Want to know my personal all-time favourite and a must-visit for any culture vulture visiting or living in Berlin? This is it, the ‘culture store’ in Berlin’s central Friedrichstrasse, KK (KulturKaufhaus) Dussmann. I’ve been coming here practically every Friday after work, to celebrate the start of the weekend 🙂 There are two things I like […]
This bookstore, whose name translates from Portuguese as ‘read slowly’, should be visited at least for its extraordinary design. Located in a former industrial hub in what is now known as LXFactory (the hippest and most creative space in Lisbon), this sizable shop boasts a large X-shaped staircase, old industrial printing machines and curious sculptures […]
How about visiting the oldest operating bookstore in the world? Livraria Bertrand in Lisbon (Rua Garrett 73, Lisbon 1200-203, Portugal), opened its doors as far back as 1732! Established by a Frenchman living in Lisbon, this store has had a long and incredibly interesting life, from changing owners to devastating earthquake and being a […]
This is so far my favourite bookstore. It is THAT good, trust me! Elliott Bay is an independently owned bookstore in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle. Founded in 1973, it is the cultural hub of the area, with numerous events such as storytime, book club meetings, signings etc. and over 150,000 titles displayed on […]
Unfortunately, Prague remains a very tourist-focused destination, with such consequences as sky-rocketing prices in the popular areas and general commodification of culture (Kafka and Å vejk are everywhere, from postcards and totes to names of cafes and pubs). The saddest part is that I doubt even 10 per cent of all this mass of people visiting […]
Besides housing one the most important German art pieces of the 20th century (I am referring to Otto Dix’s Großstadt, of course), Stuttgart’s Kunstmuseum also has one of the best art bookstores I’ve been to in my life. According to the museum, they have been able to win the nationally renowned bookseller, Fachbuchhandlung Walther König, […]
This is the place for when you are craving some reading food and are on a tight budget. Although the English section of this second-hand bookstore is not very large (but still quite extensive compared to most Stuttgart bookstores), it is always changing. Actually, it is updated a lost faster than English sections in “normal” […]
This bookshop has been a landmark in the famous Latin Quarter, a student district of Paris, since 1845. Located in Boulevard Saint-Michel, it has outdoor stalls and several floors inside with a huge choice of second-hand books (paperbacks, art books, comics, mangas), CDs, records and DVDs at affordable prices. Locals adore this store – grannies, […]
Although not an original Shakespeare and Company (the original by Sylvia Beach closed in 1941), this store surely has the vibe of an old dusty bookshop. But that’s about it. Otherwise, I found this place way overpriced and tourist-trappy. The atmosphere could be authentic were it not for so many tourists loitering around just because […]
What I like about Italy is how tasteful everything is. Even a bookstore in a small Tuscan gem of a city called Lucca. I accidentally found this store on my cobblestoned way from the Duomo di Lucca to Puccini’s museum (both deserve an article of their own). What I loved about Mondadori is that it […]