Antwerp is one of the main cities in Belgium, so it should come as no surprise that the city is home to several independent bookstores worth a visit. Whether you’re looking for a new coffee table book, a present for your sister, or the latest contemporary fiction, these bookstores in Antwerp will be sure to make your heart beat faster.

Note: The bookstores mentioned below are not presented in any particular order.

Before you go any further, take a look at the embedded map below to see all my favourite independent bookstores in Antwerp on a map.

If the embedded map isn’t working for you, check it out here: The 10 Best Independent Bookstores in Antwerp

For my favourite places to eat in Antwerp, check out this post:

Best Restaurants in Antwerp: The Ultimate Foodie Guide

1. Bookz&Booze

Bookz&Booze is a unique concept bookstore in Antwerp that matches books with bottles — based on the book cover, the story, one of the characters, or another similarity between the two. How does a book about the Peaky Blinders TV series and a bottle of Sadler’s Peaky Blinder spiced dry gin sound to you?

The owners of Bookz&Booze are incredibly helpful and infinitely knowledgeable about their books and bottles. They love to tell you the story behind why they chose a particular bottle for one of their books.

You can purchase the books and drinks separately, and they’re perfect gifts for your loved ones.

2. Stad Leest

Stad Leest is one of my favourite bookstores in Antwerp for the newest book releases. The inside of the store is massive — you could spend hours here and still not see everything — and the natural light makes your shopping experience all the more pleasant.

If you’re looking for a wide range of art and lifestyle books, children’s books, and contemporary fiction, Stad Leest is the place to be. It’s also one of the few bookstores in Antwerp with a considerable selection of English books, both fiction and non-fiction.

As if that’s not enough: there’s also an outlet store just around the corner, where you’ll find some absolute bargains.

3. International Magazine Store

International Magazine Store might not be a bookstore in the traditional sense of the word, but — as the name suggests — it’s a store dedicated to selling magazines. And trust me: that’s a lot more interesting than it may sound.

IMS has a vast selection of both domestic and international magazines, newspapers, and coffee table books (incidentally, one of my favourite types of books).

Whether you’re looking for the latest issue of Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, or that vintage car magazine you keep telling your friends about — chances are you’ll find it here.

4. Panoply

Panoply is one of the best second-hand bookstores in Antwerp, period.

At just a five-minute walk from what can only be described as the most beautiful square of the city — Hendrik Conscienceplein — you’ll find Panoply: a common townhouse transformed into a safe haven for used book hunters, record collectors, and solo travellers looking to pick up a hidden gem.

With its friendly and knowledgeable staff, I challenge you to leave this store empty-handed. (Spoiler alert: you’ll fail.)

5. De Groene Waterman

De Groene Waterman is a bookstore that looks unassuming from the outside — but transports you to higher literary spheres when you enter.

With a comprehensive, eclectic collection of Dutch and English books — both fiction and non-fiction — you’ll be sure to find a book that will broaden your mind here. Prices are comparable to online retailers, so why not support a local store if you’re in Antwerp either way?

The best part about this particular bookstore? If you walk to the back, turn left, and go up the stairs, you’ll find the hidden bargains: books and magazines in great condition, sold at hefty discounts.

6. Demian

Demian is one of the best independent bookstores in Antwerp for second-hand books.

I walked into Demian on a sunny Saturday afternoon in November with no idea what to expect. What I found was a charming and well-stocked bookstore where the shelves are stacked with second-hand art and philosophy books, literary classics, and rare prints and manuscripts.

The owner, René Franken, has a tangible passion for all things literature and poetry. He mostly follows his own literary preferences when replenishing his stock, and he’s always ready for a stimulating conversation with his clients.

A special mention goes to the bookstore’s extensive collection of poetry on the mezzanine floor. Also worth mentioning is the upstairs room, where the owners regularly host literary exhibitions. In that upstairs room, you’ll find a permanent supply of valuable posters, photographs, invitations, manuscripts, and more.

I bought a 1966 copy of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 at Demian for less money than that afternoon’s cup of coffee cost me, and I got René’s comments about this edition for free.

  • Website: Demian
  • Instagram: @demian_books
  • Telephone: +32 (0)3 233 32 48
  • Address: Hendrik Conscienceplein 16-18

7. Luddites

If you like books and wine, Luddites — pronounced luh-daits — will soon become one of your favourite bookstores in Antwerp. A beautiful building with high ceilings is home to this unique bookstore-slash-winery concept that saw the light of day in 2018.

Boasting Antwerp’s largest selection of English fiction and non-fiction books, stacked on floor-to-ceiling shelves, and a wine bar hidden upstairs, Luddites is Jorien Caers and Richard Bolte’s answer to the world that relentlessly keeps digitising.

There is no wifi available, so pick your poisons — a new book and a glass of exceptional, yet affordable wine — and unplug in the wine bar.

8. Copyright

Copyright is one of the best independent bookstores in Antwerp for art, design, and architecture books

You don’t come to Copyright Bookshop to pick up the latest New York Times bestseller. You come here to enjoy the rich cultural heritage of the Belgian art and architecture scene.

The staff members are friendly and act as ambassadors of that Belgian history, with precision, respect, and sincere love for their profession.

The books you’ll find here will serve as your next favourite coffee table book if you’re at all interested in interior design, architecture, fashion, or photography.

9. De Markies

In one of the many cobbled streets in Antwerp’s city centre, you’ll suddenly stumble upon De Markies. This is an independent bookstore that sells beautiful postcards and intriguing Dutch and English books at an affordable price.

What the bookstore is most known for, however, is its “blind date with a book” concept. You pay €5 and you get a book. The catch? You don’t know which book you’re buying. You base your decision on a book silhouette in plain brown wrapping paper, and a white sticker with a few keywords to describe the book.

It’s great fun, and it eliminates the option of judging the book by its cover. After all, isn’t that something worth promoting?

10. The Other Shop

Are you obsessed with reading and pop culture, or do you know somebody who is? Then you’ll love spending time in The Other Shop.

Not only does this bookstore sell the most unexpected, quirky books — you will also find endless original gift ideas for the people in your life who seemingly already have everything.

How about a Charles Dickens jigsaw puzzle, a plantable pencil, or a book that opens up to a 360 degree reading light?

Honourable mentions

There are so many bookstores in Antwerp that it’s not easy to compile a top-10 list — and that’s an understatement. Here are some more independent bookstores that you should visit if you have the time.

CronopiO — a bookstore with a great selection of Dutch, English, and Spanish books, that also serves fantastic coffee.

Kartonnen Dozen — the mail bookstore regarding LGBTQ+ literature in Antwerp (and, by extension, Belgium).

Alta Via — a bright shop that specialises in travel guides, maps, globes, and travel-themed literature.

Have you travelled to Antwerp? What were your favourite things to do?

Thanks for reading!

-S

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