The Abbey Bookshop A Hidden Gem In The Latin Quarter Of Paris

Last updated on March 28th, 2024 at 07:10 pm

A Bookshop like no other in Paris where the books spill out onto the streets

Abbey Bookshop is one of those wonderful places you stumble upon as you’re walking through the Latin Quarter unless you’re purposely looking for it like I was.

In a world where we spend so much of our time online, finding a real bookshop you can walk into where the books are quite literally falling off the shelves isn’t as easy as it used to be.

But in Paris, there are several hidden gems that take you into another world, a world of books where the past meets the present in the most unusual way.

And this Canadian bookstore is just waiting to welcome you in and entice you with works of great literature along with a few modern-day classics.

There is something for every taste in this 18th-century building tucked away on a 13th-century Parisian Street, so let’s dive in and see what we find.

Discovering The Abbey Bookshop In Paris’ Latin Quarter

The Latin Quarter in Paris is one of those wonderful places where you find something new and exciting down every cobbled street.Many people, in their hurry to get to the better-known Shakespeare and Company Bookshop, miss the Abbey Bookshop, which, in my opinion, is a crying shame.

The History of Rue de la Parcheminerie

But before we take a look inside the walls and on the shelves of this bookshop, let me give you a very quick history lesson on the location of the Abbey Bookshop.

You see, it’s located on the aptly named rue de la Parcheminerie (and just so you know, in the French language, you don’t capitalise the word street. I haven’t made a grammatical error).

This street is where the scribes of the 13th century lived when the book trade in Paris started to blossom. 

Tax records dating back to 1200 show that the book industry was thriving in this area, and the binders, illuminators, and booksellers were all selling their wares here.

However, at this time, the street was called rue des Escrivains, the French word for scribes. Then, as books developed, the parchment makers took over from the scribes, and the street got a new name.

The building that now houses Abbey Bookshop, Hotel Dubuisson, dates back to the 18th century and is a hôtel particulier. In other words, it was a single-dwelling house owned by one family rather than somewhere that housed different families on each floor.

These buildings were typically quite grand and owned by people with money. You just have to take a look at the big wooden door next to the entrance to the store and the building itself to understand what I mean. The stonework, balconies and detailed carvings above the big windows give you an inkling of the original grandeur of the building.

So, in this case, the word hôtel doesn’t mean paid accommodation in the way we think of it, but more denoting a grande maison (big house).

It’s now a protected monument because of the beautiful carvings, the door, and its generally picturesque facade.

The front of the shop is almost as fascinating as the inside, as the books spill out onto the pavement. There is a small table set up with a coffee pot for those looking to stay a while, which is such a lovely feature.

Inside the quirky bookshop

From the minute you step inside, you’re accosted by books, which is my idea of heaven. Directly to my left was a steep stone staircase leading down into the basement, which I knew I had to explore. But first, I wanted to go deeper into the shop.

It’s incredibly narrow, and there is only room for one person to peruse each bookshelf at a time. But it’s like a tardis as it seems to just keep going back, so although it’s narrow it’s deep.

Many of the books are Canadian titles, but there is also a good mix of rare, vintage and more modern titles. I even found a stash of Harry Potter books, which would please my daughter, a huge Potter fan.

The owner, Brian Spence, is a Canadian from Toronto, hence the volume of Canadian books. It was on my birthday, July 1st 1989, that he purchased the property and brought the book trade back to rue de la Parcheminerie. Maybe, that birthday connection is why I felt such an affinity with the place.

Approximately 40,000 books are waiting to be discovered, and the bookshop lives up to its slogan, “New books, used books, and rare books.”

For me, it was the basement that really drew me in. The stone steps are steep, and after having spent the last 24 hours hot-footing around Paris, I didn’t trust myself not to slip, so I held on tight.

And oh my goodness, it was worth going down there. A poster at the bottom of the steps caught my attention about spending a contemplative evening in the digital age, an event being held in September. Not to mention the red string lighting that created an interesting ambience. 

I got stuck reading a book called Britannia Revisited, perfect for a history geek like me. I’m a sucker for a bit of British history.

Further on, the next bookshelf had a whole stack of books about the Second World War, which has always fascinated me, having studied it at school.

What you’ll find close to Abbey Bookshop

If the bookshop isn’t enough, it’s surrounded by many other fascinating historic places you can visit.

House of Héloïse and Abélard

On a recent visit to Pere Lachaise cemetery, I discovered the grave of Héloïse and Abélard, the famous 12th-century lovers of Paris often likened to the French version of Romeo and Juliet.

Their house, the Maison d’Héloïse et Abélard at 11 Quai aux Fleurs, is just around the corner from the bookshop and worth a quick look. Theirs was a tragic story. 

After a secret marriage, a pregnancy, castration and monastic life, the pair were separated until death when they were finally buried together at Pere Lachaise.

Saint Severin Gothic Church

Saint-Séverin Church is one of Paris’s oldest and most beautiful churches in the heart of the Latin Quarter, and again just a stone’s throw from Abbey Bookshop. It’s Gothic architecture at its best with its spire,  intricate stained glass windows, and the series of mini chapels around the outside.

I’ve been in lots of churches in France as there are just so many of them, and they do all tend to merge into one after a while, but this one was really striking, and you could feel the history as you walked around. 

The domed roof and the stained glass windows behind the altar are stunning and showcase biblical stories and the lives of saints.

The history of Saint-Séverin stretches back to the 11th century, though the structure you see today is more 13th to 15th centuries. It’s named after Séverin of Paris, a devout hermit who was buried on this site in the 6th century. 

You can find out more about Saint Severin on the Latin Quarter Tour I did >>>

Cluny Roman Baths

The Cluny Roman Baths are a relic of the city’s Gallo-Roman past. They are part of the larger Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge, dedicated to medieval history.

Dating back to the 1st or 2nd century AD, the baths are among the most impressive remnants of Lutetia, the Roman precursor to modern-day Paris. 

But they weren’t just a place for bathing they were part of the social scene of the time and a hub where people could relax, exercise, and have a good gossip.

The structure originally included a frigidarium (cold room), tepidarium (warm room), and caldarium (hot room), typical of Roman bath complexes, alongside other facilities like gymnasia and possibly a swimming pool. 

Today, you can still see the well-preserved frigidarium, with its vaults and remnants of the ancient heating system.

The Musée de Cluny is a stop in the Latin Quarter Tour I did >>>

Rue Montagne Sainte-Geneviève

For fans of Woody Allen’s movie ‘Midnight in Paris’, this is a dream come true. Why? Because this street is where Owen Wilson’s character, Gil Pender, sits on the steps of Saint-Éienne du Mont and is whisked back to the 1920s and the golden era of Paris.

Walk up a little bit further, and you come to the Pantheon, a neoclassical masterpiece.

Again, both of these are included in the Latin Quarter Tour I did, which was great >>>

Final thoughts: Visiting Abbey Bookshop Paris

If you’re going to Paris and find yourself in the Latin Quarter, do yourself a favour and pop into Abbey Bookshop. You won’t be disappointed.

There are quite a few English Bookshops in Paris, but this is one of my favourites, especially the building itself.