Situated within touching distance of Germany and with the second largest port on the Rhine, Strasbourg is a bustling, major city in France offering a perfect mix of charm and cosmopolitan vibes. Amble along the fairytale-like cobbled streets and squares, gazing at the medieval half-timbered houses, and stop by to browse in one of the city’s best independent bookstores.
Place Kléber is the central and largest square in Strasbourg and it is just off this attractive central point that you can find Librairie Kléber. It’s the biggest bookshop in the city and accommodates not only a vast range of French language fact and fiction, but also international, making it popular with locals and tourists alike.
A small green-fronted bookshop in the heart of Strasbourg, Ex Libro sells both new and second-hand books of all genres, as well as DVDs and music. It occupies a lovely spot on the cobbled streets of the historic old town where there are lots of laces to stop for a bite to eat, so it’s ideal for browsing after enjoying lunch.
You can find pretty much anything in Broglie bookstore and if you can’t, they’ll happily order it in for you. From university and technical books to novels, travel and everything in between, the shop is just in front of the ‘Broglie’ tram stop, so hop off to have a browse. They also stock a great selection of regional Alsace books, so if you’re interested in the history of the region when visiting Strasbourg, ask to be pointed in that direction.
Bookstores like Quai des Brumes are the kind you hope to find when exploring a new city. It’s a bookshop where those working there are keen to help, know their stuff and create a great atmosphere in which to seek out new titles. Quai des Brumes has been open since 1984 and stocks everything you could wish, from novels and comics to art and illustration titles.
This is a lovely bookshop located off a main cobbled street in Strasbourg’s old town and a stone’s throw from the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg. Go under the archway that reads Livres Anciens and you’ll walk into an internal courtyard. Here, you’ll see the bookshop and its vast selection of old and rare books just waiting to be discovered.
A comic bookstore that won’t disappoint comic-book enthusiasts. Located just off the attractive Place Saint-Étienne, you’ll need more than a few minutes here if you love comics, as there is a wealth of titles from new to second-hand –you could browse for hours! They also sell DVDs and prints and, just so you know, there’s the most delicious crêperie, La Plouzinette, next door.
On one of the bustling main thoroughfares, not too far from the vast Place Kléber, Dinali is a little oasis of literary calm. The prices are really good, here, so you can often pick up a bargain or two (sometimes up to 80% off the RRP) and they have a great selection, from kids’ books to travel guides. From this part of the city, you’re in a great place to wander down to the Square Suzanne-Lacore, then find a pretty spot on the canal and delve into your new purchase.
