Magical Bookshops

These twelve magical bookshops transport us to faraway places. Even though travel may be on pause for the moment these beautiful bookstores inspire wanderlust. We would happily plan a trip just to visit any and everyone of these magical bookshops.

Of course we love how some of these bookshops embrace the outdoors. The Honesty Bookshop at the medieval castle walls in Hay-on-Wye, a Welsh town that host’s an annual book festival. Or Rodger’s Book Barn tucked into the woods in Upstate New York.

HONESTY BOOKSHOP

Hay-on-Wye

photo elensham

RODGER’S BOOK BARN

467 Rodman Rd, Hillsdale, NY

photo andnorth

Similarly who doesn’t love a bookshop with water views? Atlantis in Santorini has stunning views of turquoise waters or Venice’s Libreria Acqua Alta which opens onto a pretty canal. Likewise Word on the Water is a book barge on a canal in London’s King Cross.

ATLANTIS BOOKS

Nomikos Street, Oía, Santorini

photo alexandash

LIBRERIA ACQUA ALTA

Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa, 5176b, Venice

WORD ON THE WATER

Regent’s Canal Towpath, Kings Cross, London

photo oncewaslost_

Equally enchanting are architecturally stunning spaces, often repurposed, as awe-inspiring bookshops. Such as a 700-year old Dominican church in Maastricht which is now Boekhandel bookshop. Or the palatial Teatro Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires repurposed as a bookshop but has retained it’s original frescoed ceiling and ornate balconies and boxes. Porto’s beautiful Livraria Lello features an ornate forked staircase and the pretty spiral staircase and balconies at Bucharest’s Cărtușeti Carusel.

BOEKHANDEL DOMINICANEN

Dominicanerkerkstraat 1, 6211 Maastricht, Netherlands

photo archiseye

EL ANTENEO GRAND SPLENDID

Av. Santa Fe 1860, C1123 CABA, Argentina

photo chigona.mente

LIVRARIA LELLO

R. das Carmelitas 144, 4050-161 Porto

CĂRTUREȘTI CARUSEL

Strada Lipscani 55, Bucharest

photo punkodelish

Lastly but not least, we love Librairie F Jousseaume in the gorgeous Galerie Vivienne. As well as New York’s French bookstore, Albertine, with its celestial painted ceiling and Livraria Lee Devagar’s famous flying bicycle.