The Unusual Cities: Journals & Guides now available at Under the Cover Lisbon
After stops in cities such as Paris, Stockholm, Barcelona and Madrid, The Unusual Cities continues its journey across the international editorial map with a new and exciting destination: Lisbon. As of this month, The Unusual Travel Guide Madrid and The Unusual Barcelona (journal & travel guide) are available at Under the Cover, one of the most thoughtfully curated and beautifully designed bookshops in the Portuguese capital.
Located in the elegant Amoreiras neighbourhood, Under the Cover is far more than a bookshop: it is a true sanctuary for lovers of independent publications, contemporary design, photography, art and lifestyle. Founded by Luís Cunha with a clear, demanding and detail-driven vision, the space has become a key reference point in Lisbon for those who value editorial projects with depth, purpose and soul.
Its shelves – arranged more like an exhibition than a traditional bookshop – bring together cult international magazines, auteur books, fanzines, design objects, printed art and limited editions rarely found elsewhere in the city.
Visiting Under the Cover is much more than browsing: it’s an experience that celebrates print as a sensory, cultural and emotional medium. An oasis for the curious, the aesthetes, the travellers and the collectors of stories.
That’s why we’re especially delighted to see our guides and journals find their new home in Lisbon at a place so aligned with our values. The connection feels natural: The Unusual Cities was born from a desire to explore cities through a more personal, creative and conscious lens.
Beauty lies in the details
Published in English, printed on premium Fedrigoni papers and produced at an FSC-certified printer, each issue is packaged with care in a unique sleeve made from 100% recyclable multilayer PET plastic bags.
The latest edition, The Unusual Barcelona (journal & guide), comes in an expanded format with Japanese stitched spine binding and twice the number of pages compared to previous editions.
Its editorial design has been carefully conceived to offer a more immersive reading experience: it combines thoughtfully curated recommendations with exclusive interviews featuring Salva López, architecture studio Mesura, artist Chidy Wayne, and floral stylists Flowers by Bornay. The issue also includes original photography by Mònica Figueras, Guillaume Lavrut, Clemente Vergara, Lalovenenoso, Marta Vidal and Romain Laprade; curated city routes; and local insights from voices such as Verònica Fuerte (Hey Studio), Helena Agustí (La Culture House) and Inés Miró-Sans (Casa Bonay), among others — all reflecting the creative, culinary and artistic pulse of the city.
This is not just a guidebook to discover Barcelona, but also a magazine in its own right — a collectible editorial object to keep, revisit and rediscover over time.
Meanwhile, The Unusual Madrid (travel guide) maintains the collection’s curatorial spirit but offers a unique perspective through personal recommendations by artist and designer Jaime Hayon, who takes readers on a sensitive and unconventional journey through the capital.
Both editions are designed to be read as much as to be lived: an invitation to explore cities through emotion, detail, and the desire to go beyond the obvious.
With this new collaboration, we continue to grow an international network of stockists that share our values and sensibility — places where design, culture, curiosity and authenticity take centre stage. Places that, like our guides and journals, invite you to pause, browse slowly, and embrace the beauty of things made with care.
“With this new collaboration, we continue to grow an international network of stockists that share our values and sensibility.”
(*) Photos: Rodrigo Cardoso.
