Beautiful places to buy art books in Barcelona

Whether you’re interested in purchasing an art book or just spending the afternoon huddled up in the corner of a bookshop browsing through pages filled with colour, shape and emotion, visiting an art bookshop is always a lovely way to spend a couple of hours. Here’s a list of a few of the best art bookshops in Barcelona.

Loring art

This cosy and easy to access little bookshop is tucked away between Catalunya and Universitat de Barcelona and it has a huge range of art sub-sections to choose from. Here you can buy art books ranging from artistic techniques to non-western art, to cinema and photography. This art bookshop has a classic feel to it with the décor mainly being wooden and with a quaint old fashioned staircase taking you up to a second level of books. Loring art also sells magazines, stationary and games but they specialise in monographs of the best contemporary artists.

Kowasa

If you have a specific interest in photography then Kowasa is the art bookshop for you. Kowasa is hailed as being the best and most complete photography bookshop in Barcelona. Kowasa is another centrally based bookshop and it is set in a grand and beautifully decorated stone building. Inside you will find that not only does Kowasa sell a huge range of photography art books, this shop also holds exhibitions of historical and contemporary photography. Even if you are not looking to purchase a book or you do not have a special interest in photography, Kowasa is a great place to visit with a curious and open mind.

Ras gallery

Ras Gallery is a quirky and offbeat art bookshop worth a visit for any who enjoys art on any level. This art bookshop has a special section dedicated to street art where you will find art books based on graffiti, street stickers and skateboarding – they even sell accessories. Ras gallery perhaps unsurprisingly does also in actual fact have it’s own art gallery where you can see interesting contemporary art and design. The space within this art bookshop itself is a piece of modern art with an unusual custom-made bookshelf and creative projections on the walls and floors. This shop is a fun and artistic place to step into and lose yourself in art.

Mutt

Mutt is one of the larger art bookshops on this list and is located just outside of Parc de la Ciutadella. This art bookshop holds books on every area of art you could think of but with a slight focus on modern art. This bookstore is a great social space to find out about what’s going on in the artistic community of Barcelona. Mutt gives out free magazines and flyers about art events going on in the city, and also have exhibitions of modern artists that you may not otherwise be aware of. Mutt is the best place to be if you want to talk about art and learn new things.

Laie

While Laie does not specialise in art books, this bookshop still has a respectable selection ranging from architecture to visual art. Laie had to be mentioned as upstairs you will find a beautiful café that spills out onto a stunning terrace just off Passeig de Gracia where you can enjoy some cake or even a glass of wine while you indulge in the pages of your new art book in the sun.

Are there any other art bookshops in Barcelona that you would recommend?