Visit the Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World

It’s called El Ateneo, Spanish for “The Athenaeum”, a place associated with learning, the arts and intellectual pursuits. A hundred years ago, it was one of the most elegant theatres in all of Argentina, now it is considered the most beautiful bookstore in the world. Shelves of books replace rows of seating…celebrating a different type of artistic expression. As you enter, the feeling is still one of anticipation. Literature takes center stage.

I visited moments after opening on my last morning in Buenos Aires as most of the city was heading to work.

An original jewel of the city of Buenos Aires, it was christened The Teatro Grand Splendid in 1919. Enjoy its original frescoed ceilings, elegant curved balconies and ornate detailing.

The interior remains as stunning, with its luxurious velvet-curtained stage, as when it was first designed by architects Pero and Torres Armengol.

Internationally known, best of the best tango legends and their partners graced this very stage. The theatre’s proprietor, also the owner of well-known Nacional-Odeon record label of Argentina, a gentleman named Max Glucksman was a leading figure in the world of tango in his own right. He brought the world’s greatest performers to his stage.

In 1929, the theater underwent its first transformation to become a cinema with live tango orchestration accompanying silent films. Teatro Grand Splendid was the first in Buenos Aires to show movies with sound.

Just prior to the leasing of the building in 2000, the Grand Splendid was under threat of demolition due to a poor economy. Fortunately the new parent company, owner of 40 other bookstores, preserved the building, making it their flagship. Today, visitors can enjoy this opulent display of books, sip coffee and spend afternoons enjoying live piano music on the same stage where Argentinian tango legends once performed.

El Ateneo is located at 1860 Ave. Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Open 9am-9pm Monday- Saturday.