Taschen, Paris’s Best Bookstore For Design, Travel and Arts

A local’s guide to visiting Taschen on Rue de Buci, one of the most beautiful bookstores in Paris in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area!

It’s quite simple: Rue de Buci in the 6th arrondissement of Saint-Germain-des-Prés is one of my favorite streets in Paris.

It is also one of the most beautiful.

Around it, you will find many art galleries, floral cafes, and magnificent bookstores that you shouldn’t miss for anything in the world whether it’s Assouline, Couleur du Temps, or Taschen.

Taschen, Paris’s Best Bookstore For Design, Travel and Arts

The Taschen bookstore, which we are looking at together today, is a place that anyone interested in art, graphic design, cinema, fashion, or photography should visit at least once.

It is very easy to access, as Taschen is located between Rue de Buci and Rue Mazarine, where you will also find clothing stores and vintage cafes like Maison Sauvage, which I have mentioned to you in the past.

While bookstores like Assouline are almost aristocratic, decorated with all sorts of objects and antiques, Taschen is much more austere and sleek.

Inside, you feel like a VIP leafing through immaculate pages decorated with deeply moving photography.

Where Assouline aims for sophistication, Taschen is more avant-garde.

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You feel as though you are in a gallery, within an interior designed by the legendary Philippe Starck.

On the floor, glass tiles and brass borders work together to showcase the books in their most artistic light.

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As I said before, Taschen is one of my favorite bookstores in Paris and one of the most beautiful.

It is here that you will find excessively large, heavy volumes that command attention on a coffee table or in a library, radiating confidence from every page.

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As you stroll through the shop, you will see titles focused on photography, pop culture, travel, design, and – just like at Assouline – plenty of fashion.

You can find editions worth thousands of euros, but prices generally hover around €75 for slightly smaller volumes on fashion or travel.

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Taschen was founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany, and originally started with comic books.

It wasn’t until 2001 that the Paris boutique – the only one for the moment – opened on Rue de Buci; it was the very first Taschen store designed by Philippe Starck.

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Shopping in Saint-Germain-des-Prés is one of the most hipster things you can do.

But, it’s also great for a simple coffee in cozy spots like Maison Sauvage or La Palette, with its walls covered in paintings.

I truly loved the fashion and travel collections, which I devoured before wandering the streets of the 6th arrondissement.

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Taschen, Rue de Buci Paris Photo Gallery

Taschen, Paris’s Best Bookstore For Design, Travel and Arts

Moreover, if you are looking for other things to do nearby, you will find the clothing boutique Héroïnes near Taschen, as well as the Seine and the Pont Neuf with an immaculate view of Paris, and the Rue de Buci market.

On Rue de Seine, you can admire one of the most beautiful vintage storefronts at La Boissonnerie, with its colorful mosaics, now a sophisticated restaurant.

If you want to continue your literary itinerary, you can also head to the Mazarine Library inside the Institut de France, located very close to Taschen.

Or, you can go on a hunt for Paris’s unique metro stations, covered passages to take you back in time, or visit hidden spots like the Cloître des Billettes in the Marais area!