Paris is a literary heaven where writers flocked or remained as they wrote novels, poetry and plays that would move the world for generations. Found throughout its arrondissements are a handful of stores where buying a book is a complete sensory experience. Big and small, these are Paris’s must-visit bookstores for that special keepsake.
1. Shakespeare & Company
It would be a crime not to start with quite possibly the most renowned bookshop across Europe, and the world, Shakespeare & Company. A timeless boutique situated on the Left Bank, with views of the Seine and the Notre Dame, Shakespeare & Co. is an old-timer on Paris’s literary scene. Opened in 1919, today the store can’t be missed with its outdoor bookstands, green exterior and countless tourists posing for that special photo. But like always, the magic happens inside. Tip: Make sure you head the tiny staircase to the reading room and antique books.
Address: 37, rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris
2. WHSmith
Stroll along Rue de Rivoli and you’ll come across the British chain store, WHSmith. Stocking an extensive range of English books, newspapers and magazines, it’s not difficult to spend hours trawling the shelves of this two-level shop. If you need a Paris guidebook or map, this is the place where you’ll find it. No second-hand books here, but the easy to navigate sections make up for it.
Address: 248, rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
3. The Abbey Bookshop
More books, please #abbeybookshop #latinquarter #paris #france A photo posted by Roxanne (@roxannelaude) on
If you’re on the hunt for a particular book, then this may not be the shop for you. But if instead, you dream of running your fingers across the spines of hundreds of titles, reading blurbs, picking one here and there, with no agenda, then a visit to Abbey Bookshop is a must. Teeming with over 40,000 new and used books, this English-bookstore sits on a quiet street in the Latin Quarter. Don’t leave without venturing down to the basement level where piles of books line the walls. Address: 29, rue de la Parcheminerie, 75005 Paris
4. Artazart Design Bookstore
Love your coffee table books? So does Artazart. Thumb through a carefully curated selection of stunning heavyweights covering subjects like photography, interior design, art and much more. If you’re lacking inspiration, this design-infused haunt on Canal Saint-Martin, is the spot to get creative juices flowing. Address: 83, Quai de Valmy, 75010 Paris
5. Galignani
#rajnaziemi #Galignani #Paris #bioręwszystko A photo posted by Created by Katarzyna Tusk (@makelifeeasier_pl) on
Throwing open its doors in 1801 as the first English bookstore in France, Galignani was adored for its selection of titles as much as its reading room. Moving to its Rivoli location in 1856 where it sits amongst luxury hotels and boutiques, this bookstore offers floor to ceiling shelves packed with thousands of titles, spanning all genres. A romantic escape for the book nerd in the midst of a busy tourist drag.
Address: 224, rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
(Featured image: Speculum Mundi)
