Inside 14 of the most unique bookstores around the world, from boats to bank vaults

"The Xiadi village is over 800 years old and contains 60 dilapidated buildings. Structures, including the bookstore, have been restored by volunteers rather than torn down. All that remains of the original building is the outer rammed-earth walls. The store is owned by the chain Librairie Avant-Garde."

"Bookstores have been built in unexpected places, including bank vaults and former bomb shelters. Others are significant for their beauty, whether it's from architecture or environmental conditions. Some bookstores in Europe have histories dating back multiple centuries. No two bookstores are exactly the same, but some shops around the world are truly unique in their identities."

"Owned by the chain Librairie Avant-Garde, the shop has a wide selection with an emphasis on subjects such as ancient villages, rural education, and agricultural civilizations. The Paddy Field Bookstore also holds art exhibitions, theater shows, and live music acts throughout the year."

"Some bookstores are built in surprising places, like the store Boekhandel Dominicanen, built in a 700-year-old church in Maastricht, Netherlands. Other shops have found homes in unexpected places, such as former banks and car dealerships. Then there are shops with storied histories, most commonly found in Europe."

Bookstores appear in unexpected locations, including churches, former banks, and other unusual spaces. Some shops have histories spanning multiple centuries, with identities shaped by architecture and environmental conditions. In Maastricht, Boekhandel Dominicanen occupies a 700-year-old church. In Venice, parts of Libreria Acqua Alta are built from old books. In London, Word on the Water operates on a 1920s structure. In Xiadi village, the Paddy Field Book Store sits in a village over 800 years old with 60 dilapidated buildings, where volunteers restored structures and preserved outer rammed-earth walls. The store, owned by Librairie Avant-Garde, offers books focused on ancient villages, rural education, and agricultural civilizations, and hosts art exhibitions, theater, and live music.

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