Bank of dreams, Bookshop in Paris, France
Quai des rêves is a bookshop set on a black-painted barge moored along the Quai de l'Oise on the Canal de l'Ourcq, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. The boat has two levels: an open deck and a cozy lower level arranged as a library, with shelves lining the walls.
The barge was originally used to carry grain along the canals around Paris before being converted into a bookshop. This transformation of a working boat into a place for literature reflects a broader change along the Canal de l'Ourcq, where former industrial spaces have gradually given way to cultural venues.
Quai des rêves sits on an old grain barge on the Canal de l'Ourcq, now repurposed as a floating bookshop. Inside, decorative objects like sailor hats, old radios, and bottles echo the boat's past life on the water.
The bookshop is open from Wednesday to Sunday and is easy to reach on foot from the Crimée metro station. Sunday brunch is available but requires a reservation in advance.
The lower deck is designed to feel like a hidden library, and the narrow layout invites visitors to slow down and move through the shelves at their own pace, making browsing feel like a small journey in itself. The bookshop also organizes events around water and ocean themes, from readings to exhibitions, bringing together local artists and writers.
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