5 Lausanne Bookstores to Visit
If you’re a book lover visiting Lausanne in Switzerland soon, add these cosy Lausanne bookstores to your itinerary!
Lausanne is a small Swiss city on the shores of Lake Geneva. It’s known for being the home of the Olympic Committee, so I was surprised to find that it’s also a wonderful city to explore for book lovers.
Located in French-speaking Lausanne, the majority of these bookstores stock French books, but there are English bookstores in Lausanne too. With around 15 independent bookshops to browse through, there’s no doubt you’ll find something that tickles your fancy.
Here are some of the best Lausanne bookshops I visited on my recent trip to Switzerland.
NB. Please note I was invited to Lausanne by The Lausanner to experience Lausanne in winter but I was under no obligation to write this blog post. The love of books is all mine – as always!
Librairie de la Louvre
Tucked away in the corner of one of Lausanne’s squares, you might think that Librairie de la Louvre is a small bookshop, but step inside and you’ll soon realise your mistake.
This Lausanne bookshop is a treasure trove of second-hand French books and there’s room after room of spaces stuffed with books.
The books are stacked from floor to ceiling, lengthways and sideways, on the floors and on every available surface. There are piles of boxes on the floor to store yet more books.
There are books of all genres here: fiction, classics, history, art, music, books in translation and more. There’s even a large section of books relating to Lausanne.
There’s a huge selection on offer so you’re guaranteed to find something you like and the books are reasonably priced too. What’s not to love?
This may just be one of my favourite second-hand bookshops now!
NB. You cannot pay with a bank card here, you can only pay with cash or transfer with TWINT.
Address: Place de la Louve 3, 1003 Lausanne, Switzerland
Opening hours: 1:30pm – 6:30pm Monday, 11:00am – 6:30pm Tuesday – Friday, 10am-6pm Sunday
Website: https://www.lausanne-tourisme.ch/fr/decouvrir/librairie-de-la-louve/
Books Books Books
If you’re looking for English books in Lausanne then Books Books Books is the first place to head. It was set up by Matthew Wake when he couldn’t find a particular book he wanted in any of Lausanne’s bookshops – so he decided to set up his own. I love that backstory!
It stocks a variety of different genres, with a particularly great selection of young adult and fantasy books, which just happen to be two of my favourite books. There are also children’s books, general fiction, non-fiction, self-help and more.
The bookshop is now run by Matthew Wake and Rachael Bender, the latter of whom was manning the bookstore on the day I visited. She had lots to share about books and was more than happy to help choose books or offer her opinion, which always makes book shopping a more pleasant experience.
If you head into the back room, you’ll find a large selection of second-hand books to choose from too. The rooms are connected by a thin corridor, also lined with books, which can be a bit of a squeeze if there are other shoppers perusing the books too, but that’s all part of its charm.
Plus, this bookshop has taken an order from Roger Moore before, so if it’s good enough for James Bond, it’s more than good enough for me!
This bookshop regularly hosts authors and literary events so if you’re local to the area or staying for a while, make sure to look up what events are going on at Books Books Books that month.
Address: Rue Jean-Louis Galliard 2, 1004 Lausanne
Opening hours: Monday – Saturday 9.00 – 18.00
Website: booksbooksbooks.ch
Librairie Le Valentin
I stumbled upon Librairie le Valentin completely by accident, drawn in by the wooden crates of books outside its doors.
It’s a beautiful bookshop that looks somewhat more like a home library than your typical bookshop. There are bookshelves lining the walls, but sofas, coffee tables and ornaments are dotted around the place.
This made more sense after I read that the owner is a self-confessed “bibliomaniac” and this shop is his personal collection of books which he shares with the world.
Librarie le Valentin is a Catholic bookshop, but in reality it stocks most genres of books. The owner is very friendly and happy to help people with recommendations for whatever they are looking for upon request.
If you need some time to decide what you’re going to pick up then there are some comfortable window seats where you can plonk yourself to peruse the books and make your choice.
It’s also a great place to pick up gifts as this bookshop sells an assortment of foods such as artisanal biscuits, spirits, soaps and more.
Address: Rue Pré-du-Marché 2, 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland
Opening hours: 9:30 am–6:30 pm Tuesday – Friday, 10am – 5pm Saturday, closed Sundays and Mondays
Website: https://www.librairielevalentin.ch/
Librairie Basta!
When I visited Basta!, a book launch was in full swing, and the place was rammed. This seems fitting since Basta! is more than just a bookshop – it’s a place for debate, information exchange and meeting place for the political left.
Basta is owned by a bookish cooperative and is proudly independent. They pay their booksellers fair wages and believe in stocking what’s worth reading instead of what’s currently popular for the masses.
It’s not easy to run such a bookshop when the likes of Amazon and other booksellers are only growing in size and influence, undercutting independent bookstores, but Basta! are standing strong.
Expect to find slightly alternative books – the kind of critical books that make you think, as well as some more general books.
Address: Rue du Petit-Rocher 4, 1002 Lausanne, Switzerland
Opening hours: 10am – 6:30pm Tuesday – Friday, 10am – 5pm Saturday, Closed Sunday and Monday
Website: https://librairiebasta.ch/
Librairie Payot Lausanne
This Swiss book chain has been in operation since the late 1800s. What began as an independent bookshop and then a family-run chain, Payot Librairie has over the years become the leader in bookselling in the French part of Switzerland.
This is an enormous bookshop where you’re guaranteed to find whatever book you’re looking for. Whether it’s new fiction, old classics, travel, romance, sci-fi, crime, comics or something else, Librairie Payot has got you covered.
If you’re an English Speaker, this is the Waterstones or Barnes & Noble of Lausanne. Set over several floors, this bookshop is a dream and will have the latest releases from day 1. If a large choice of new books, special editions and bookish gifts is what you’re after, pop into Librairie Payot.
Address: Place Pépinet 4, 1003 Lausanne, Switzerland
Opening hours: 9am – 7pm Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm Saturday
Website: https://www.payot.ch/en
More Lausanne Bookstores
Ex nihilo
This bookshop stocks both new and secondhand books and specialises in human sciences, literature, poetry and spirituality.
Address: Avenue William-Fraisse 6, 1006 Lausanne, Switzerland
Librairie & Galerie Humus
This bookshop was set up in late 2010 and stocks new, used, rare and out-of-print books. It aims to be unusual, refuses to follow trends, and favours oddities. You’ll find a mix here of books in these genres: Japanese, comics, music, visual arts etc.
Address: Rue des Terreaux 18 bis, 1003 Lausanne, Switzerland
Website: http://librairie.humus-art.com/
Belphegor
This bookshop has been around since December 1995 (almost as long as I have!) and is dedicated to comic books. New, second-hand, kids – there’s something for all types of comic book lovers here.
Address: Boulevard de Grancy 10, 1006 Lausanne
Website: https://www.belphegor.ch/
Pepites Club
For those local to Lausanne, check out Pepites Club on Instagram. An online-only bookshop run by Lausanne locals with comic books available for pick up or home delivery.
Website: https://www.instagram.com/pepites.club/
I hope you enjoyed this guide to bookshops in Lausanne! Have I missed any I need to know about? Comment below if you’ve visited any of these!
If you liked this post, check out these:
11 Best Things to Do In Lausanne in Winter
Want more international bookshops?
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