish retreat is Obidos, a mediaeval town that seems taken from the pages of a fairy tale. Having a seven-century history, its whitewashed homes and small streets whisper secrets of a past. The love affair of the village with books goes beyond the walls of The Literary Man Hotel. The 13th-century Church of Saint Santiago, which has been converted into the “Grande Livraria de Santiago”—a great library where holy books now coexist with secular tomes—is a remarkable monument to this enthusiasm.

Not surprisingly, Obidos received the esteemed title “City of Literature” from UNESCO in December 2015. This accolade not only honors the village’s strong respect of the written word but also confirms its reputation as a pilgrimage site for book enthusiasts from all around the world.

The Literary Man Hotel in Obidos is an experience, a trip through the shared imagination of mankind as caught on print, not only somewhere to stay. It is a monument to the continuing influence of literature, a place where the lines separating fiction from reality blur and every visit promises to be an unforgettable chapter in one’s own story.

The Literary Man Hotel calls to those who dream of a vacation where every moment is imbued with the magic of storytelling, where every corner holds the promise of discovery, and where the weight of history is balanced by the lightness of poetic verse. The only constraint in this Portuguese paradise is the time one has to discover the innumerable worlds kept inside its 45,000 books.