Bookshops in Prague & Cesky Krumlov: A Photo Feature

I have just returned from a fab holiday in the Czech Republic where I visited the gorgeous, iconic city of Prague and the smaller enchanting town of Cesky Krumlov. The weather was perfect, glorious days of sun, sometimes clouds flitted across the sky but, thankfully, there was hardly any rain.

We savoured hearty and wholesome Czech food, walked a lot, and had both beer and wine. Some other highlights – a terrific music concert at an underground jazz club, an art gallery with paintings by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, French Impressionists and various Czech artists, and a sprawling, stunning zoo all in Prague…while in Cesky Krumlov we spent an afternoon exploring a castle complex and gardens with dramatic views of this quaint, charming town.

But the biggest unexpected highlight of this trip for me was the slew of bookshops – I loved visiting each one and of course bought some books. So, here is a brief flavour of each with the last picture displaying my final haul.

SHAKESPEARE AND SONS, Prague

Shakespeare and Sons is located in Mala Strana (otherwise known as the Little Quarter) just a few steps away from the picturesque Charles Bridge. I loved this shop, its quiet and calm atmosphere, there was hardly a soul and I could have spent a whole afternoon here. It’s one of the best English language bookshops in Prague.

ACADEMIA, Prague

Academia Bookshop is located on Wenceslas Square, one of the main city boulevards. This was another lovely bookshop, a bit more commercial probably than Shakespeare and Sons, and you could sit on its balcony for food and drinks but without taking the books there (unless you purchased them I guess). The books were predominantly in Czech, although they did have an English books section. For me, the most interesting aspect was an entire bookcase devoted to translated Czech literature where I spent most of my time browsing titles.

KAROLINUM (UNIVERZITA KARLOVA), Prague

Karolinum is situated a little after the Astronomical Clock, on the way to the vibrant Karlova Street which culminates at the start of Charles Bridge. Again, the books here were mostly Czech but they did have a couple of shelves dedicated to English books, mostly translated literature.

EXPEDICE, Cesky Krumlov

The last bookshop I visited was in Cesky Krumlov literally next door to our hotel (so, of course, how could I not go?). Called Expedice, it had an entire section full of English books with a shelf that particularly focused on translated Czech and Eastern European literature. I bought one book there and the manager gave it to me beautifully packaged complete with the bookshop sticker.

MY FINAL HAUL

And so we come to the books I eventually purchased, the picture below showcases my final haul. Maybe because I was in the Czech Republic, I was drawn to Central and East European lit which kind of seemed fitting. I haven’t read any of these authors before, yet some I had heard of while others are completely new to me. I ended up buying two copies of the Neruda stories, the second one had great illustrations (I am a sucker for them) and it turned out that the translation was different too. I’m happy and look forward to reading them all!