Like a great nieghbourhood pub or café, a local bookstore is a fantastic spot to soak up some culture and get some insight into the local colour.

They are community centres, places to browse and discover, and monuments to literature all at once.

Make sure to browse the local reading section and if there is a spot to sit and read, it could make some great people watching.

In addition to London's Daunt bookstore, here are some must see bookstores around the world:

Selexyz Bookstore in Maastricht, Holland is housed in a gorgeous converted Dominican church.

Livaria Lello in Porto Portugal is a divine neo-gothic bookstore, opened in 1906. It's centerpiece is a gorgeous red staircase lit by a stained glass atrium.    

Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires, Argentina is a converted 1920s movie palace that uses theatre boxes for reading rooms and draws thousands of tourists every year.

Here in Canada, there are many independent bookstores that are worth a visit.

In Halifax, Woozles Childrens Bookstore is an iconic children's bookstore. In the heart of the downtown on Birmingham Street, it is also Canada's oldest independent bookstore for children, carrying a wide range of books, from the whimsical to the educational.

Munros Books historic Government Street in Victoria has been an institution for more than forty years. Described by Allan Fotheringham as Canada's most magnificent bookstore, Munro's offers a vast selection of titles on virtually every topic.

In Ottawa, Collected Works is an independent bookstore that stocks Canadian, American, and British books with a strong emphasis on literary fiction, poetry, and children's books. The store is a venue for exhibitions by local artists, readings by writers, book club discussions, and workshops for aspiring writers.

And if you have you happen to be in the area, you must check out the self-proclaimed The World's Smallest Bookstore. About 150 km northeast of Toronto outside of Kinmount on a quiet stretch of County Road 503 by 10 feet. Its shelves are full of mainstream literary titles and classic authors.

The store is open 24 hours a day, the books are only three dollars apiece and paid on the honour system.