Bookstores in Barcelona
Reading is one of the essential parts of the everyday life and for many people, is a basic necessity. Just the feeling of curling up on the couch with a nice book to forget about daily worries and escape your everyday life is magical. However, sometimes it can be difficult to find good bookstores nearby. For tourists visiting Barcelona for a few weeks or months it can be hard to find the best bookstores in the city that meet their needs.
Most of the bookstores in Barcelona offer books in the Catalan or Spanish language. Now, if you understand those languages it is easy to find a bookstore. However, if you are looking for books written in English or another language, it might take some time to find one that has the books you want. It is not that there are no bookstores offering books in several languages. There are many of those, in fact, you just have to know where to go!
Where to go
There are lots of bookstores in Barcelona offering an assortment of books in English. Some are very easy to find, and some are a bit more hidden, and therefore harder to find. We have listed a few nice ones for you, so that you can go and explore different kinds of bookstores in Barcelona!
# 1 FNAC
FNAC is a technology store that is also home to a really big bookstore. The store is located on Plaça Catalunya, which is the central square of the city. This French made retail chain is the largest in the city. Most of the books they offer are in Spanish and Catalan, but they also offer a variety of books in English, French, Galician, and German. You can find novels, newspapers, fiction, travel books and more. Besides books you can also find a variety of music, DVD’s, and electronics.
Una publicación compartida de Fnac España (@fnac_esp)
Address: Placa de Catalunya 4, Barcelona
Metrostop: Catalunya
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 09:30-22:00
# 2 Hibernian
This is a cosy, small English bookstore located in the district of Gràcia. They offer both new and second-hand books, however, most of the books are second-hand. Hibernian is the only second-hand English bookstore in Barcelona. You can find everything from children’s books to antique novels, fiction and non-fiction, thrillers, poetry, science-fiction and much more. They have more than 40,000 books, most of them shipped from Dublin.
Address: Carrer de Montseny 17, Barcelona
Metrostop: Fontana
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:30-14:00 & 16:30-20:00
# 3 RAS Gallery & Bookstore
This bookstore is located close to MACBA, the museum of modern art. This bookstore does not only sell books, there is also an art gallery as well. They specialise in graphic and art books (work of architects, design, photography, typography, film), but you can also find books on street art like graffiti and skateboarding, and many more!
Address: Carrer del Doctor Dou 10, Barcelona
Metrostop: Universitat
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 12:00-20:00
# 4 Mercat de Sant Antoni
Mercat de Sant Antoni is not a bookstore, but a big market in which lots of different things like books, films, comics, calendars, magazines, children’s stuff, food, and much more is offered. When strolling down the market, you can find tons of old books.
Address: Carrer del Comte d’Urgell, 1bis, Barcelona
Metrostop: Sant Antoni
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 8:30-20:30
# 5 Laie
This is a classic European bookstore and café. Laie offers various novels and books on art, architecture, and film. Located centrally just 2 blocks from either Passeig de Gràcia and Urquinoana. It’s really nice that they also have a café, because you can easily grab a book and go read it quietly in the café upstairs.
Address: Carrer de Pau Claris 85, Barcelona
Metrostop: Passeig de Gracia or Urquinaona
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00-14:00 & 16:30-20:30
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