The following article was syndicated from Citinerary for Interesting Times Bureau. Published by Raluca.
It’s something about the atmosphere of bookshops. The book smell, the way your eyes skater the room in search of something and everything at the same time. As a tourist in Bucharest, you definitely have to visit these places. Immerse yourself in jazz music, whilst skimming through coloured covers and the smell of cinnamon and books. Look out the window and see the grand boulevards or maybe just sip some Rooibos and orange tea while you look through the vast collection of vinyls, mugs, souvenirs, national and international authors awaiting to be discovered.
If indeed you’re a bit of a bookworm, then let me introduce you to our finest bookshops!
1. Carturesti Carusel – This magical bookstore, opened just two weeks ago, became the talk of the town!
You’ll be enjoying a good read in a monumental XIX century edifice, located at the very heart of Bucharest, on a long vibrant street, in an area with coffee shops and pubs.
The bookstore has 6 floors, where you can find over 10,000 books, 5,000 albums and DVDs. On the top floor you’ll find a bistro, exclusively for non-smokers, a multimedia space in the basement and a gallery dedicated to modern art on the first floor.
2. Seneca Anti-Cafe – this is more than a bookstore, it’s the absolute chilling spot!
Fancy reading a book, planning your day or simply researching a bit about the cool capital you’re in? At Seneca you pay for the time you spend inside the bookstore and not for the tea, snacks, wifi or anything else for that matter. And if you stay over five hours, the rest of the time spent there is free!
3. Humanitas Cismigiu – It would be a shame to clasify this place as simply a bookstore; it’s more likely a cultural hotspot.
It’s strategically located half way between the University of Bucharest, the Opera and the National Theatre. It has a delightful bar, where you can enjoy a foamy cappuccino while arranging the books you bought for friends back home.
4. Anthony Frost English Bookshop – Not many people know about this cosy little English bookshop, but it is absolutely adorable! Not as spacious as the above mentioned, but once you walk in you feel like home. It offers a wide variety of authors of all genre in English and the awesome thing is that you can almost always find good deals here.
A tour of the most awesome bookshops in Bucharest must make its way on your itinerary once you stop by! The good thing? They’re all really close to each other, so unless you’re the type that gazes for tens of minutes on end at a bookshelf wondering what to pick first, you can definitely rent a bike and spend a lovely afternoon checking these places out. And you can get cool gifts for home, too!
Featured image source: Vlad Eftenie Photos
– Raluca –
