What would a summer vacation be without a good book to devour on the beach or in a café? The city of Lyon is packed with bookshops , each more incredible than the last. The trick is knowing where to find them! Whether they’re specialized or generalist, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for, as many bookstores work hard to offer the people of Lyon the very best in current and historical literature! Here’s a non-exhaustive selection of our favorites!
1. Librairie Rive Gauche, the lively 7th arrondissement bookshop
Step out of the Presqu’île and into Rue de Marseille at the Librairie Rive Gauche. Also a general bookstore, it offers residents of the 7th arrondissement an unrivalled literary experience ! You’ll always be well advised and feel at ease in this sublime neighborhood store. Meetings with authors are also often organized!
📍 19 Rue de Marseille, Lyon 7
2. Le Bal des Ardents, one of the city’s most legendary bookshops
Its emblematic front and tourists alike. Inside and out, the Bal des Ardents is a little corner of Paradise you’ll never want to leave. Books? They’ re everywhere, in large and small aisles alike, making this bookshop a place worthy of an auteur film.
📍 Le Bal des Ardents, 17 Rue Neuve, Lyon 1
3. Librairie à soi.e, specializing in feminism
A Librairie à Soi.e would have been Virginia Woolf‘s cocoon. A place totally specialized in feminisms, here you’ll find tons of books highlighting centuries of often-invisibilized women authors, whose work is absolutely fabulous. It’s an inclusive place, open to all, where you’ll find comics, novels, poetry, theater, children’s literature and many other books just waiting for you!
📍 Une Librairie à Soi.e, 16 rue Pizay, Lyon 1
4. Librairie Passages, the essential general bookshop
A general bookshop located in the Presqu’île, the Passages is surely one of our favorites of this selection. The books on offer are always top-notch, and you’ll get sound, pertinent advice from the sales staff who work in this pleasant literary treasure trove. You’re bound to find what you’re looking for here, and we guarantee you’ll find it hard to leave empty-handed!
📍 11 Rue de Brest, Lyon 2
5. Experience, comics in the spotlight
This time we’re turning to another specialist bookshop that you can’t help but love. The Expérience bookshop is totally dedicated to comics, under a vaulted roof totally filled with drawings by the authors! The absolutely warm and passionate team welcomes you as if you were at home, and that alone makes it an incredible place to which we can’t wait to return!
📍 5 place Antonin Poncet, Lyon 2
6. Librairie des Canuts, the emblematic Croix-Rousse store
Head up the slopes towards Croix-Rousse to enter the Librairie des Canuts with its magnificent blue storefront. You’ll find everything here, especially a well-stocked children’s section, perfect for finding a new story to tell your little one. Special mention goes to their special Lyon section, where you’ll learn all about our lovely city!
📍 17 Place de la Croix-Rousse, Lyon 4
7. A Titre d’Aile, one of the best bookshops specializing in children’s literature
You’ll have to work hard to get to this gem, but it’s well worth the effort! A Titre d’Aile is a bookshop specializing in children’s and teen literature! It has recently added an adult selection. From the window to the interior, the colors of the books on display will instantly soothe you. There’s also a room upstairs where you can leaf through a book with your child if you feel like it. A cosy little nest that smells of sharing and the love of books!
📍 23 Rue des Tables Claudiennes, Lyon 1
8. Kamon Shoten, Japan in the spotlight
We already told you about it when it opened, Kamon Shoten is the new place to find little nuggets of Japanese literature. Featuring a Japanese lounge and a restaurant area, you can unearth your favorite manga while eating a delicious curry, or drinking a good cup of tea! A great place that also has a novel section , travel guide, figurines and many other surprises!
📍16 rue Général Plessier, Lyon 2
9. Librairie Ouvrir l’Oeil, the bookshop that transports you to new horizons
Last but not least, perhaps even the icing on the cake, the one we love more than anything else: the bookshop Ouvrir l’Oeil. Small in size but big in offerings, here you’ll find books you can’t find anywhere else. The selection is passionate, and from the moment you enter the bookshop, you’ll be transported into the soothing atmosphere of this unique place in Lyon. Let yourself be lulled by the gentle song of words, and enjoy wasting long hours meeting all those books just waiting for you!
📍 18 Rue des Capucins, Lyon 1