It says on their door that they were founded in 1872. Not sure if this is so, but the shop does have a vintage vibe to it. It is a two-storey chic space, with red carpets, black walls and high shelves stacked with books on all kinds of topics.
The ground floor is devoted to books in Italian, while the first floor is all about other languages, mostly English, of course (although I’ve seen some French and German titles, as well). The English section is substantial, but not huge, with special attention given to modern fiction and classics. They proudly have a Penguin trademark on their door, and they do sell a lot of books brought out to the world by this British publisher.
What I enjoyed – good choice of literature that was selected by someone with good taste (Didion, Steinbeck, Baldwin). What I didn’t enjoy so much was the lack of space. You are really brushing against someone’s back most of the time if you are not alone in that section. Basically, why would you call yourself an international bookshop if your large ground floor is all about books in Italian, while the foreign section is pretty tiny? Also, the prices were not the lowest. I didn’t leave the store without a catch (of course), and I am actually very happy with it. It is a Shambhala pocket library edition on mindfulness that I am sure is a rarity in Europe.
Overall verdict – a very atmospheric place. If you like classy stores that have that early 20 century feel to them, you will love Luxemburg. Drop in here just for the experience.
