The 5 best independent bookshops in Antwerp

Jorien Caers and Richard Bolte opened a beautiful literary bookstore back in spring in a 1902 Antwerp town house. Then coronavirus hit. But they have survived. The three floors have been lovingly restored by local interior architect Dries Otten to create a series of intimate rooms with creaking wood floors, tall bookshelves and antique fireplaces. They stock an eclectic collection of books in Dutch and English ranging from “The Lost Pianos of Siberia” to “How to Catch a Mole”. But the best thing about this place is the wine bar on the first floor where you can sit with a book and a post-lockdown glass of Prosecco. Your phone turned off. Open until 20.00.