About The Guide

Hello! We are Sonja and Ivan. And this is our Bookstore Guide - an amateur guide to book shopping throughout Europe. We hope this Guide will help you find the book(stores) you are looking for. Unfortunately, the bookstores are no longer uploaded and may be out of date

Valters un Rapa, Riga

Valters un Rapa logo

Where? Riga, Latvia




Recommended by
Cristina Cona

Cristina said: "[Valters un Rapa] is quite an old establishment with a distinguished past, not just a bookshop but also a publishing house. The choice of books in English, while not very large, is good."

This truly is a bookstore with a vivid history. It all began a century ago when the crème of the Latvian academics, writers, artists, actors and musicians started meeting in an apartment in Riga to discuss intellectual matters. Janis Rapa, a student and an apprentice in a bookshop and a publishing house, also took part in those meetings. Therefore, it was no wonder that after finishing his studies, he founded a partnership with Artus Valters in 1912, bearing in mind that many Latvian intellectuals were dissatisfied with the lack of bookshops stocking suitable literature.

From that period on, minor changes happened in the leadership of the store. By the Second World War, the publishing house managed to issue around 3500 titles (some 11 million copies of books). After 1940 Valters un Rapa was nationalized and had to change its name to Publishing House of the State Printing and Publishing Department. Luckily, and with the help of its manager and staff, in 1997 the bookshop changed its name to the current one and in the year 2000 its whole interior was redesigned to meet the needs of the modern bookaholic.

Valters un Rapa, being the biggest bookstore in the Baltics, offers a wide selection of books of Latvian and Russian literature, classical literature, modern fiction, travel guides, books in foreign languages (such as English and German) as well as Latvian publications translated into international languages. Although it is a chain bookstore, it deserves a place in Bookstore Guide because, unfortunately, the Baltic countries have yet to expand their offer of English language books. As for Valters un Rapa, they also produce notebooks and calendars, sell newspapers and magazines and print business cards, tickets and other printable materials. The bookstore has five branches throughout the city (so check their website) but we shall only mention its biggest premises in Riga. It is perhaps also interesting to mention that as of June 2010, Valters un Rapa has opened its fifth branch at the Riga International Airport, located after the check-in.

ValValters un Rapa Rigaters un Rapa
Address:
Aspazijas boulevard 24
Riga LV 1050
Valters un Rapa bookstore










Website:
http://www.valtersunrapa.lv

Phone and Email:
67227482
inita.kanite@valtersunrapa.lv
maija@valtersunrapa.lv

Working Hours:
Mon-Fri 9-21
Sat 10-21
Sun 11-17



View Valters un Rapa in a larger map

Book in Bar, Aix-en-Provence

book in bar logo

Where?
Aix-en-Provence, France




 

Recommended by: James Lu

James said: "In the hot summer months, the air-conditioned Book-In-Bar would be a chic place to cool down with a book in hand. This bookstore is located just minutes' walk from the main thoroughfare, Cours Mirabeau, in an area popular with students. Inside the bookstore, there is a bar that offers a selection of drinks (coffee, tea and juices) as well as croissants and other pastries. Spread out over the two floors is a wide selection of English books. To make yourself comfortable, you can either sit down and read at the tables or on the comfortable sofas provided. Aside from the books, there are also newspapers and magazines that would keep you entertained with reading. There is also more reading space upstairs, where you can even play a game of chess.

Being an English bookstore in the French Aix-en-Provence, this appears to be a good place for cultural exchange. In fact, near where I was sitting, an American expat lady has striked up a conversation with the French locals who were trying to improve their English. I left with the impression that this bookstore is a gem for English readers in the elegant & relaxed town of Aix."

A small island of English language and culture in the French city of Aix-en-Provence, Book in Bar is the favorite destination for locals wishing to improve their English skills and a perfect refuge for expats or tourists. Book in Bar is a purely English bookshop with a very wide selection of Anglophone reading material. Their offer ranges from general fiction to children's books or a well-stocked travel section. Book in Bar is also very active when it comes to organizing different events and activities for its visitors. You can check their event of the month on their website. They also organize a book club which meets once a month to discuss the selected title which is listed on the website too. The bookstore also holds monthly poetry meetings and readings and even a writing workshop. As this great recommendation from James suggests, this bookstore is a very important focal point for anyone with an affection for English literature.

book in bar bookshopBook in Bar
Address:
4, rue Joseph Cabassol
13100 Aix-en-Provence
book in bar aix-en-provence











 

Website: http://www.bookinbar.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookinbarlibrairie/

Phone and Email:
04/422 66 007
bookinbar@orange.fr

Working Hours:
Mon-Sat 9-19



View Book in Bar in a larger map