There are cities where you buy books — and then there are cities where bookshops feel inseparable from the soul of the place. Paris belongs firmly in the latter category.
In an era shaped by digital platforms and instant access, this may seem almost paradoxical. Yet time and again, our international clients come to Paris precisely in search of what resists standardisation: a way of life rooted in writing, ideas, beauty and conversation. Here, bookshops are not relics of the past — they are living expressions of Parisian savoir-vivre, as essential to the city’s rhythm as cafés, markets or morning walks along the Seine.
A perfect example sits quietly on rue de Grenelle in the 7th arrondissement. Skira Paris feels less like a shop than a Parisian salon disguised as a bookshop. Sumptuous and inviting, it is a space of encounter, conversation and beauty — the kind of place that embodies the elusive je ne sais quoi we so often associate with the City of Light. And for us at 56Paris, it happens to be just a ten-minute walk from 56Paris's office on rue de Verneuil.
Founded in 1928 by Swiss publisher Albert Skira, the house rose to prominence through audacious collaborations with figures such as Picasso, Matisse and the Surrealists, establishing a legacy in which books are conceived as cultural artefacts. Nearly a century later, Skira remains a global reference in art publishing — and for us at 56Paris, it happens to be a neighbour.
The legacy of book-loving lives on in Paris, and you are never more than a short stroll from your next literary discovery.
Inside the Skira boutique, a carefully curated collection unfolds — from art books to refined home décor and perfumes — reflecting a broader Parisian philosophy where culture naturally spills into everyday life.
A City That Still Makes Room for Bookshops
Our neighbouring shop Skira may be exceptional, but it is far from alone. With roughly 400 bookshops, Paris has managed not only to preserve its bookselling culture but to let it flourish in the face of global pressures.
This resilience is no accident. France’s 1981 loi Lang — named after Jacques Lang, then Minister of Culture — fixed book prices nationwide and limited discounting, protecting independent bookshops from being undercut by large retailers. Paris has gone even further: the city owns roughly a quarter of all bookshop premises, leasing them at below-market rates to ensure their survival.
The result is a city where discovering a remarkable bookshop remains one of the great everyday pleasures of walking in Paris — whether on a grand boulevard or a quiet side street. From Skira’s art-filled shelves to a floating bookshop on the Seine, Paris invites you to browse slowly, often and joyfully.
i) Exterior of Halle Saint-Pierre ii) Coffee table books at Librairie Delamain iii) Exterior of the Skira Boutique
A Curated Walk Through Paris’s Bookshop Treasures
Here are a few highlights — a dozen bookshops that range from historic to specialised, eccentric and beloved — capturing the breadth, depth and personality of Paris’s literary landscape:
* Shakespeare and Company (5th arrondissement)
An enduring icon on the Left Bank of the Seine, a stone’s throw from Notre-Dame, this English-language bookshop has welcomed writers and readers since 1951 when it was founded by George Whitman. More than a store, it remains a literary refuge — both myth and meeting place.
* Galignani (1st arrondissement)
Founded in 1801 and still run by descendants of its Italian founder, Galignani is officially the first English-language bookshop on the continent. Its ladders, towering shelves and art books on the bustling rue de Rivoli speak to centuries of brilliant recommendations.
* The Abbey Bookshop (5th arrondissement)
Tucked into a historic alley once home to medieval scribes, this Canadian-run shop is a labyrinth of new and second-hand English-language books — and one of the most charming rabbit holes in the Latin Quarter.
* La Librairie Delamain (1st arrondissement)
The oldest bookshop in Paris, founded in 1700 by André Cailleau (and now owned by the publisher Gallimard), Delamain is a living monument to French letters. After a century at the Palais-Royal, it moved due to a fire and now faces the Comédie-Française, packed with literary history.
* Jousseaume (Galerie Vivienne, 2nd arrondissement)
Established in 1826, this second-hand bookshop sits within one of Paris’s most beautiful covered passages (which, as we recently wrote, are hidden gems in themselves). It specialises in rare and unusual editions amid delightfully dusty shelves.
* Yvon Lambert (3rd arrondissement)
Run by Ève Lambert alongside her father, legendary gallerist Yvon Lambert, this refined bookshop focuses on contemporary art, photography and artist books, with many titles produced by the family’s own publishing house — continuing a tradition of close collaboration between artists and authors.
* La Librairie Gourmande (2nd arrondissement)
Entirely devoted to gastronomy, this beloved specialist bookshop offers everything from classic French cuisine to cutting-edge culinary trends, pastry, wine and sommelier guides.
* L’Amour du Noir (5th arrondissement)
A cult address for crime fiction, noir, science fiction and cinema lovers —this shop is a dense, passionate space for readers who like their literature dark, political or speculative.
* L’Eau et les Rêves (19th arrondissement)
A bookshop on a barge, devoted to nature, ecology and creativity, complete with a café and workshops. It’s a Parisian cliché elevated to poetry.
* Halle Saint-Pierre (18th arrondissement)
Part museum, part café, part specialist bookshop devoted to outsider and contemporary art, this unusual bookshop is housed in a former 19th-century market hall right beneath the hill of Montmartre and the Sacré Coeur.
* La Belle Hortense (3rd arrondissement)
A wine bar and bookshop hybrid where literature and conversation flow freely, La Belle Hortense is one of the most convivial — and improbable — literary spaces in Paris. It’s a place where first dates — and second glasses — tend to linger delightfully.
* Librairie OFR (3rd arrondissement)
A cult address in the Marais for true design, fashion, photography and architecture lovers, OFR doubles as a gallery for emerging artists and a clothing boutique.
i) In front of Shakespeare and Company ii) Inside La Librairie Delamain iii) Sign by the entrance of Galignani
That Paris remains a global book capital was recently underlined when Cultured Magazine named four Parisian bookshops among the best independent bookshops in the world (December 2025), making Paris the most represented city in the ranking.
Among them:
* Librairie des Femmes (6th arrondissement), a pioneering feminist bookshop founded in the 1970s, dedicated exclusively to books written by women and long regarded as a beacon for women’s voices.
* Yvon Lambert, recognised for its enduring commitment to artist books and contemporary art publishing.
* After8Books (10th arrondissement), a discreet yet influential shop that publishes its own titles and hosts intimate literary events, fostering a rare closeness between authors and readers.
Around the same time, 1000 Libraries Magazine named the Used Book Café at Merci the second most beautiful café-library in the world, with its floor-to-ceiling shelves of second-hand books that transport visitors instantly into another era.
The message is clear: for serious readers, Paris remains a destination — a living ecosystem of thoughts and letters.
Turning Pages, Finding Home
Bookshops in Paris are more than retail spaces. They are places of memory, encounter and continuity, where culture is lived daily and ideas are exchanged naturally. They remind us that Paris’s cultural wealth exists at street level, behind shop windows, waiting to be discovered.
At 56Paris, we believe that finding a home is about more than architecture or address. It is about proximity to the things that give life texture and meaning — whether that’s a neighbourhood café, a morning walk along the Seine, or knowing that a world-class bookshop is just around the corner.
After all, Paris is, and always will be, a city best discovered one page at a time.
If you are looking for a Paris home that connects you to the city’s deeper rhythms — literary, artistic and human — we at 56Paris would be delighted to guide you.
Contact us today to begin your journey in Paris real estate.
For more stories, insights from the world of Paris real estate or just to stay in touch, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.