Bucharest Bookstore Landmark
Carturești Carusel
Visiting tips, best photo timing, and the easiest ways to pair it with Old Town highlights.
Reviewed May 2026 · Love Bucharest editorial team
Photo: Mihai Petre · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The most beautiful “quick stop” in central Bucharest
Carturești Carusel is one of Bucharest’s easiest wins: a stunning interior, a central location, and the kind of place that upgrades an itinerary without taking over the day.
A restored bank turned spiral-white bookshop
Cărturești Carusel sits inside the early-20th-century Chrissoveloni Palace at Strada Lipscani 55, in the heart of Bucharest's Old Town. The building began life as a bank belonging to the Chrissoveloni family and later served as a general store, before falling into long decay. It was restored over roughly five years and reopened, as the flagship of the Romanian Cărturești chain, in 2015 — turning a derelict banking hall into one of the most striking interiors in the city.
The design keeps the old hall's scale but reimagines it in luminous white: six floors of galleried balconies wrap a slender spiral staircase, all lit from above by a glass roof. The result feels less like a shop than a piece of architecture you can walk through — which is exactly why it draws photographers as much as readers. Beyond the looks, it functions as a genuine cultural venue, with around 10,000 book titles plus music and film, a first-floor art gallery, a basement multimedia space and a top-floor bistro.
For travellers, the appeal is its combination of beauty, central location and zero commitment: entry is free, it works in any weather, and it slots neatly into an Old Town day between the Lipscani lanes, Stavropoleos Monastery and the Macca-Vilacrosse passage. Treat it as a short, high-payoff highlight — browse a floor, take the atrium photo, have a coffee, and move on refreshed.
It is an interior landmark
Carturești Carusel is not just a bookstore — it is a bright, spiraling interior that feels like an attraction on its own.
It is perfectly placed
Right in the center, it fits naturally into an Old Town day without forcing extra transit.
It works in any weather
Rainy day? Winter? It becomes the perfect “beautiful indoor” stop.
Best time to visit
Go early
Morning is best for photos, calmer browsing, and a more relaxed feel.
Avoid peak crowds
Midday weekends can be busy. If possible, choose weekday mornings or late afternoons.
Pair it with a passage walk
Combine it with nearby covered passages and courtyards for a perfect “details” loop.
What to do inside (without turning it into a long stop)
Browse with a theme
Pick one shelf category and commit to it: photography books, design, Romanian culture, or travel inspiration.
Look up (and then up again)
The building’s beauty is vertical. The best photos and details come from stair landings and upper levels.
Buy a lightweight souvenir
Postcards, small notebooks, or a single book make the best memory without becoming luggage weight.
Use it as a reset stop
After crowded Old Town streets, a calm interior break changes the day’s energy instantly.
Inside the building, floor by floor
Part of the fun is reading the building. Here is what each level adds, from the atrium up to the bistro.
Ground floor & the white atrium
You step straight into the building's showpiece: a luminous white interior with a slender spiral staircase and galleried balconies rising the full height of the former banking hall, all under a glass roof. This is the view everyone photographs.
The book floors
Six levels in total carry around 10,000 titles plus music and film, with a strong English-language selection and shelves of photography, design and Romanian culture — exactly the categories worth browsing if you want a meaningful souvenir.
First-floor gallery & basement multimedia
A small contemporary-art gallery space sits on the first floor, and the basement holds a multimedia area for music and film. They make the shop feel like a cultural venue rather than just a bookstore.
Bistro Carusel (top floor)
On the uppermost level, under the glass roof, the airy Bistro Carusel serves espresso, loose-leaf tea, pastries and cakes — the calmest place in the building to sit, look down the atrium and reset before heading back into the Old Town.
Photo tips (get the shot without the stress)
- ✦Morning light and fewer people create the cleanest interior shots.
- ✦Take photos from stair landings for symmetry and depth.
- ✦Respect staff and other visitors — keep the vibe calm and do not block pathways.
- ✦If it is busy, take one great photo and move on (then return later).
Pair it with these (best use of your time)
Old Town loop (Lipscani)
Pair Carturești Carusel with a short Old Town route: passages, monastery, then dinner later.
Old Town guide →Passage + photo route
Combine with nearby photogenic passages and a short walking route through the center.
Macca-Vilacrosse passage →Cafés nearby
Turn it into a “bookstore + café” morning. Two stops is enough for a perfect block.
Old Town cafés →Frequently asked questions
Is Cărturești Carusel free to enter?
Yes — it is a working bookshop, so browsing and photographing the interior are free. You only pay if you buy a book, a gift or something at the top-floor bistro.
What is the building's history?
It occupies the early-20th-century Chrissoveloni Palace on Strada Lipscani 55, originally a bank belonging to the Chrissoveloni family and later a general store. The building fell into decay before being restored over roughly five years and reopening as the Cărturești Carusel bookshop in 2015.
Where exactly is it?
It is at Strada Lipscani 55, right in the heart of the Old Town (Centrul Vechi / Lipscani). That central location is why it slots so easily into an Old Town walking day.
Is there a café inside?
Yes. Bistro Carusel sits on the top floor under the glass roof and serves coffee, tea, pastries and cakes — a lovely spot to pause with a view down the white atrium.
When is the best time to visit for photos?
Weekday mornings or late afternoons are calmest. The white interior photographs beautifully with fewer people around; midday weekends are the busiest. Shoot from the stair landings for symmetry and depth.
How long should I spend there?
Most visitors spend 20–45 minutes — long enough to browse a floor or two, take photos and have a coffee. It is designed as a quick, high-payoff stop rather than an all-afternoon destination.
What is worth buying?
Lightweight, meaningful souvenirs travel best: an English-language book on Romania, a photography or design title, postcards or a notebook. The shop also stocks stationery and small gifts.
Keep exploring the center
Great central days come from small highlights stitched together: passages, bookstores, cafés, and one strong meal.
