3 English Bookstores in Prague You Can’t Miss
Updated: Aug 8
Prague might be famous for its gothic spires and raucous nightlife, but there’s a lot to do in Prague for traveling book lovers as well. Book lovers here will find some of the most beautiful libraries in the world as well as a handful of excellent English bookstores, a book bar, and a book café.
After all, there's a reason Prague was named a UNESCO City of Literature. Its most famous authors include Franz Kafka and Milan Kundera, but the city's literary sites and heritage encompass much more than these two (fantastic) authors.
As my loyal readers know, I’m an avid book reader and literary traveler, and I make it my goal to track down the best indie bookstores everywhere I visit. I’ve been writing literary guides and best bookstore lists for the past several years, and I’m so excited to add this eastern European city to my list and help other book lovers find the best English bookstores in Prague.
Using this post as your guide, you can find the best English bookstores in Prague, in old town and new town. I'll also tell you about Prague's book bar where you can pop in for some well-earned refreshments after all the book shopping.
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As always, this post may contain affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, shopping from them may generate small commissions to support the operations of this blog.
Whenever possible, I recommend buying books at local bookshops or through Bookshop.org, which is a way to shop from indie bookstores online.
The Globe Bookstore & Cafe
Pštrossova 1925/6, 110 00 Nové Město, Czechia
The Globe Bookstore and Café is a little bit of everything: indie bookshop, famous brunch spot, local gathering place, and laid-back bar.
The Globe is one of Prague's best English bookstores. New and used books are mixed together on the shelves, encompassing two floors at the front of the store. There’s a great selection in this independent bookshop, including children’s books, classics, modern fiction, books set in Prague, translations of Czech writers, travel books, and more.
The Globe is a must-visit bookstore café in Prague. Even if you aren’t planning to buy books, The Globe is one of the best breakfast/brunch spots in Prague. You can try delicious Belgian waffles, pancakes, bacon, omelettes, poached eggs, you name it. Everything our group tried was a hit.
If you’re looking for Prague nightlife, The Globe Bookstore has you covered, too: this Prague bookshop stays open late every night of the week and transforms into a bar with live music.
The Globe Bookstore is a beloved bookish location in Prague, with great English books, good eats, friendly staff, and a cool scene at any time of day or night.
Bonus: Týnská Bar and Books, a Prague Book Bar
19, Týnská 1053, 110 00 Praha 1
While we’re talking about bookstore hybrids, let’s talk about this awesome book bar in Old town Prague, Týnská Bar and Books. This moody book bar is part of a small chain of book bars, with other locations in New York City and Warsaw. Prague is known for its wild nightlife, but Týnská Bar and Books calls itself “the most refreshingly civilized place to meet.”
Now let me be clear here: you can’t actually buy books at this book bar. Books are purely part of the aesthetic here, but I include it on this list of Prague bookshops because I think any book lover will appreciate a stop here for a drink, just as I recommend having afternoon tea at The Library when you’re in London. There’s just something so comforting about being surrounded by gorgeously displayed books.
This Prague book bar specializes in cocktails, whiskey and cigars, though it’s not the cloudy smoke lounge you might imagine. The overall vibe is more of a speakeasy, and all the staff were incredibly friendly when I visited. The music is varied and low-key, so it’s a place to actually carry on a discussion while you drink (perhaps about the latest book you’ve read and loved?).
So when you need a break from all your book shopping in Prague, head to this chill book bar for some refreshment.
Shakespeare & Sons (Shakespeare a Synové s.r.o.)
U Lužického semináře 10, 118 00 Malá Strana
Apparently there’s a trend among English bookstores in Prague to name themselves after Shakespeare (Shakespeare and Sons, The Globe, what else you got, Prague bookstore owners?).
This cute Prague bookshop is located on the west bank of the Vlatva river, just a block away from the famous pedestrian-only Charles Bridge. It’s also just down the street from the Kafka Museum, if you’re interested in learning more about the famous Czech author of The Trial, The Metamorphosis, The Castle, and Amerika.
Shakespeare and Sons in Prague carries an excellent selection of Eastern European authors in translation as well as classics, fiction, philosophy, graphic novels, photography and art books, and more.
On the main floor of Shakespeare and Sons, you’ll find new books in English, French, and a smattering of other languages. If you’re looking for children’s books, head to the back of the main floor for a sizable collection for every reading level. New books on the main floor are priced near MSRP, but if you’re looking for used and bargain books, head down to the more spacious lower level of this Prague bookstore.
The basement of Shakespeare and Sons bookstore is spacious and inviting. There are multiple areas for book browsing and lots of cozy, eclectic couches and chairs that offer places to hang out and preview your book finds. The basement is also where you’ll find one of the best selections of used English books in Prague, all stamped with a unique Shakespeare and Sons stamp on the title page.
If you’re a Prague local, you can become a member of this indie bookshop and save on every purchase and regular bonuses.
Other services by this Prague bookstore include book buy-backs and the ability to shop for books online.
Budget Books
Spálená 82/4, 110 00 Nové Město
Budget Books on the edge of New Town is one of the best English bookstores in Prague. This indie bookshop has a clean, uncluttered layout and makes for easy browsing. I enjoyed spending an hour looking through the several genres of books available in this Prague bookstore, and it also turned out to be a great place to escape from a sudden thunderstorm!
This is the place to find new English books in Prague. If you like the new page smell, pristine covers, and crisp spines of brand new books, make a beeline for Budget Books. For the most part, books are listed near MSRP, though there’s a couple of excellent book discount bins, where I found some brand new books for about $5 USD. Needless to say, I thoroughly indulged myself in that book sale bin.
I’m always partial to secondhand bookstores, but Budget Books still gets my hearty recommendation for those in search of English bookstores in Prague.
You can also shop from this indie bookstore online and pick up in the store.
Finding Accommodations in Prague
As you look for somewhere to stay in Prague, I recommend checking for lodging on Hotels.com. I almost always book my accommodations through Hotels.com, because you can earn rewards for every night you stay without having to choose only one hotel chain to be loyal to. You can even book locally owned aparthotels and bed and breakfasts.
Travel Resources At-A-Glance
All of the following are links to sites and services I actually use to book and plan my travel or to purchase books or travel gear.
For flights: Skyscanner is my number one go-to resource for booking flights. I love using the “explore” function to find the cheapest places I can fly during a given time, or using the fare calendar to identify the cheapest days to fly.
For hotels and lodgings: For hotels, hotels.com and for vacation rentals, VRBO.com. I’ve had much better experiences with private rentals through this website than through other popular private vacation rental websites.
For car rentals: Kayak allows comparisons across a wide range of booking agencies and lists reviews of companies as well. I’ve found this to be the most user-friendly and efficient way to compare car rental prices.
For tours & excursions: Viator is my top choice for booking excursions and tour experiences in a new destination.
For travel gear: Amazon.com and REI for more outdoorsy items. Check out my travel gear recs here.
Best travel credit card: My favorite travel rewards credit card for European travel has been the Chase Sapphire Rewards card. Visa is accepted just about everywhere in Europe, and there are no foreign transaction fees on the card. Some of the travel benefits I love on the Chase Sapphire include free TSA pre check or Global Entry (worth it every time), an annual $200 travel credit, an annual $200 hotel benefit, built-in rental car and trip insurance, and points are worth 50% more when used to book travel. I travel around Europe a LOT, and I end up with many free flights and hotel stays from using my points on my Chase Sapphire.
For books: Bookshop.org often has prices as good as Amazon or sometimes better, but profits go to indie bookstores all over the country. Whenever possible, consider buying your books from this online indie bookshop resource.
Prague is a dream for book lovers everywhere. These are my favorite 3 English bookstores in Prague, plus a bonus book bar you should hit in Prague's old town.
What other European cities would you like to know the best bookstores? Leave them in the comments!
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