“To travel far there is no better ship than a book”, Emily Dickinson already said it in the 19th century and she was right. It is enough to open a good book (or not so good) to travel to any part of the world or yourself with the simple fact of “turning pages”. And it is that with the arrival of Book Day and the numerous literary events that take place this spring as the Book Fair in Madrid or the Sant Jordi day in Barcelonathere are many bookstores and libraries that wear their best clothes (books) to bring letters to all audiences.

Bookstores and libraries are the authentic museums of letters, the showcase of all the authors who for centuries, and currently, give voice to letters in the form of millions of stories. Getting lost in one of them (either bookstore or library) is always a good option, we tell you some of the most iconic and historic in Spain to miss on Book Day (or any day).

Children of Santiago Rodríguez Bookstore (Burgos)

Although the oldest active bookstore in the world is in Lisbon (Portugal), the well-known Livraria Bertrand opened in 1732, Spain also has its own oldest bookstore and it is in Burgos (in Calle Avellanos, 4). It was opened in the year 1850 and in its more than 170 years of history, it has seen the first works of authors such as Federico García Lorca and Benito Pérez Galdós pass through its shelves.

It is considered the fifth oldest bookstore in Europe and its name alludes to its founder, Santiago Rodríguez. Its corridors and corners are filled with thousands and thousands of works, from the most classic to the most modern and up-to-date. The business logo is the figure of Minervathe goddess of wisdom, arts, thought and symbol of intellectual progress, and her motto is ‘The school redeems and civilizes’. Currently, the bookstore is in the hands of the fifth family generation, a true historical bookstore landmark.

Desnivel Bookstore (Madrid)

Lose yourself in the steep and narrow streets of the Literary district in Madrid It is a fundamental plan for every lover (or not) of Spanish culture and literature. The great writers of the Golden Age of Spanish literature lived in this neighborhood. When walking through its streets, there are numerous plaques that hang from the facades of the buildings alluding to some of the writers who lived in them, from Miguel de Cervantes to Lope de Vega, including Francisco de Quevedo or Tirso De Molina, among many others. others.

But without a doubt, apart from all these treasures of the history of literature, in the Plaza Matute number 6 of the neighborhood se is one of the most iconic bookstores in the capital, the bookstore unevenness. Its ‘vintage’ appearance, its wooden decorations, its numerous decorations with old mountaineering equipment, its large maps and two floors make This bookstore is a veritable museum of magazines and volumes specialized in mountaineering and mountaineering.

La Casquería Bookstore (Madrid)

Perhaps its name does not have much or practically nothing to do with what it really is, but it does with the place where it is located. (San Fernando market, Lavapiés). This space is more than a bookstore, it is a collective project whose objective is the recycling and recirculation of books and culture. It is a bookstore where Used books for sale by weight.

A book is made up of the material it is made of and the information it contains; That is why the founders of this bookstore project defend that “the material is paper, cardboard, ink… To have it, it has been necessary to manufacture the raw materials, process it, transport it and store it. It is mass and it is measured in kilograms”. And the information inside the book “is knowledge and art” and to write it “it has been necessary to be born, grow, dream, think (…) millennia of human history. It is culture and we do not know how to measure it.” That is why they trade with the former, “because the latter is priceless, it belongs to everyone and no one, it is free.” “We sell by weight because it is a good approximation of what it has cost to produce a book, transport it or store it”.

Library of Catalonia (Barcelona)

This temple of Catalan books is considered one of the most emblematic buildings of the city. It was created in 1907 and under his Gothic architectural style of the 15th century, They look more than three million copies. With a total surface area of ​​8,820 square metres, this architectural ensemble also includes a Gothic chapel and a Cervantes room.

Wandering through its corridors full of books and history is a true journey back in time. On June 3, 1931, he was declared Historic-Artistic Monument of National Interest and keeps the uniqueness of being constituted with funds donated by civil society, such as books, magazines, newspapers, engravings, scores, manuscripts… among them, the jewel of ‘The Libre de l’oree de cabellera de Ramon Llulli’.

Rafael Solaz Antique Bookstore (Valencia)

The retro style of this Valencian bookstore, together with its wooden decoration and its terrestrial globes adorning its façade, make this small literary corner of the mediterranean an authentic paradise of letters. Books, engravings, postcards, posters, stickers, curious objects… all this coexists inside along with its particular cat Blanca, a feline that roams its shelves and corridors making this book store even more special.

It is located in the historic center of the city, in the 7 Sant Ferran street, and its eclectic and ‘vintage’ appearance does not go unnoticed by any passerby. Whoever decides to enter will meet collection books and others completely current.

Astarloa Bookstore (Bilbao)

This bookstore founded in the year 1992 It is located in the heart of Bilbao (Astarloa street, 4) and has become one of the national references for lovers of old books. It is considered as a antiquarian bookstore and has a collection of more than 50,000 references, including old, curious books, as well as manuscripts, posters, collector’s items… In conclusion, a bookstore where you can spend hours and hours browsing to find a book that will become the most original gift.

Moyano Slope (Madrid)

“Moyano hill is the most read street in Madrid”as stated by the writer Francisco Umbral in 1985. On the steep slope that connects the Paseo del Prado with the Retiro Park, there is nothing more and nothing less than 30 booths full of both old, second-hand and new books. It was in 1925 when the first booths were installed and since then they have been passed down from generation to generation by the founders. The one in Moyano is a promenade about 200 meters long full of books that describe the history of literature in the capital.

Library of the Pious Schools (Madrid)

Study or read a book under the ruins of a church in this library It’s like living one of the scenes from the movies of Harry Potter. And it is that this University Library of the Center Associated with UNED in Madridconsidered one of the most beautiful in the world, was originally a church built by the architect of the order Gabriel Escribano between 1763 and 1791. During the Civil War it was burned and looted and after more than half a century of abandonment it was rehabilitated in library form and declared Asset of Cultural Interest. It is located in the cAlle del Sombrerete 15in the mythical neighborhood of Lavapiés (Madrid).