Forget boring walls and white shelves, we have the next best thing. A bookstore in a former bomb shelter. Or one where you can pick your next read from a gondola. Your pick, these bookstores in unusual places will give you all the book-related feels.
El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires, Argentina
A bookstore in a theater? Yes, please! Opened in 1919 and with a seating capacity of 1,050, Teatro Gran Splendid was an insane building. Leased by Grupo Ilhsa in 2000, it went through a drastic makeover in order to be able to house so many books: the original seating was removed, the backstage now houses a café, all while keeping the original architectural details. It’s just as grand and amazing as you imagine it. And you won’t have any trouble finding a book, no matter how picky you might be; they have over 120,000 books for sale.
Atlantis Books, Santorini, Greece
When you go to a Greek island you hope to find good food and warm weather. Well, two guys spent a weekend in Santorini and over a glass of wine decided they should open a bookstore there since there was none. Add some other cool friends in this mix and what followed would look great in a documentary: “We found a dog and a cat, opened a bank account, built some shelves and filled the place with books.” You have the whole timeline on their website, with every pet adoption and wedding carefully noted down. It’s cozy, it’s crowded, it’s loved by all tourists.
Barter Books, Alnwick, England
This is surely one for the books, pun intended. Just imagine being surrounded by poetry quotes, seeing train models when you look up. Why trains? Because this quaint second hand bookstore is located in an old railway station. And you get to pick a book and serve a nice cuppa if you want, too, since they also have a little cafe, aptly called “The Station Buffet.”
Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice, Italy
Venice canals are known for being quite unpredictable so high tides are to be expected at almost all times. Luigi Frizzodecided to be creative and instead of going for the usual bookshelves he put a Venetian spin on it and opted for gondolas, canoes, small boats, anything that would elevate the books above ground and keep them safe in case of floods. With steps made from books that would soon be recycled, an emergency fire exit leading to the canal, and with the in-house cats nicely seated on top of books, this is sure to make for one memorable trip.
Word On The Water, London, England
Yes, a bookbarge! They say it themselves, “quirky bookstore on a canal barge”, and it’s just that, quirky and fun. Apparently, at first, they had to move around from place to place due to local laws but once they decided to go rogue and ignore rules, they stayed in the same place for several months. Local authorities caved in and gave them their own location, Regent’s Canal Towpath, London N1C 4LW, United Kingdom to be exact. If you’re ever in London this is one to add to your map.
Dominicanen Bookstore, Maastricht, Holland
Opened Monday through Sunday, this former church is now the home of thousands and thousands of books. Plus, they serve really good coffee. The multilevel-design optimizes the space, with reading nooks and corners allowing you to escape with the book of your choice. They also have a good selection of DVDs and music so you don’t necessarily have to be a book lover to pop inside.
Librairie Avant-Garde, Nanjing, China
You could call this the parking lot bookstore. Or the bomb shelter book store, because they’re both true. But expect to be amazed, this thing is huge, 3780 sq meter. With two reading tables with 300 seats, this bookstore is all for enjoying a book for free if you don’t feel like buying it. Since it was such a huge success, and not only with locals, but with tourists as well, ikt has already expanded to 11 other locations.
La Caverne aux Livres, Auvers-Sur-Oise, France
We go back to the train theme again as this bookstore is located in an old postal train car. Just like the name implies, this is a “Cave of Books.” You will find a good selection of rare, vintage books and the good news is they also buy second hand books as well. So if you sit on several books that you’ve already thought of donating or selling, this might be worth a shot.
Bart’s Books, Ojai, California
Usually bookstores are inside, for obvious reasons. Well, this bookstore decided being inside was overrated and decided to create the biggest outdoor bookstore in the US. It’s like a mom and pop bookstore, cozy, quiet, and so affordable.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our selection of weirdly cool bookstores located in unusual places. Have a good one!
