The world’s greatest bookshops

Nov 16, 2010 8:47:22 PM

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Bookshops are a traveller’s best friend: they provide convenient shelter and diversion in bad weather, they’re a reliable source of maps, notebooks, and travel guides, they often host readings and other cultural events, and if you raced through your lone paperback on the first leg of your trip, the bookshop is the place to go for literary replenishment. Taken from Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2011, here are our picks for the best spots to browse, buy, hang out, find sanctuary among the shelves, rave about your favourite writers and meet book-loving characters.

1. City Lights Books, San Francisco, USA

Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s City Lights Books is still one of the world’s coolest bookshops, almost 60 years after it opened for bohemian business. Having been a meeting point for American literary icons, from beat writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg onwards, it’s still central to the city’s vibrant cultural scene. As well as three floors of tomes, including those published by City Lights, the shop offers weekly readings and events. More than the nearby Beat Museum, this is the place to feel the boho buzz that once inspired Kerouac et al to drive across America to the Bay Area.

Check www.citylights.com for details of upcoming events; and you can do that pretty much anywhere in wi-fi-blanketed San Francisco.

2. Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires, Argentina

It’s grand, it’s splendid, it’s a strong contender to be the world’s most beautiful bookshop. Occupying a 1920s theatre in downtown Buenos Aires, El Ateneo has kept the sumptuous auditorium’s original furnishings – and added books. Beneath the painted ceiling, shelves have been built into the spectator balconies. When you’ve finished gawping at the ornate carvings and it’s time to put finger to page, the former theatre boxes are now intimate reading rooms. There’s a cafe on the stage, between red velvet curtains, and the final firework in the literary spectacle is the round-the-clock opening hours.

Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid is located on the south side of Ave Santa Fe, 50m west of Ave Callao.

3. Livraria Lello, Porto, Portugal

A little over 100 years old, this art nouveau gem in Portugal’s second city remains one of the world’s most stunning shops – perhaps of any kind. Competing for attention with the books are wrap-around, neo-Gothic shelves, featuring panels carved with Portuguese literary figures. A track, used by the staff for transporting stock in a cart, leads from the entrance to the lolloping red staircase, which winds up to the first floor like an exotic flower. Books are available in English as well as Portuguese, and there’s a small cafe upstairs beneath the stained-glass skylight.

You can continue the Art Nouveau tour of Porto at Café Majestic and streets such as Rua Galeria de Paris.

4. Shakespeare & Company, Paris, France

Where did the American beat poets go to share cigarettes and profundities when they were in Europe? Shakespeare & Company of course – located in Paris’ Latin Quarter, a tome’s throw from Notre Dame Cathedral. George Whitman, the eccentric American bibliophile who opened the cosy store in 1951, has handed the reins to his daughter as he approaches 100. Nonetheless, much of Shakespeare & Co’s creative, chaotic spirit remains. It’s still a prime spot to fill your rucksack with paperbacks, hang with the Left Bank literati, and admire the packed shelves, wooden beams and poetic posters.

Nearby transport links include St-Michel (metro line 4) and St-Michel Notre Dame (RER lines B and C). Visit http://shakespeareandcompany.com for more information.

5. Daunt Books, London, England

London is an armchair explorer’s dream, offering high-quality, travel-focused book dens such as Stanford’s and The Travel Bookshop. Our favourite is Daunt Books. The mini-chain stocks a lot more than guides and maps, and everything – from biographies to fiction – is handily arranged by country. The green Daunt Books sign is found in five well-heeled enclaves of London, but the Marylebone branch is the original and best. Occupying an Edwardian bookshop, its long oak galleries with polished floors and shelves, graceful skylights and William Morris prints create a peaceful atmosphere. The perfect place for some serious browsing.

The branches at 83 Marylebone High St, Chelsea, Holland Park, Hampstead and Belsize Park open seven days a week; visit www.dauntbooks.co.uk.

6. Another Country, Berlin, Germany

The commendably eccentric Another Country is a hub for everyone from Berlin’s expat community to indie bands. The Kreuzberg institution is more of a library than a conventional bookshop; you can pay for the book, return it when you’ve read it, and get your money back – minus €1.50. In addition to some 20,000 books, the sprawling shop-cum-club offers much-loved events, including the Tuesday-night film club, Thursday TV night and Friday dinner. In the finest tradition of leftfield bookstores, Another Country inspires as well as sells creative efforts, and its website features a comic and a story about the shop.

Located at Riemannstrasse 7, Another Country is open Tuesday to Friday 11am to 8pm and weekends from noon to 4pm. The film and TV nights start at 8pm; the dinner at 9pm; visit www.anothercountry.de.

7. The Bookworm, Beijing, China

The Bookworm does everything a good bookshop should do – which is a lot more than sell books. The Beijing mothership, which has spawned branches in Suzhou and Chengdu, has played a huge role in promoting both local and foreign literature. Not only is it one of the few places in China where you can pick up books which are banned in the country, it has a lending library with 16,000-plus titles. The library is also the setting for a healthy program of events, from gigs to an annual literary festival. There’s even a whisky bar and monthly wine club.

The Bookworm International Literary Festival takes place in Beijing, Suzhou and Chengdu over two weeks in mid-March; see www.chinabookworm.com.

8. Selexyz Dominicanen, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Occupying a 13th-century Dominican church – which Maastricht’s cyclists had appropriated for bike storage – Selexyz Dominicanen consists of a steel bookstack rising towards the heavens. Cunningly, this both leaves the nave’s grandeur intact and creates 1,200 sq metres of selling space – despite the 750-sq-metre floor area. Staircases and a lift lead to the top of the three-storey stack, where you can eyeball 14th-century ceiling paintings. The altar has been superseded by a cafe, with a halo of lights hanging above a cruciform table. It’s an award-winning architectural triumph and a peaceful haven for page thumbing.

Close to both Liège in Belgium and Aachen in Germany, Maastricht is connected to Amsterdam, some 220km northwest, by train.

9. Bookàbar, Rome, Italy

Just the thought of big, sexy art books makes us consider diverting our travel dollars to collecting coffee table beauties. Alright, it’s rash talk; but even hardened travellers might agree when they ogle the arty tomes in Bookàbar – the perfect setting. With a curvy ceiling and long, smooth shelves, the shop’s coolly contemporary, snow-white interior hordes books, catalogues, CDs, DVDs and merchandise. It looks like a space station staffed by extremely well-read astronauts. The neighbours certainly don’t lower the tone, as it’s part of the Palazzo delle Esposizioni exhibition centre. Bookàbar’s adjoining cafe serves dishes inspired by the centre’s exhibitions.

Palazzo delle Esposizioni, which normally has a few exhibitions covering various art forms, is near the junction of Via Nazionale and Via Milano.

10. Atlantis Books, Santorini, Greece

In an age when independent bookshops are being replaced by chains and websites, a gang of American and European university graduates realised the dream of opening one – on a Greek island. ‘We found an empty building facing the sunset, drank some whiskey and signed a lease,’ explains www.atlantisbooks.org, though we suspect it was more of a mission than that. The shop occupies the basement of a whitewashed, cliff-top villa, which the communally minded staff also call home. The terrace overlooking the Aegean hosts cultural happenings, and inside are more cult novels and quality books than you can shake a quill at.

Santorini is to linked to Athens by Blue Star Ferries, Hellas Flying Dolphins ferries, Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines.

Also check out:

European bookstore guide by Gadling.com
Book events and readings as a travel pursuit by Gadling.com

Get a whole year’s worth of travel ideas in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2011 – the best trends, destinations, journeys and experiences for the upcoming year

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Comments

18 November 2010 12:16PM laday321 Report this comment
Why in the world is Powell's City of Books in Portland Oregon not listed?!!! It's ridiculous to exclude Powells from a list of world's greatest bookstores!
18 November 2010 6:58PM kangayayaroo Report this comment
Agree that Powell's City of Books should top this list. Someone did not do their homework.
19 November 2010 6:47AM speakingfreely Report this comment
Definitely Powells! The author must have never been to Portland, Oregon.
20 November 2010 11:04AM adjective Report this comment
Of course the first book store I thought of was Powells. Also, how can you talk about Shakespeare & Company and not mention Sylvia Beach?
20 November 2010 2:27PM anabaena Report this comment
I'm so happy other people thought of Powell's too! That's what I thought of first; Powell's is amazing.
21 November 2010 9:14PM cwbush83 Report this comment
I'm glad I'm not the only person bemused by the absence of Powell's. The best in the US by a country mile, and the best I've had the pleasure of exploring so far.
22 November 2010 8:44AM alexcee Report this comment
Omitting Powell's is like leaving Wayne Gretzky off a list of greatest hockey players.
23 November 2010 9:00AM babewbackpack Report this comment
As travelers, I'd like to think Canada's largest travel book store, Wanderlust (http://www.wanderlustore.com/Travellers-Bookstore-Vancouver) would make the cut. Or Stanford's (http://www.stanfords.co.uk/) in London. If we're searching for travel books that is. Otherwise POWELL'S ALL THE WAY!!
24 November 2010 4:02AM ap5150 Report this comment
I'd have to join the call to include powells. Hard to imagine leaving off strand on NYC!
24 November 2010 6:14AM pdx_rach_88 Report this comment
How do you leave Powell's Books off a list of top book stores??? Totally egregious error! Fail by Lonely Planet on this one - Powell's is the best bookstore in the U.S. (sory City Lights, but ya know its true!).
Viva Powell's!
24 November 2010 8:34AM discordia65 Report this comment
No Powell's? Lame.
27 November 2010 11:11PM mcsneedy Report this comment
City Lights is a great bookstore but it's not even the best bookstore in San Francisco - I reckon that would be Green Apple in the Sunset. And across the bay, Moe's in Berkeley has an enormous selection of used books.
City Lights is carries only new books and is stridently leftist, heavily favoring the avant garde, postmodernism and critical theory. Oh and poetry. Lots of poetry and beat-related work. And a good magazine section - but with the same constraints. When I lived in SF I rarely shopped there. (RIP Cody's and Black Oak.)
That said, I agree with everyone above that Powell's is the best bookstore in America, and probably the best English-language bookstore in the world.
28 November 2010 7:31AM mcboffman Report this comment
"BookPeople" in Austin, Texas should be added to this list of world class book stores. Open for 40 years; they have a huge selection of wonderful new books, author events, reading groups, literary based camps for kids year round. www.bookpeople.com/ Also, "Half Price Books" many locations are a great place to find books old and new.
28 November 2010 8:39AM adorevoyager Report this comment
I agree that Powell's should have been included. Re the caption on the photo of Shakespeare and Company: last time I checked this book store was on the Left Bank (correctly situated in the article) and not in the Marais which is on the Right Bank.
29 November 2010 7:34PM bookit Report this comment
I've been to a lot of bookstores, both here and abroad, but nothing prepared me for Powell's. It's the most comprehensive, and largest, bookstore I've ever seen. I now hesitate to take your advice. The decision to exclude this unique bookstore was a real fail.
6 January 2011 10:53PM wanderingtiger Report this comment
What about Books Actually in Singapore? Definately the sweetest bookshop in the world in the sweetest little old building.
23 February 2011 5:15PM pubtender Report this comment
Powell's wasn't in the last "survey" they did on world's best bookstores either even though it is the best!!!
23 February 2011 6:53PM shardulk803 Report this comment
Powell's.How can you skip that? Fail....
24 February 2011 3:07PM ruby2sday Report this comment
Aw, I didn't know Black Oak was no more. Very cool subject for an article. I had to chuckle because of all of the Powell responses; I've been to Powell's many times but not to most of the bookstores listed in the article.
26 February 2011 4:09PM vasenka Report this comment
Every great city should have a great bookstore...or even a book district... In London there is Cecil Court...a small street of bookstores just off Charring Cross Road...
Today bookstores are facing Internet competition...from venues like Amazon... The Internet provides millions of books...available globally... Almost any out of print title can be found...usually at a reasonable price.
So like it or not...the World's Greatest Bookstore...may be the Internet!
27 February 2011 12:16PM sparrowbaby Report this comment
Who wrote/contributed to this article? Unbelievable that Powell's didn't get a mention! I'm Singaporean and I've been to Powell's... and I'd like to think that Lonely Planet writers are well traveled and have been to many places in the world - compared to someone like me who do not enjoy the luxury of frequent travels.
Allowing this to be published without Powell's makes me question not only the credibility and authority of this unnamed writer, but also the Editor who actually approved this piece of content.
Clearly, someone's really upset here.
28 February 2011 11:33PM onwardho Report this comment
Just yesterday in a hostel in Monteverde, Costa Rica a Canadian girl overheard me say "A full city block of books." and was like "Are you talking about Powells?" LITERALLY (and literary) world famous. Way to drop the ball, LP.
3 April 2011 11:36AM vasenka Report this comment
How about a "book district"...with more than one store...
London has Cecil Court...in the Theater District just off Charing Cross Road... Charing Cross itself has many used book stores...
In Kiev...check out the big Book Market (7 days) at the Petrivka Metro stop...
3 April 2011 12:35PM rhythm_blues Report this comment
One more vote for Powell's. It's huge (a whole city block!), it sells both old and new books, it's well-organized, and it puts on all kinds of literary events. I've moved from the West Coast to the East Coast, but Powell's is still my first stop (online, of course) when I'm looking for books or recommendations of books.
4 April 2011 12:28AM tim_corke Report this comment
How about Ampersand Book Shop & Cafe in Paddington, Sydney? They serve a mean hot chocolate and the chocolate brownies are to die for! 3 levels of relaxed browsing and just a heavenly place to spend any number of hours.