Travel Tuesday - Week 2 - Bucharest, Hungary - Carturesti Carusel

TRAVEL TUESDAY

In this week's installment for Travel Tuesday, I wanted to introduce you to one of the most beautiful bookstores I have ever visited (granted, I only picked up reading again in 2023 so my frame of reference is limited slightly. That being said, once you have a look for yourself, I am sure you will agree with me!). I was giddy with excitement the second I stepped inside, I must have looked 

Right in the heart of Bucharest's Old Town, just a few doors down from a quirky Vampire bar with multiple Dracula-themed, beerish beverages, including a random but delicious chilli and ginger beer, is where you will find Carturesti Carusel. It looks quite unassuming from the outside but like the Tardis, seems never-ending on the inside. 

Clean, white, luxurious interiors with gorgeous mezzanine levels, bookshelves stacked to the rafters, and skylights in the roof give so much light to the store. There are sections for every genre imaginable, from psychology to cooking to bestselling thrillers, and everything in between. I loved that they had a section for English translations from Romanian authors, which I was keen to select from (though they had plenty of English language books from many genres and authors). The geek section, which was quite aptly located in the basement, was great fun and I almost bought a ton of graphic novels, board games, and backpacks. I still don't know how I resisted, and I think about it often!

After significant dilly-dallying, I eventually chose The Fox Was Ever the Hunter - Herta Müller which is a Nobel Prize-winning book that brilliantly, poetically, and hauntingly depicts life in Romania during the final few months of the Ceausescu Regime. It's a daunting read, with descriptions that, at times, are quite laborious and unnecessarily verbose. I felt out of my depth reading it (I should have expected that since it won the Nobel Prize for Literature). I'll link the review here when it's posted. 

Bucharest is a beautiful city, growing in stature and becoming more modern and metropolitan every day. I first visited in 2018 with my son for his 16th birthday, and even in that short time, it's become much more accessible and travel-friendly. I recommend visiting whether you're a book-lover or not. The Transylvania/Dracula tours are exceptional days out, the restaurants are incredible, and the beer is top-notch! The Old Town is beautiful and there are new hotels and places to be popping up everywhere. It's a top destination for me and I'll be back at Carturesti Carusel again, you can count on it!

If, by some stroke of luck, you made it to the end of this and thought "Wow, what a great review, I'd love to read more!" you can FOLLOW MY BLOG by clicking the link and subscribing :) I also post bookish content on Instagram. Happy reading!