9 bookish addresses in Prague: from Gothic Klementinum to coffee at Shakespeare and Sons

Prague is a city of books in the most literal sense: it's home to the oldest Baroque library in Europe, while independent bookshops sit comfortably next to coffee shops and turn into meeting points for readers from around the world. This roundup is for anyone hunting for books in English or Czech, wanting to see the continent's most beautiful library halls, or simply looking to spend a quiet evening among the shelves. Every spot is easy to find by name on the map — just copy the heading.

Klementinum, Praha 1

A vast Baroque complex in the Old Town, now home to the National Library of the Czech Republic. The Klementinum is Prague's second-largest historic complex after Prague Castle, and with 7 million volumes, it's also the country's largest library. Its crown jewel is the Baroque Hall, often called the most beautiful library hall in the world: the ceiling is covered in frescoes celebrating science and the arts, the room holds a collection of foreign theological literature along with several historically significant large globes, and the collection totals around 27,000 volumes, mostly on theology. You can only enter with a guided tour — since the temperature and humidity need to stay constant, visitors are allowed to view the hall but not step inside it, so it's best to book tickets in advance through Prague City Tourism.

Strahovská knihovna, Strahov Monastery, Praha 1

The library of the Premonstratensian monastery on Strahov Hill, right next to Prague Castle, is the city's second most important historic library. Its collection holds nearly 300,000 volumes, including 3,000 manuscripts and 1,500 incunabula, making it the second-oldest church library in the Czech Republic. Visitors can view two halls — the Classicist Philosophical Hall and the Baroque Theological Hall — as well as a cabinet of curiosities featuring a collection of natural rarities. The historic halls are open daily from 9:00 to 17:00, and admission costs around 80 CZK.

Městská knihovna v Praze — Central Library, Mariánské náměstí 98/1, Praha 1

The main building of Prague's public library system, in the Old Town, just a couple of minutes from Old Town Square. The Central Library sits on Mariánské náměstí, near Staroměstská metro station. The 1928 building is a fascinating sight in its own right, but the main draw is an installation by a Czech sculptor: the so-called "Idiom," a column built from 8,000 books, has stood in the Central Library's lobby since 1998, created by Slovak artist Matej Krén. The library is open to everyone and also hosts exhibitions, lectures, and concerts.

Shakespeare and Sons, U Lužického semináře 10, Malá Strana, Praha 1

Prague's best-known English-language bookshop, just a couple of minutes from Charles Bridge on the Malá Strana side. It's the largest independent shop for English and French literature in the city, sitting right by the Charles Bridge. Both new and secondhand books are sold here, and the store accepts trade-ins; the spacious, beautiful lower hall is used for readings, book clubs, and other gatherings. Open daily from 11:00 to 19:00.

Shakespeare and Sons, Krymská 12, Vršovice, Praha 10

The chain's second location is a bookshop-café in the trendy Vršovice district, on Krymská street, known for its bars and street art. It's a bookshop and café that opens at 10:00 (the book section closes at 19:00). The vibe here is more local and relaxed than in tourist-heavy Malá Strana — a great place to enjoy coffee with a book surrounded by Praguers rather than visitors.

The Globe Bookstore & Café, Pštrossova 6, Praha 1

An English-language bookshop in the New Town, one of the oldest of its kind in the city. It stocks fiction, guidebooks, children's books, non-fiction, newspapers, and magazines. The shop is open daily, and part of the space is taken up by a cozy café — perfect for combining book browsing with lunch or a cup of coffee.

Big Ben Bookshop, Malá Štupartská 5, Staré Město, Praha 1

A small bookshop in the Old Town, near Náměstí Republiky, specializing in English-language literature. It boasts a large collection of Lonely Planet guidebooks and English-learning materials, and since 1994 has stocked books on Czech and European history, poetry collections, bestsellers, sci-fi, children's books, and comics. There's always a fresh selection of newspapers and magazines by the till, perfect for your morning coffee.

Palác knih Luxor, Václavské náměstí 41, Praha 1

The largest bookshop in the Czech Republic, spread across several floors right on Wenceslas Square. The "Luxor Book Palace" is considered the biggest bookshop in the country, and possibly all of Central Europe, sitting right in the heart of Prague on Wenceslas Square. It offers a huge selection of Czech literature, stationery, discs, and gifts — the ideal one-stop shop for whatever you need.

Academia knihkupectví, Václavské náměstí 34, Praha 1

A bookshop run by the country's oldest academic publisher, also located on Wenceslas Square, but with a completely different character from Luxor. Academia is an original Czech publishing house and bookshop founded in 1953 by the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, and today it remains the country's leading academic publisher. On the second floor there's a literary café that regularly hosts art and science exhibitions — a pleasant spot for anyone after academic non-fiction and quality Czech prose.

From the Baroque halls of the Klementinum and Strahov, where books have been kept for centuries, to small independent shops like Shakespeare and Sons — Prague's literary map reveals the city from an unexpected angle. Even if you don't read Czech, it's easy to find English-language literature, rare editions, and simply a quiet place to escape the tourist bustle for an hour or two.

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Source: aroundprague.cz

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