Location: 37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris, France
Nestled in a small square in the Latin Quarter around the corner from the busy quais of the Seine which overlook Notre Dame, this historic and dreamy bookstore has been a haven for expatriate writers and intellectuals since 1919. No matter the time of year, you will undoubtedly find groups of people huddled around this old building, waiting to enter and absorb the enchantment that can be found within its walls.
This iconic bookstore is not just a place to pick up a good read, it’s an experience which captures the artistic romanticism of early 20th Century Paris, and transports you back in time to when the likes of Ernest Hemmingway and Gertrude Stein found inspiration and refuge amongst its aisles. The bookstore is a labyrinth of bookshelves filled with new and secondhand volumes, old maps, and vintage postcards, as it immerses each visitor in the history of literature and its own stories from within the bookstore’s walls.
In addition to being a cultural and historical landmark, the bookstore continues its tradition of fostering creative collaboration and providing a haven for writers from around the world, by frequently hosting readings, book launches, and literary salons. One of the unique features of the bookstore is its “Tumbleweed” program, which allows traveling writers to stay in the store’s small, charming apartments in exchange for a few hours of work each day, therefore continuing to honor the bookstore’s legacy and origins.
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