Sant Jordi is the Catalan for St George, the patron saint of Catalonia. The festival’s star elements are culture and love, as represented by books and roses, and its main meeting point in Barcelona is along the Ramblas, which you will find packed from end to end with book and flower stalls.
It is usual on Sant Jordi’s Day to find books in every language about, though but there are plenty stalls that specialise in Catalan-language books, given that Sant Jordi’s Day here is seen as a day for promoting and championing Catalan culture and the Catalan language.
We would like to encourage you to celebrate Sant Jordi’s Day buying a rose and some books. You can find books in a foreign language in the main bookshops of the city. We would like to suggest our favorite:
La Central
One of the best places in Barcelona to spend an afternoon. They have a small and eclectic selection of English books and books in other languages. They also have an interesting collection of cook books in La Central del Raval.
La Central – C. Mallorca 237, Tel. 902 884 990, www.lacentral.com
La Central Raval – C. Elisabets 6, Tel. 902 884 990, www.lacentral.com
Laie
Located in the heart of Barcelona, the original Laie is Barcelona’s pioneer of the concept of the café-bookstore. Laie Pau Claris is an international bookstore of the humanities, renowned by the public for its value in the cultural sphere.
Laie – c. Pau Claris 85, Tel. 93 318 17 39, http://www.laie.es/home-libros.php
Jaimes
On April 23 1941, the national book day, the Llibreria Jaimes opened its doors a short walking distance from the French Lycée. This proximity inspired to work with the institution: in spite of censorship and threats, he started printing notebooks for the pupils, then importing text books and finally, literature in the French language. More than 70 years later and 2 different locations, Jaimes is the biggest French language bookshop. It is frequented by a clientele of ‘historically, French speaking Catalans, French residents and tourists’.
Jaimes – C. València 318, Tel. 932 153 613, http://www.jaimes.cat/
Hibernian Books
Hibernian Books is the only secondhand English Bookshop in Barcelona. From children’s books through to antique novels, they have books to fit every taste and prices to meet every pocket.
Hibernian Books -C. Montseny 17, Tel. (+34) 932 174 796, http://www.hibernian-books.com/
Altaïr
Amazing place plenty of guides, maps and travel literature at the Europe’s biggest specialist travel book shop. A must-visit before you go away on holiday. There’s also an excellent selection of guides to help you get the most out of the Catalan countryside.
Altaïr, Gran Via Corts Catalanes 616, Tel. 93342 71 71, http://www.altair.es/
Abracadabra
Abracadabra is a bookstore specializing in children’s books with a quality selection of national and international publications. Besides books in Spanish and Catalan, you will find a wide selection of books in English, French, German, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese.
Abracadabra – C. Gral. Álvarez de Castro 5, Tel. +34 93 310 14 10, http://abracadabrallibres.com/?idioma=eng
We hope you enjoy your Sant Jordi’s book research!
*featured image of the ultimate bookshop in the city, Llibreria Calders, Passatge Pere Calders, 9
