It’s no secret we love reading. But we also love everything that comes with it: the smell of old books, exchanging recommendations with our friends and colleagues, and wandering around in bookstores for hours. Therefore, we’ve made a list of the most wonderful, quirky and beautiful bookstores all around the world.
On Instagram, we asked you to name your favorite bookstore, and in the coming weeks we will share all of your suggestions in a blog series here on our website. The best bookstores around the world according to Flow readers, for Flow readers.
Atlantis Books – Santorini, Greece
You can tell that the owners of this bookstore are really passionate about books themselves. There are a lot of first editions and special publications to be found here. The layout of the bookstore, which looks a bit like a ‘Hobbit-hole’, makes it a cozy and magical place to be in.
Ler Devagar – Lisbon, Portugal
The literal translation of Ler Devagar is ‘Read Slowly’, something we are totally on board with. The bookstore is located in an old printing house, which makes it different from your average bookstore. The ceiling is around 15 meters high and when you climb all the way up to the top, you have a great view over the rows and rows of bookshelves (see the opening image).
Shakespeare and Company – Paris, France
There is probably no bookstore with a richer history than this one. It opened in 1951 and has been the heart and meeting point of the literary elite of Paris ever since. This bookstore solely sells English-language books and is still held in high regard in the literary world, with many author visits and events on the bookstore’s agenda. It’s located in the heart of Paris (across the Notre Dame) and is definitely worth a visit on your next trip.
The Last Bookstore – LA, US
What makes this bookstore (among other things) so wonderful are the special features, all made out of books. You can enter a secret tunnel, there are bookshelves organized by color, flying books, walls made out of books, and more magical things. It’s almost like a theme-park for booklovers, but for free. There’s also a great collection of secondhand books for great prices.
Cărturești Carusel – Bucharest, Romania
We’re ending this list with a bang, because this bookstore is something really quite special. With the beautiful white décor, large staircases and balconies it almost feels as if you have been transported to the library in Beauty and the Beast. They claim it’s a bookstore, but this is probably what any booklover envisions heaven would look like. The name ‘Carousel of Light’ therefore couldn’t be more fitting.
- If you want to indulge in more beautiful bookstores, then read part one in our ‘Captivating Bookstores’-series.
Photography Claudio Schwarz Purzlbaum/Unsplash.com (opening image), Levi Jones/Unsplash.com
