Czech Republic
Praha / Prague
Knihkupectvi Karolinium
Ovocny trh 5, Praha
It was my first visit to Prague, and I was curious to see whether the shops would differ in character as much as the city’s striking architecture. The influence of Eastern Europe is unmistakable.
Knihkupectví is closely connected with Karolinum Publishing, the publishing house of Charles University, which specialises in academic texts and scholarly works. Yet the Karolinum bookshop is much more than an academic outlet – it serves as a bridge between the university world and the general public.
To my delight, the shop also offers a wide range of foreign-language books – a welcome discovery, since tackling a novel in Czech would have been quite a challenge.
Situated in the heart of the bustling shopping mile, the bookshop is a lovely place to explore. The red shelves, though somewhat crowded, give it a distinctive look. What impressed me most, however, was the beauty of the building itself and the warm, inviting atmosphere inside.
Book i bought:
Zdeněk Jirotka: Saturnin
Shakespeare & Synové
U Lužického semináre 10, Praha
Undoubtedly, this is a bookshop with real character. Tucked away on the castle side of the river, just a three-minute walk from the beautiful Charles Bridge, it’s a place that draws you in immediately.
The shop is packed from floor to ceiling with shelves overflowing with books. Spread across two floors, it offers a mix of new titles and second-hand treasures. Down in the basement, among shelves brimming with volumes, you’ll find a small seating area. With its vaulted ceiling and intimate atmosphere, it feels wonderfully cosy, the kind of corner you could happily lose an afternoon in. Browsing here is pure joy.
Though the bookshop has the charm of something centuries old, it was, in fact, only founded in 2002. Unfortunately, the building shows its age in other ways: it could really use some renovation and air-conditioning, the heat inside was nearly unbearable.
Still, the personality of the bookseller matched the quirky charm of the shop itself, making the visit all the more memorable.
Book i bought:
Bohumil Hrabal: I served the King of England