11 Beautiful Bookstores in Europe (A Book Lover’s Guide!)

As a self-proclaimed bibliophile, I am happily obsessed with perusing beautiful bookstores in Europe and beyond.

From the gorgeous decor to the books themselves, I find myself itching to disappear amongst bookshelves every chance I get… no matter where in the world I happen to be!

That being said, some shops certainly stick out more than others.

We love European fairytale towns of all shapes and sizes, but gorgeous towns that are also home to gorgeous bookstores are a special treat!

To make sure this book lover’s guide to Europe expands beyond my own experiences (though I have visited most of these!), I teamed up with several other travel bloggers to curate a list of the most beautiful European bookshops.

Some of these Jeremy and I have been to, some are still on our list of places to visit, and all of them are absolutely gorgeous.

Shakespeare & Company, Paris, France

From Lena of Salut from Paris

Paris’ famous Shakespeare and Company bookshop resembles more a piece of art than a store.

The interior is as askew as the outside, and despite its small size, it actually takes a while to explore this beautiful bookstore as a whole.

Covering two floors and featuring a maze-like number of tiny rooms that are filled with literature, poetry, biographies, and the comforting smell of old books, simply visiting Shakespeare and Company is an experience!

The remaining beds, sofas, and the piano are relics from earlier days when grand writers spent time living and writing here.

The little yellow-green storefront with colorful fairy lights is located in the center of Paris in a setting that could not be more perfect.

With Notre Dame, a classic green water fountain, the slightly weathered outside bookshelves, and the cherry blossom trees all visible from the front of the store, it makes a perfect Paris picture.

While you’re exploring the best things to do in Paris, you should not miss the events that are held frequently at Shakespeare and Company!

The bookstore regularly opens its doors for evening author readings that are open to everyone, free of charge. You can check upcoming dates on their website.

Please note that taking photos inside Shakespeare and Company is forbidden, so be sure to commit the views to memory!

The House of Books, Saint Petersburg, Russia

From Campbell and Alya of Stingy Nomads

Housed in a former office building modeled after the Singer Building in New York City, The House of Books (Dom Knigi) is ornate and beautiful.

The building is one of the best examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Saint Petersburg, complete with opulent decorative details, massive oak frames and doors, large windows, a mosaic floor, and gold foil detailing.

The House of Books is one of the biggest bookstores in Europe, and you can find anything from city photo albums and travel guides to modern novels and souvenirs there.

Once you’re finished shopping, head up to the coffee shop on the second floor for a cup of coffee and a great view of the Kazan Cathedral through the window.

Ler Devagar, Lisbon, Portugal

From James of Worldwide Shopping Guide

One of my favorite bookshops in Europe, simply in terms of design, is Ler Devagar.

Situated in Lisbon’s hipster LX Factory, the bookstore is large and industrial, with big high ceilings, metal beams, and plenty of open space – the opposite of most other European bookstores, which are typically small, intimate, and cozy.

The bookshop is housed in a former printing press, and it still holds many of the machines that were a part of the print workshop.

Re-using old factories for new businesses is nothing new, especially these days, but rarely do the two businesses match as well as a printing press and a bookstore.

Ler Devagar means read slowly, and this is a great bookstore for doing exactly that.

With so much open space, you rarely feel like you’re getting in anybody’s way, and if you want to be even more leisurely, there’s a cafe where you can sit down and enjoy your latest souvenir from Portugal.

Note From Kate: If you’re excited about visiting bookshops in Lisbon, be sure not to miss Livraria Bertrand, either. It’s the oldest continuously operating bookstore in the world, and located in one of my favorite Lisbon neighborhoods to visit!

Leakey’s Bookshop, Inverness, Scotland

From Laurence of Finding the Universe

Leakey’s Bookshop is a rare treat waiting to be discovered in Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands and an amazing place to start a Scottish road trip!

When you walk into the bookstore, the first thing you notice will likely be the huge heating stove, which in winter keeps the whole place toasty warm.

Around this central area are shelves upon shelves and piles upon piles of books, spread out across two stories.

Access to the second floor is available via a spiral staircase, which also offers a wonderful view of all those lovely books that are just waiting for you to crack them open.

The 100,000 books (not including the antique prints and maps) are for the most part well-loved and well-priced, and you could easily lose yourself for hours here!

Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice, Italy

A bookstore designed to protect its books from floods: that is the nature of Libreria Acqua Alta, the Venice bookshop known for storing its books in devices that float. Think bathtubs, buckets, and one beautiful gondola!

The interior of the bookshop is enough to rank it as one of the most beautiful bookstores in Europe, but its back porch is incredibly memorable as well.

The shop owners have taken hundreds of old books that have outlived their usefulness (mostly outdated encyclopedias) and created a staircase made entirely of books.

Be sure to make the short climb up–you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful view of Venice’s canals.

Naturally, this bookstore can get extremely crowded–we’ve lost count of how many times we’ve visited now, and tend to have the best chance of avoiding the crowds by going as soon as they open in the morning.

For around 20 minutes one morning, we practically had the place to ourselves!

Even if you only have one day in Venice, the beautiful Libreria Acqua Alta is a must-see for book lovers–you won’t regret seeking it out!

Selexyz Dominican Church, Maastricht, The Netherlands

From Bruna of Maps ‘n Bags

Can you imagine what it is like to read a book in a former 13th-century Dominican church?

Created from the fusion of a few European bookshops, visiting the Selexyz Dominicanen bookstore is one of the best things to do in Maastricht. It attracts many locals and tourists alike with its distinctive location and impressive collection.

On the ground floor, there are plenty of aisles with books and magazines, but most of the store’s collection is housed on a huge three-story black steel construction that is raised into the air.

I highly recommend going upstairs because the view is just astonishing, almost divine.

Fancy a coffee? Then go to the church’s altar and order a cup, which some visitors claim to be the best coffee in town!

Cărturești Carusel, Bucharest, Romania

from Skye at Skye Travels

Cărturești Carusel is the pride and joy of the Old Town of Bucharest, Romania–though perhaps Old Town is a misnomer.

Although the oldest part of the city, it was dilapidated until recent years, when enormous efforts were made to revitalize it. One of the restorations is of an old bank building from the early 1900s. In 2015, it opened its doors as the gorgeous Carusel bookstore.

The bookstore doesn’t follow any specific architectural design, yet the style is beautifully modern.

The six stories are arranged with natural lighting coming down from the skylights to the ground floor. Wavy banisters wrap along the wooden-floor aisles, held up by a dozen white columns.

Over 10,000 titles are available, both in Romanian and English.

In the basement, multimedia can be purchased, while much of the ground floor is somewhat of a souvenir shop, it includes a massive selection of teas and chocolates.

The fifth floor doesn’t have any shelves. Instead, it doubles as a gallery for local artists.

Then, on the top floor, you’ll find a spacious café where readers and travelers can relax while enjoying a coffee and a view of the floors beneath.

Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Librairie Jousseaume, Paris, France

From Elisa of World in Paris

Everybody knows about Shakespeare and Company, one of the most photographed spots in Paris.

Ask locals about the most beautiful independent bookstore, though, and they just might send you to Gallerie Vivienne instead.

Librairie Jousseaume (45 Gallerie Vivienne, Paris 2) is one of the most beautiful bookshops in the City of Lights, and a hidden gem located in one of the most beautiful covered passages in Paris.

This charming bookstore, classified as a historical monument, was founded in 1826 with the name of Librairie Petit-Siroux.

Today, this dream bookshop lost in time boasts over 4,000 references from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, and it is the perfect place to browse for ancient and new books, rare books, and perhaps find a treasure.

The concept is simple: Mr. Jousseaume has everything, or he can have everything.

Go to Librairie Jousseaume to get a glimpse of La Belle Epoque, that charming Paris that has almost disappeared.

Booth Books, Hay-On-Wye, Wales, United Kingdom

From David of Delve Into Wales

Hay-on-Wye, a small Welsh country town on the English border, has long been the second-hand book capital of the world.

Despite being a very small place, Hay-on-Wye boasts over 20 independent bookshops, making it one of the absolute best places for book lovers to visit in Europe.

It also plays host to the annual Hay Literary Festival, one of the biggest of its kind in the world.

Booth Books was founded by Richard Booth, who kick-started the whole Hay book-town phenomenon and once declared himself King of Hay.

It’s one of the largest bookshops in town, and in recent years has also opened a small café and cinema in the back of the shop.

It’s housed in a vast old building in the center of the town, a labyrinth of shelves where I always linger for an hour or two whenever I pass through Hay, emerging eventually with at least half a dozen new volumes.

I’m sure I haven’t read some that I bought there a quarter of a century ago, but next time, I’ll be back for more.

Immanuel Giel, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Livraria Lello, Porto, Portugal

With its impressive staircase and delicate, beautiful architecture, Livraria Lello is an undeniably gorgeous place that is often a must-see spot in Porto for book lovers visiting the city!

Does it deserve the title of the most beautiful bookstore in Portugal? Arguably yes, though it does have stiff competition down in Lisbon.

Visiting Livraria Lello also comes with a controversial quirk, though: you have to purchase a ticket to visit.

Why is it the only European bookstore in this guide to charge an entrance fee?

First, because it’s small. And second, because Livraria Lello rose to an intense level fame for a convoluted reason: the store kind of looks like it could be in Hogwarts, and J.K. Rowling worked on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone in Porto, ergo, Livraria Lello could have inspired Hogwarts!

It’s a stretch, yes, but the store is stunning, and I’m convinced that in the age of social media, it’d be famous regardless.

To enter, you’ll need to pre-purchase a ticket voucher for 5 Euro. The cost of the voucher is redeemable as part of the price of a book.

I highly recommend booking your ticket in advance and scheduling your visit for first thing in the morning!

We took the photos included here and in this blog post at the store’s opening time in January. We were some of the first people through the door, which is how we avoided having crowds in our photos!

Open Book Market, Sofia, Bulgaria

From Stephanie and Allison of Sofia Adventures

Sofia’s Open Book Market is a special place in the city, and I’ve never seen anything quite like it anywhere in the world.

The market is focused mainly on used books, with some new books and other tchotchkes thrown in.

While the majority of the volumes are in Bulgarian (and therefore have gorgeous Cyrillic covers), every seller has an English section.

Prices for most used books range from one to five leva (under three Euros!).

The pedestrian-friendly zone is lined with shops, and vintage trams come through regularly, making this a fantastic place to people-watch, photograph the trains, and browse for used English classics.

My favorite feature is the benches, which have decorative wood panels painted to look like books, celebrating the legacy and cultural impact of this small market.

It’s a beautiful and quiet corner of the city, which is why it’s one of my favorite places to visit in Sofia.

Stroll through, buy whatever catches your eye, and sit peacefully nearby reading your new find.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kyletaylor/ Kyle Taylor, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Read More About Visiting Europe (+ Guides for Book Lovers!)

Visiting Europe soon and eager to keep planning… or looking for your next reads?

Here are a few of our most popular guides for planning a Europe trip:

• How to Plan an Epic 2 Week Europe Trip (+ Europe Itinerary Ideas!)
• 75+ Essential Europe Travel Tips You Need to Hear
• How to Travel Europe By Train: The Ultimate Guide (+ Tips!)

And here are some of our favorite blog posts for book lovers traveling in Europe:

• 33 Best Books About Italy: A Literary Guide
• Inside Leakey’s Bookshop, Inverness’ Beloved Church-Turned-Bookstore
• 33 Terrific Travel Journal Ideas, Tips + Prompts!
• 15 Incredible Books About Iceland (To Read Before Visiting!)
• Inside Livraria Lello, The Porto Bookshop (Loosely) Connected to Harry Potter