There’s something magical about wandering through rows of books in an unfamiliar city. The scent of paper, the murmur of fellow readers, and the promise of discovering local authors can make any journey more meaningful. For those who pack their suitcases with extra space for literary souvenirs, certain destinations shine brighter than others.
Here is a list of 20 cities around the world where book lovers can indulge their passion while traveling. Each offers unique literary experiences that go beyond the ordinary tourist path.
Portland, Oregon, USA
Portland boasts more independent bookstores per capita than nearly any other American city. Powell’s City of Books stands as the crown jewel, occupying an entire city block with over one million new and used books.
The city embraces reading culture with dozens of neighborhood bookshops, each with its own character and specialized collections. Local cafés often feature book exchange shelves, making it possible to trade your finished read for something new without spending a dime.
Paris, France
The Left Bank of Paris has been a literary haven for centuries, with Shakespeare and Company serving as the city’s historic heart of anglophone literature. Beyond this famous landmark, hundreds of independent bookstores line the narrow streets, many specializing in rare editions or specific genres.
Parisians still embrace physical books, and you’ll spot locals reading in parks, cafés, and along the Seine, where the bouquinistes (used booksellers) have operated their iconic green stalls since the 16th century.
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
With more bookstores per person than any other city in the world, Buenos Aires earned its nickname as ‘the city of books.’ El Ateneo Grand Splendid transformed a 100-year-old theater into a magnificent bookstore where the stage now serves as a café.
The city hosts the annual International Book Fair, attracting over one million visitors. Literary bars throughout San Telmo and Palermo neighborhoods once hosted famous writers like Jorge Luis Borges and now welcome travelers seeking intellectual conversation.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo’s Jimbocho district features over 150 bookstores packed into a few city blocks, creating a paradise for bibliophiles. Massive multi-story bookstores like Tsutaya’s flagship locations offer coffee shops, reading lounges, and expertly curated collections.
The city’s unique book culture includes pristine used bookstores where volumes are treated with reverence and specialized shops focusing on manga, art books, or vintage materials. Tokyo’s train commuters are famously devoted to reading, making books a visible part of daily life.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh takes its book culture seriously as the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature. The city inspired countless authors, from Robert Louis Stevenson to J.K. Rowling, who wrote early Harry Potter drafts in local cafés.
The annual Edinburgh International Book Festival transforms Charlotte Square into a reader’s utopia each August. Independent shops like Armchair Books and Lighthouse Bookshop maintain the bookselling tradition that dates back centuries in this historic city.
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Mexico City, Mexico
The sprawling metropolis houses hundreds of bookstores, from tiny neighborhood shops to massive cultural centers. The Biblioteca Vasconcelos—nicknamed the ‘megabiblioteca’—features suspended bookshelves that appear to float in space.
Cafebrería El Péndulo combines bookstore browsing with café culture across multiple locations. The annual Feria Internacional del Libro welcomes millions of visitors, while Sunday book markets in parks allow hunters to dig for rare Spanish-language finds at bargain prices.
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne’s vibrant literary scene centers around independent bookstores that double as community hubs. Readings, the city’s beloved local chain, hosts regular events featuring both international and Australian authors.
The Nicholas Building houses several specialty art, design, and poetry bookshops. Melbourne earned its UNESCO City of Literature designation through its support of writers, readers, and the dozens of bookstores that range from massive emporiums to tiny specialized shops tucked away in laneways.
Hay-on-Wye, Wales
Through sheer determination, this tiny market town transformed into a global destination for book lovers. With approximately two dozen bookshops serving a population of 1,500, Hay-on-Wye has the highest concentration of bookstores per capita.
The annual Hay Festival draws literary celebrities and thousands of readers each spring. Shops specialize in everything from rare first editions to paperback mysteries, making this small Welsh town a required pilgrimage for serious bibliophiles.
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Seattle, Washington, USA
Despite being home to Amazon, Seattle maintains a thriving independent bookstore culture. Elliott Bay Book Company serves as the flagship, with its warm wooden shelves and packed event calendar.
The city’s neighborhoods each support their unique shops, from the technical focus of Ada’s Technical Books to the progressive politics of Left Bank Books. Seattle’s rainy climate creates the perfect excuse to spend hours browsing shelves, and many stores include comfortable reading nooks with views of the surrounding mountains and water.
St. Petersburg, Russia
The intellectual heart of Russia boasts bookstores that reflect its grand architectural heritage. The Singer House, home to the magnificent Dom Knigi (House of Books), combines Art Nouveau splendor with extensive Russian and international literature collections.
The city’s literary tradition runs deep—Dostoyevsky, Pushkin, and Nabokov walked these streets—and today’s bookstores often include small museums or historical displays. Small, independent shops specializing in art books, rare editions, and foreign languages can be found throughout the historic center.
Kolkata, India
College Street, locally known as ‘Boi Para’ (Book Town), stretches nearly a mile with hundreds of bookstalls and stores ranging from sidewalk vendors to multi-story establishments. This paradise for budget-conscious readers offers everything from textbooks to rare Bengali classics at negotiable prices.
The historic Coffee House nearby has hosted intellectual debates among writers and academics for generations. Kolkata’s annual International Book Fair ranks among the largest in the world, drawing millions of visitors and hundreds of publishers.
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Lisbon, Portugal
The world’s oldest operating bookstore, Bertrand (established 1732), anchors Lisbon’s book culture. The city’s literary tradition combines with café society in places like Ler Devagar, housed in a former printing factory with books stacked to the ceiling.
The charming Livraria Simão operates in what might be the world’s smallest bookshop—just 43 square feet. Throughout Lisbon, tiny bookstores specializing in poetry, history, and Portuguese literature nestle between pastel-colored buildings, offering quiet refuges from bustling streets.
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague’s bookstore culture reflects its literary heritage, with shops in stunning historical buildings. The Municipal Library’s ‘book tower’—a vertical tunnel formed from stacked books with mirrors creating the illusion of infinity—has become an Instagram favorite.
Shakespeare and Sons combines English-language books with bagels, creating a cozy expat hub. Czech bookstores often include comfortable armchairs and in-house cafés, encouraging visitors to linger over this city’s potential purchases that have inspired writers for centuries.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam’s canal-side bookstores create some of the most picturesque browsing experiences anywhere. The American Book Center occupies a prime spot with multiple floors of English-language titles. Specialty stores abound, including architecture-focused Architectura & Natura and photography-centered Fw.
The Spui square hosts a Friday book market where dealers display rare and antiquarian finds. Dutch bookstores typically offer excellent English sections, making this an ideal destination for travelers seeking readable souvenirs.
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Lagos, Nigeria
As Africa’s publishing powerhouse, Lagos supports a vibrant book culture centered in areas like Yaba and Festac. Terra Kulture combines a bookstore with an art gallery and cultural center, focusing on Nigerian and pan-African literature. The Jazzhole mixes books with music in a beloved cultural institution.
While glossy modern bookshops exist in upscale malls, the real treasure lies in the sprawling outdoor book markets where vendors sell everything from textbooks to romance novels, often at negotiable prices that make building a collection affordable.
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
America’s intellectual cradle maintains its literary reputation with independent bookstores scattered throughout its historic neighborhoods. Harvard Book Store has served the academic community for over 80 years with thoughtful curation and regular author events.
The Brattle Book Shop, operating since 1825, features three floors of used and antiquarian books plus an outdoor sale lot. Boston’s academic density means specialized bookstores thrive here, focusing on topics from politics to poetry, science to spirituality.
Berlin, Germany
Berlin’s turbulent history created a unique bookstore landscape where shops often occupy unexpected spaces—former factories, repurposed squats, and historic buildings. Topics Buchhandlung welcomes browsers to its carefully organized collection spanning eight connected rooms.
The city embraces English-language literature at shops like Shakespeare and Sons and St. George’s. Berlin’s counterculture influences its book scene, with many stores focusing on progressive politics, underground arts, and avant-garde literature unavailable elsewhere.
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Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona combines Mediterranean charm with serious literary credentials. La Central houses over 80,000 titles in a stunning modernist building, while Llibreria Laie pairs Spanish and international books with a popular café. The city celebrates La Diada de Sant Jordi each April, when streets are filled with book vendors and rose sellers for a festival that combines Valentine’s Day with literary celebration.
Barcelona’s bookstores reflect its architectural creativity, often incorporating stunning design elements that make browsing an aesthetic experience.
Oaxaca, Mexico
This colonial city punches above its weight class in literary culture. Amate Books serves as the expat hub with English titles, while La Jícara combines independent books with a café promoting indigenous authors and cuisine. Oaxaca’s bookstores often double as cultural centers, hosting language exchanges, author events, and community gatherings.
The city’s rich artistic tradition extends to beautiful handmade papers and artisanal bookbinding, allowing visitors to purchase locally crafted blank journals alongside printed works.
Oxford, England
Home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world, Oxford’s bookstore culture spans centuries. Blackwell’s main shop features the famous Norrington Room—a cavernous underground space with three miles of shelving.
The city boasts specialist stores for everything from rare theological texts to modern science fiction. Oxford’s literary pedigree—from Lewis Carroll to J.R.R. Tolkien, Philip Pullman to Colin Dexter—means fiction sections often highlight local connections. Academic bookshops maintain the tradition of intellectual curiosity that has defined the city for over 800 years.
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The Enduring Appeal of Literary Travel
From massive emporiums to tiny specialized shops, these cities demonstrate how bookstores serve as cultural landmarks that reveal a place’s character as clearly as any museum or monument.
For travelers who measure their journeys in pages as well as miles, these destinations offer souvenirs and windows into the intellectual life of communities worldwide. The next time you pack your suitcase, leave room for the stories waiting to be discovered on shelves across the globe.
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