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6 Unique bookstores with awesome looks

Alma Libre Bookstore

What’s in a bookstore you ask? Well ask the same question to any book lover and you are bound to get stared down upon. Bookstores are considered as separate worlds themselves and some can take your breath away at first glance itself. Don’t believe us? Well here are 6 of the coolest looking bookstores from around the world that will definitely leave you spellbound for sure.

Liberia Acqua Atla in Venice, Italy

Image Source : CookieSound

Walk into this quaint little bookstore in Venice, Italy and the first thing that will catch your eyes is a full sized gondola overflowing with books, sitting right in the middle of the establishment. Expect to find row upon row of classic American and Italian books here along with an impressive collection of postcards and art pieces from around the world. But the best part is yet to come. The bookstore is located right on the canal, which means you can easily take a book and sit near the back doors that open to the flowing waters of the canal right at the doorstep.

Cathedral Book Store in Maastricht, Netherlands

Image Source :  Api.Ning

Trust an ingenious mind to restore a centuries old cathedral into a one of a kind bookstore that would make your jaws drop. That is what you will find at the Cathedral Book Store in Maastricht, Netherlands. Filled with a beautiful mix of classical architecture and contemporary design, the bookstore features the ceilings, arches and walls of the old cathedral, which have been left untouched while the more modern bookstore rises from the center of the structure. You can easily pick a book or two from the bookshelves spanning over three levels, and choose to read them in the public rooms although we wonder whether it would be the books that would catch your attention.

Barter Books in Alnwick, UK

Image Source :  ChristinElaenNec

Ever saw a bookstore in a train station? If yes, then this is your chance to see an entire station act as a bookstore, complete with decorative lighting and rounded ceilings that enhance the structure’s dramatic effects. Miniature trains still run through the shelves and are a sight to behold indeed. In addition to finding quite a large collection of books here, you can enjoy the open fires arranged here during winter. Other additions include a station buffet with locally sourced food, a children’s playroom and specialty coffees/teas served throughout the day.

Bart’s Books in Ojai, California

Image Source :  BartsBooksOjai

This picturesque outdoor bookstore allows you to grab a book from the maze of bookshelves and then enjoy it in the courtyard as you sip a glass of lemonade. There are plenty of excellent spots to choose from, including the base of an apple tree, which is a favorite with visitors. Apart from books, Bart’s also manages regular art shows and community events, all of which have become a tradition with the place which opened in 1964.

Stuttgart City Library in Stuttgart, Germany

Image Source :  ArchitecturalDigest

Comprising of walls upon walls of books arranged along a large atrium, along with plenty of cascading staircases and open balconies, the Stuttgart Library in Germany looks like a painting of criss- crossing levels and staircases. The entire library has been painted in either white or neutral shades, save for the books and its guests who provide color to the otherwise colorless space. Walk into this library and you will feel like being transported into a futuristic world altogether.

Livraria Lello and Irmao in Porto, Portugal

Image Source :  TomorrowStarted

Over 100 years old, the Livraria Lello and Iramo bookstore in Portugal stands out for its exemplary architecture, namely its ‘Stairway to Heaven’, a curvaceous red colored staircase that rises upwards as if connecting directly to heaven itself (it connects two upper levels in reality). The other highlights include a stained-glass skylight and ornately decorated ceilings and walls that give the bookstore an aura of royalty.

Summary

Think that bookstores are just boring structures with nothing but books to decorate them? Then take a look at the bookstores mentioned above where books are definitely not the main attractions.

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