Cărturești Carusel

Cărturești Carusel is the bookstore that became, almost by accident, one of the most photographed spots in the Old Town. It occupies a carefully restored 19th-century building on Strada Lipscani: a bright white interior, slender railings, floors that open onto a central atrium, and light falling from above across the shelves. The building was once a bankers' house and went through years of decay before a major restoration brought back its lustre while keeping the original structure intact and turning it into a space quite unlike anything else in the city.

Beyond the looks, it is a working bookshop, with thousands of titles in Romanian and English, a music and multimedia section, an art space on the top floor and a bistro upstairs where you can settle in with a book and a coffee. The name "Carusel" (carousel) captures the spiralling feel of the place — you drift from one level to the next almost without noticing, and from the top you get the best view of the whole white volume. Across six levels, the contrast between the immaculate white and the warm wood of the shelves makes the simple act of climbing an experience in itself. Natural light pouring through the glass ceiling bathes the whole atrium and changes the mood of the space with the time of day.

Good to know

• It sits on Strada Lipscani, in the heart of the Old Town — easy to combine with a walk through the pedestrian streets and the nearby Macca–Villacrosse Passage.
• Entry is free; come in the morning if you want photos without the crowds.
• For exact opening hours, check official sources, as they may change.
• Climb to the top floor for the best view of the atrium and a break at the bistro.
• The closest metro station is Piața Unirii, a few minutes on foot.

Even if you buy nothing, it is worth climbing to the top floor just for the view and for a few quiet minutes above the bustle of Lipscani. It is one of those places where architecture and function meet perfectly: a bookshop that gave a beautiful building back to life, and a building that turned a bookshop into a sight in its own right. For many visitors it is the first stop on a walk through the Old Town, and for Bucharest residents it has remained a place to take refuge for an hour with a book, whatever the crowds outside.