Cărturești Carusel

Cărturești Carusel is the most photogenic bookshop in Bucharest and one of the most beautiful in Europe. Set in a 19th-century building on Lipscani Street, in the heart of the old town, it was carefully restored and turned into a "carousel of light": six immaculate white levels linked by elegant staircases and slender columns, beneath a generous skylight that floods the space with natural light. Shelves full of books, a bistro on the top floor, an art gallery and a media space round out the experience.

The building once belonged to a merchant family, and the renovation restored its splendour, winning architecture awards. It is a place where you come for a book but stay for the atmosphere and photographs. In the pedestrian zone, it pairs perfectly with a walk through the old centre; check the schedule before visiting.