The best bookshops Belgium

You don't visit this place to have a good time. It's just that with thousands of international civil servants drained by the European Commission, there's a need for a bookstore carrying works on European laws and regulations. If you've applied for a European Commission position and you're invited to pass a test, this is where you'll find all you need to know. If you fail, you can always prepare for an informed trip in the basement level, where travel guides chat in tongues with dictionnaries.

Les Ponts du Marais in Jambes is a must for fans of creative hobbies such as sewing, cardboard and scrapbooking. The website features a blog with articles on various needlework activities such as sewing, knitting and crochet, as well as paperboard activities like cardboard and scrapbooking. Workshops and courses are also offered, with trips organized to Belgium, France and Portugal.

A real haunt for fans of comics and manga in particular. Dimitri Camus opened his shop nearly thirty years ago. We can say that he succeeded in his bet (mangas! ? in Namur ? you're dreaming!) and his reputation is well established. You can also find comics in French and a whole range of comic book related items that have everything to please. We even suspect the owner of making discounts on the official price. The new releases are numerous and regular, presented on social networks to the delight of fans. A bargain, isn't it?

Walter B. offers personalized advice on cigars (from Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Cohiba, Bolivar, Trinidad, Romeo y Julieta....), articles for smokers and selected alcohols (gins, whiskies, rums, including vintages up to more than 40 years old!!). The "civette" (the back room) offers a permanent exhibition of humidors. It is also possible to have one made on request. Walter has kept a third part of his business to practice his original profession, bookseller.

General bookstore with a complete range of quality books. The presentation of the books is clear and practical. The team's welcome - real enthusiasts with sound advice - is excellent and Candide offers a truly qualitative selection of books. Conferences and meetings with authors are organized regularly. Those who like to browse through cookery books can continue their tasting adventure outside. Indeed, the large terrace is shared with the neighbouring restaurant Voltaire.

Calligraphy enthusiasts come here for their materials, and children and lucanophiles for their kites, which - let's not forget - were invented in China 2,500 years ago. La Grande Muraille is also (and above all) a themed bookshop. It offers a multitude of books on subjects as varied as martial arts, acupuncture and tea. We also stock up on newspapers and magazines devoted to the Middle Kingdom (in French, English or Dutch). Regular organization of conferences.

Bi'OK Thorembais is a health food store located in Perwez. The store offers a wide selection of carefully selected dietary products. Bi'OK Thorembais is also known for its 8-hectare organic gardens, located just behind the Corbais store. Products from these organic gardens are available in all 4 Bi'OK stores in Wallonia.

This is the favorite haunt of manga, Japanese anime and KPOP fans. In the store's narrow aisles (they're packed with items, and there are lots of customers), you'll be hard-pressed to find the latest issue of ONE PIECE, figurines of Dragon Ball or the Knights of the Zodiac, goodies of all kinds, DVDs, Black Pink or BTS merchandising... You could almost forget the card games, Japanese snacks and bento boxes! If you're looking for a rare item or can't find what you're looking for, just ask the boss.

The largest and oldest English-language bookshop in Belgium, Waterstone's is a real reference for the capital's English-speaking and Anglophile community. Among the many themes represented (newspapers, magazines, current affairs, children's books, literature, cookery books, comics, etc.), there is a vast section devoted to manuals for learning the language of Albion, for reading Agatha Christie or Harry Potter in V.O.! In addition, there is a nice stationery and postcard section.

A bookshop specializing in comics, it also offers a number of other works, so there's something for everyone. Manga, serigraphs and enamelled plates are also on display. Signings and children's workshops are regularly on the agenda. Librairie Jaune has created a Facebook page on which it actively communicates with customers, as well as a Café area for on-the-spot discussions. Open almost every day, Librairie Jaune also has a new webshop for online reservations and sales.

This bookshop devoted entirely to the arts, mainly contemporary, is a real reference point for the people of Brussels. Following a move to Flagey, the bookshop has been split to better serve its customers. Number 9 is dedicated to fine art books, while number 39 is more general. In both stores, highly qualified staff guide customers through the treasures the stores contain. Both places are warm and friendly. Events and meetings are also on the agenda.

This is an excellent address in a district mainly dedicated to eating and drinking. This beautiful shop, with its old-fashioned look, where the shelves support each other, belongs to a friendly bookshop owner. There are many books on philosophy, humanities, some classical literature and books in English, and some in Russian, German, Chinese... Books in every corner, especially in the thriller section. The owner is absolutely knowledgeable about everything on the shelves and gives excellent advice.

A local bookstore, it offers the basic services (photocopies, lottery products, relay point for parcels...), but one queues here rather than elsewhere because the store has other assets. More than a newsagent, you will find a very nice assortment of books, magazines and postcards dedicated to Namur. The local authors and publishers are also put forward. Finally, we congratulate the owners for their love of wordplay, their sign referring to the "Bia Bouquet" (the beautiful bouquet), a Namurian hymn sung in particular at the Wallos.

This literary Unicorn, founded in 1982, has done rather well since it was taken over by Muriel Desart and Didier Peeters, both former customers and book lovers. Located on the chaussée d'Alsemberg, the address offers a wide range of references in a vast, bright, colorful and playful space. It is also the venue for meetings with authors, discussions, literary events and reading sessions for children... The staff are welcoming and genuinely keen to help and guide customers in their choices and desires.

Since 1984, the Dépôt de Bruxelles has had a limitless selection of comics (45,000 references in all), but they're superbly sorted and classified... hats off to them! Their policy? To offer a vast choice of new and used comics (including out-of-print titles)! You can find what you're looking for by asking the team of enthusiasts for advice, or by surfing their online store www.go4book.com: complete, sorted listing of their books, discounts on new books and free shipping. Excellent downtown location, just a few minutes' walk from the Gare du Midi.

This small bookshop founded by Ariane Herman and Dominique Jamelle has 3 main themes: Quebec literature (Ariane has a brother who publishes in Quebec, and Dominique is from Montreal), feminist and LGBTQIA+ literature, not forgetting general literature. The bookshop is small but full of great finds, often off the beaten track. That's why the booksellers are there to advise and listen. In addition, Tulitu organizes small events (meetings with authors, aperitifs during the Book Fair...).

Located on Huy's Grand Place, the beautifully named independent bookshop opened at the end of 2021. In 2023, L'Ours à Lunettes expanded and now has a second store devoted entirely to young people. A haven for young and old alike, for lovers of literature of all kinds, the humanities, practical books or travel books... there's no doubt that you'll find what you're looking for here, and make some wonderful discoveries thanks to the team's expert advice.

Here, culture is nurtured in an unusual setting: a building made up of nooks and crannies where you'll find second-hand books, comics, mangas, vinyl, CDs, DVDs and board games on three levels. More than just a bookshop, it's also a venue for exhibitions and shows. What's more, the basement event room hides a treasure trove: the remains of the Pont-des-Arches, built around 1026. Children are particularly well catered for, with a dedicated room and a greenhouse for budding DJs to practice their skills.

Founded in 1974 by Chantal Limauge, À Livre Ouvert merged in 2002 with one of Brussels' first specialist children's bookshops, Le Rat Conteur. Humanities, literature, garden and travel books, and of course children's books, this truly general bookshop is a paradise for lovers of reading and culture. Meetings, events and a professional welcome. Be warned, you're in for a treat...

With over 40,000 books in stock, Graffiti is quite simply the biggest bookshop in Walloon Brabant. It's simple: the books overflow the shelves and fill the walls and tables over 300^m2. It's been around since 1978 and is proud to be one of Belgium's oldest independent bookshops. There's something for everyone, from a wide variety of literature to practical life, tourism, science, history and children's books. The staff are professional and very friendly. A great bookshop.

This is the place to be for comic book fanatics. Here, you'll find a huge selection of comics. For young and old alike, all styles are represented (classics, comics, mangas...). People flock here to find rare phylacteries, original or limited editions, figurines... A second-hand section with over 40,000 comics completes the range. Other special features include an astonishing thematic classification of works... a little disconcerting, but so much more practical!

It's an institution in Mons! The favorite bookshop of the people of Mons, whether students, parents, children, fans of manga, science or literature. Ideally located on the pedestrian mall in the center of town, Scientia is a haven of peace teeming with life and books. You'll find everything: literature, tourism, science, academic, practical, history, art, esoterica... What's more, the service is simply impeccable, and each sales assistant knows (more than) a thing or two. Don't hesitate to ask for advice.

La Traversée is actually three bookshops in one, for more books and more pleasure. Located in the pedestrian zone in the heart of the town, La Traversée has three stores: the general bookshop founded in 2015 and, a little further down the street, a bookshop specializing in comics and mangas. A third store specializes in children's books. Between them, the three stores boast over 35,000 items! The sales staff are passionate about their work, and will give you their best advice. Meetings are organized on a regular basis.

Here's a highly original creative stationery shop. We don't have many stores of this type in France, so it's a great opportunity to pack an original gift for your loved ones. Here, you'll find hand-bound books, notebooks, notepads printed with handcrafted motifs, paper, old photographs of the city, but also of cities around the world, postcards, art cards for all ages, original diaries, cardboard jewelry boxes, greeting cards and calligraphic stones that are impossible to resist.

For the absolute fans of Tintin, Bedemania is a must! You can find a lot of books at a lower price as well as all the products derived from the most famous Belgian reporter: sculptures, Pixis, collectors' items, ex-libris (numbered vignette signed by the author inside the comic), etc. Gaëtan Laloy, a specialist in the world of Tintin, is vice-president of the Friends of Hergé and president of the Belgian Chamber of Comic Book Experts. Possibility to have one's own collection items appraised (albums, various objects, off-series, etc.).

A central bookshop in Bruges which, in addition to magazines, offers beautiful books and guides to the city of Bruges. So, you don't speak Flemish, but you can find books (novels, foreign literature) in French, English, and beautiful editions of photos of the city, the region or even the country to bring back as gifts to your loved ones or to keep as souvenirs in your library. You'll also find useful maps of the region, and dictionaries if you want to learn a few words in the local language.

Livre's bookshop (pronounced "l'ivresse") has been based in Marche-en-Famenne since 2014. It was with the desire to create a space for meeting and sharing around books that founder Isabelle Lambert embarked on the adventure. And since then, it's been a huge success! Readers meet and mingle, the team is professional and helpful, and the selection of books is vast. And there's even a little extra: a reading corner in the shape of a log cabin for the kids! As the founder would say, it's a real friendly bookshop.

Located two steps away from the Grand Place, this place, also called the House of Children's Literature, offers many activities for our beloved little wolves. Children are king with a library, a story jukebox and workshops. The place also offers illustration workshops for adults as well as a shop (La Boutique du Loup, where you can leave with the book of your dreams) and the Cantine du Chaperon, which offers organic sweet specialties. Freddy Leloup made his arrival in 2019 to celebrate the 10 years of the house.