I was happy to stumble upon Galerie Bortier when I went to Brussels. According to my guide, it’s the only shopping gallery entirely devoted to bookshops in the world. That’s pretty remarkable and fully grants it access to the Amazing Bookshops Around the World series.

 

The gallery itself is beautiful, and inside you can find a few small bookshops, mostly selling old books and bargains, and some shops selling prints of antique maps and things like that.

It’s located in central Brussels, very close to all the tourist attractions, which makes it worth visiting if you are one of those peoplewho have an inexplicable love affair with old paper. Unfortunately, I don’t speak French and their selection of books in English was, well, it just wasn’t there, so I came out with no books but a beautiful original sketch.

DO VISIT IF: You have a taste for 19th century shopping arcade and/or antique prints.

SKIP IT IF: You’re actually looking for something to read.