Inside Cărturești Carusel - Bookshop Review

I visited Bucharest in October 2024 as part of my 30th birthday celebrations. As well as visiting the fantastic Therme Spa that’s been hugely popular on social media, I was also keen to visit one of my bucket list bookshop locations: Cărturești Carusel.

This picturesque bookshop is based out of a stunning building that dates back to 1903. Initially owned by a Greek bank, the building has changed hands many times, including when it was seized by the communist regime in the 1950s. It’s hard to believe that this beautiful building was even left abandoned for a period of time after the regime ceased to exist.

Eventually the building was repurchased by a grandson of the Greek banker who owned it initially, and set to work transforming it into the beautiful bookshop that it is today.

The name ‘Cărturești Carusel’ translates aptly as ‘Carousel of Light’ - a name which suits its grand interiors. While some famous bookshops are more beautiful than they are functional, the Cărturești Carusel isn’t one of them. This shop has five floors, four full of books (including the basement) and a top floor with a cosy cafe. Here you’ll find more than 10,000 square feet of books to browse, with large English and Romanian sections. We spent a good few hours perusing the shelves and relaxing in the cafe, before we reluctantly had to leave.

This shop was everything I hoped for and more. I knew that it looked very picturesque, but the browsing experience was better than expected and I felt like I could easily spend all day in there.

For keen book lovers, the company owns additional bookshops in the local area, and I was handed a leaflet advertising ‘the fellowship’ to explore.

How to Find the Bookshop

Located right in the centre of Bucharest Old Town, you’ll find this bookshop just around the corner from the city’s many bars and clubs. For us, it was just a short walk away from our Airbnb.

Here is the full address:

Strada Lipscani 55, București 030167, Romania

Opening Hours

Something I love is that this bookshop is open late!

Monday - Wednesday: 10am - 10pm

Thursday: 10:am - 10:30pm

Friday and Saturday: 10am - 12am

Sunday: 10am - 10:30pm

*Opening hours are correct at the time of writing, but make sure you check on their website before you visit.

Other Bookshops to Visit in Bucharest

As I was only in the city for a few days, and spent my entire first day in the spa, I was only able to visit one other bookshop during my visit.

You’ll find the Libraria Humanitas just a short walk away from the Cărturești Carusel. Not just a bookshop, this 5 floored shop also doubles up as a Japanese gift shop called Takumi which sells beautiful Japanese gifts. Each floor was a new surprise, and they had a great selection of English language books.

Other notable bookshops to visit in the area (and are on my to-visit list for future trips) include the Antony Frost English Bookshop which has recently rebranded and reopened as Cărtureşti & Friends. Not only does it accommodate the old bookshop, but it also houses a micro gallery and coffee shop named Breftiful Cafe.

Also on my list is the Humanitas Cișmigiu, Antic ExLibris and Seneca AntiCafe - a unique venue which includes a bookshop, buffet and workspace that you pay to visit by the hour. For French speakers, you’ll want to visit Kyralina, which not only looks beautiful but also has an expansive collection of French books.

If you’re a book lover visiting Bucharest, then you need to stop by the fantastic Cărturești Carusel during your trip. You won’t regret it!