Why I Love Carturesti Carusel in Bucharest, Romania
Carturesti Carusel in Bucharest, Romania is one of the prettiest bookstores in the world.
When I visited Bucharest, I knew that I would have to pay a visit (or several!) to this beautiful bookstore. Visiting bookstores around the world is one of my favorite things to do when I travel. I had already seen plenty of photos of Carturesti Carusel online since it’s well-known for its gorgeous interior.
And it did not disappoint! Even better, I discovered that Bucharest is actually home to multiple Carturesti bookstores, and they are all really pretty (but most people only seem to know about one of them.)
But first, let’s talk about Carturesti Carusel. This bookstore is a book lover’s paradise, with six floors and more than 10,000 volumes. You could easily spend an hour wandering around this bookstore.
Here’s everything to know about this picture-perfect bookstore in Bucharest:
History of Carturesti Carusel
Carturesti Carusel is located in a former bank in Bucharest’s Old Town. It originally belonged to the Chrissoveloni family, a wealthy banking family from Greece. The soaring bank building was constructed in the early 20th century and served as the headquarters for Chrissoveloni Bank for half a century.
However, in the early 1950s, when Romania became a Communist country, the building was seized by the state and turned into a government-run general store. After Communism fell in 1989, the building was abandoned, and it unfortunately fell into disrepair for nearly twenty years.
It remained decaying and unoccupied for a couple of decades, but after a lengthy legal battle, a member of the Chrissoveloni family was able to take possession of the building again in 2007.
A major restoration project began on the building, and finally, in 2015, the beautiful new Carturesti Carusel bookstore opened. So although the building has historic roots, the bookstore itself is still quite new.
Carturesti is a bookstore chain in Romania with locations all around the country. However, Carturesti Carusel is its most famous location, due to the beautiful and eye-catching architecture of the building, featuring soaring glass ceilings, ornate white columns, spiral staircases, and six stories of books.
Visiting Carturesti Carusel
The Carturesti Carusel bookstore is located in Bucharest’s Old Town. While you’re visiting the Old Town, it’s definitely worth popping inside the bookstore to spend some time browsing.
The address of Carturesti Carusel is Strada Lipscani 55, Bucharest, Romania.
If you are staying in the Old Town, you can easily get there on foot. Otherwise, the closest Metro stop to Carturesti Carusel is Universitate. Uber is also an option, and quite cheap in Romania.
Carturesti Carusel is open from 10 AM until 10 PM every day.
Since it’s such a picturesque store, you will often find people inside taking photos. Photography is welcome as long as you do not disturb the other shoppers. If you’d like to get photos of the bookstore’s interior without a ton of people, you may want to arrive first thing in the morning on a weekday when it opens.
There’s also a cafe on the top level of the bookstore. Bistro Carusel is the perfect place to stop for a coffee and a pastry or sandwich after you’re done browsing the five stories of books below!
Carturesti Carusel is also a cultural center, so often they will have book readings, lectures, and other events going on. Check their website before you go to see if anything interesting is happening.
What Kind of Books Do They Sell?
Carturesti Carusel is a massive bookstore, with over 10,000 volumes spread over six floors.
They do have a large selection of books in English at Carturesti Carusel, although obviously a lot of the books are going to be in Romanian since you are in Romania after all! But nearly a third of Romanians speak English as a second language, which is why you’ll find plenty of English language books too.
With such a large range of books, I think you’ll find something for every reader: fiction and nonfiction, bestsellers, mysteries, fantasy, romance, young adult, children’s, and many more genres.
Other Carturesti Bookstores
As I mentioned, Carturesti is actually a chain of bookstores in Romania, and you will find many locations throughout the country, including several more in Bucharest, which are also worth visiting!
I didn’t even realize this at first, but I’m so glad I discovered the other Carturesti locations.
Most people only know about Carturesti Carusel, but if you’re like me and you can’t get enough of bookstores, you should definitely make time to visit some of the other locations as well.
These other locations are not as “Instagram-famous” as Carturesti Carusel, so you won’t find as many people wandering around snapping photos of the interiors. But they’re really pretty places, too!
Carturesti Verona
This bookstore is located in an old mansion in a neighborhood north of the Old Town. It’s about a twenty-minute walk from Carturesti Carusel, near the beautiful Romanian Atheneum theater.
Along with multiple rooms filled with books, this store also sells CDs and records.
Bonus tip: Carturesti Verona is located just a few minutes away from the National Museum of Romanian Literature, if you would like to learn more about the country’s literary history.
Carturesti Modul
Another cool bookstore in Bucharest to check out is Carturesti Modul.
This one is located just about a ten-minute walk from Carturesti Carusel, right outside the Old Town. It’s near several of Bucharest’s universities and has a bright, airy, plant-filled interior.
Bonus tip: Don’t miss the famous and colorful “Umbrella Street” of Bucharest, which is tucked away in an alley just across the street from this bookstore. The name of the alley is Pasajul Victoria.
Carturesti Carusel in Bucharest, Romania
Overall, Carturesti Carusel is one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, and a stop that should not be missed while in Bucharest (along with the store’s other locations in the city that I mentioned.)
If you love books, you will feel right at home at Carturesti Carusel!
You should also visit the other Carturesti locations in Bucharest. These aren’t your typical chain bookstores, and each location has a lot of character and is the perfect destination for book lovers.
I have to end this guide with a book recommendation for you! Before or during your trip to Bucharest, I also highly recommend reading the book I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. It’s a great historical fiction book set in Bucharest during the Communist era of the 1980s, and it’s very fast-paced and engaging.
Enjoy your trip to Bucharest and the Carturesti Carusel bookstore!
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