The Best Bookstores in Ljubljana

In the first years of Beletrina Bookstore, the shelves were only filled with Slovenian authors (in Slovenian and English language) published by the Beletrina Publishing Institute. In recent years, the bookstore has expanded its book selection, and books from other publishers can also be found in the store. By publishing almost fifty book titles a year, Beletrina Publishing Institute plays a vital role in the development of quality Slovenian literature. Throughout the year, Beletrina Bookstore hosts over one hundred literary events, which are known to attract Ljubljana literary buffs.

Konzorcij is the bookstore with the largest selection of books in Ljubljana and Slovenia. This two-level bookstore offers over 70,000 book titles. Konzorcij is also the largest seller of foreign language books in Ljubljana. The lower level of the bookstore sells current bestselling books and has an extensive selection of stationery. On the upper lever, the selection of children’s books, reference books, social and natural sciences books, language books, and literature books seems almost endless. Each year, together with two other partners, Konzorcij organizes the largest Slovenian book fair, Frankfurt after Frankfurt, and Bologna after Bologna, a book fair dedicated to children’s literature.

Located in a historic building that used to house a coffee roasting company, KulKul Bookstore and Deli is a food lover’s paradise. Since the locals are becoming more and more demanding when it comes to food, this combination of a bookstore and upscale deli is just what Ljubljana needs. The store offers a large selection of new bestselling cookbooks and cooking classics like From Julia Child’s Kitchen. Besides the books, KulKul shelves are full of delicious exotic foods and spices, which are otherwise hard to find in Ljubljana. Of course, KulKul did not forget about the best Slovenian culinary products; the store offers high-quality Slovenian products such as organic yogurt, pumpkin oil, wine, beer, and daily fresh bread from a boutique bakery.

Hiša Sanjajočih Knjig (House of the Dreaming Books) is located steps away from Prešeren Square. This is the largest of three bookstores owned by the Sanje Publishing Company. Though most of the books in this popular bookstore are in the Slovene language, they do offer a limited number of titles in English. Hiša Sanjajočih Knjig bookstore has collaborated with winemaker Marinko Pintar and created, UOU (the Ox), a collection of high-quality Slovenian wines. The collection of seven different wines was inspired by one of the Slovenia’s greatest poet, Srečko Kosovel.

Zdaj is a small privately owned bookstore by Saša Vodovnik. The owner decided to place the bookstore outside of the city center to escape its hustle and bustle. The bookstore’s unique shape tries to mimic the human brain. For this reason, humanistic books, sports books, and novels are located on the left side, and the right side of the bookstore is dedicated to personal growth. Once a week Zdaj Bookstore hosts Mosaic for the Soul, an event where they welcome Slovenian and international authors and experts from different fields of literature.

This modern bookstore is located in one of the most vibrant streets in Ljubljana. The Bookstore Trubarjeva has an interesting collection of books mostly in the Slovenian language and a small section of books in English. On top of their regular selection, the bookstore offers a large collection of books dedicated to healthy living. A special blend of coffee, served in the store, named after Slovenia’s greatest writer, Ivan Cankar, fills the Bookstore Trubarjeva with a pleasant smell and makes the book browsing experience even more enjoyable.

Celjska Mohorjeva Družba is a bookstore owned by Mohorjeva Družba, which was founded in 1851 as the first Slovenian publishing company. Unbelievably, the company has managed to continue its work until now without ever being disrupted by world historical events. Since its beginnings, Mhorjeva Družba has been publishing a great number of religious books but was never limited to just this category. This is how the publishing company operates today. In addition to a large selection of religious books, you will also find musical workbooks and works of some of the greatest names in Slovenian literature at the Celjska Mohorjeva Družba bookstore.