For Jo’s Monday walk this week let us have a short walk to the Norwegian book town (den norske bokbyen) which is situated in Mundal, the centre of Fjærland.
MILES OF SECONDHAND BOOKS IN QUAINT BOOKSHOPS:
The Norwegian Book Town is an experience out of the ordinary, situated in a bewitchingly beautiful spot between fjord and glacier in Western Norway. Between May and September, various bookshops are open every day 10am-6pm, some of them are combined with a café, art gallery and souvenir shop and even hotel. Numerous events are arranged all season.
How is it possible having thousands of second-hand books in a small 280-inhabitant rural town?
The Norwegian Book Town in Fjærland started out very modestly in 1995, and now stocks about 2.5 miles of shelving, filled with books, in a variety of abandoned buildings – from ferry waiting rooms, stables and local banks to post office and grocery shop. Besides taking care of books, the idea here was also to preserve the old buildings, this makes some of the shops rather exceptional and characteristic.
Three large shops are selling only second-hand books: Straumsvågs Antikvariat and Den norske bokbyen A/S. Solstice bookfairs are arranged every year in May/ June.
Requests by e-mail, post, fax or telephone are served all through the year, and the book town enjoys a lively postal order business. During winter, the office hours are 9am-2pm every weekday.
During my short visit on weekend I was able to get two books by Ernest Hemmingway but of course I shall visit this place again.
Resource: https://bokbyen.no/en/
Extraordinary! Sign me up! 🙂 🙂 And thanks, Rupali.
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Thank you Jo.
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Wow, Rupali, a book shelf outside of the building and the telefon sign so easy to read 🙂 Loved my little Norvegion emersion this afternoon.
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Hahaha…. see I know you will like it.
Thank you Luda.
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🌿🤗💚🤗🌿
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So did I!! 🙂 This little gem is now on my list, Rupali. ❤
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Awe, thank you so much Dina.
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Ultimate 😊🌺
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Thanks a lot.
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😊
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Wow
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Thanks kindly.
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My pleasure,dear.
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It’s wonderful to see such a literate town!
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Isn’t it.
Thanks Aixa.
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So this is where heaven is.
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Thank you Robert.
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🙂
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That’s what I thought. 😉
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🙂
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Heaven
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Thanks Paul
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Love the phone booth and bus stop. Thank you for sharing this place with us.
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Thank you for appreciating it Arati.
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Wow this is amazing
I can’t wait till be there
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That is so gorgeous!!
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Thanks a lot Alison.
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I absolutely love this post … what an amazing idea to have a book town with books literally everywhere! Lovely photos and thanks for showing us a bit more of your adopted country 🙂
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Kate, thank you for taking interest.
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what a magic place to visit!
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You are right Kate but we need to make that while visiting such places either we are alone or with similar interest party otherwise we can’t do justice.
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absolutely, for a specialised place like that both would need to be bookworms 🙂
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🙂
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Books books everywhere books! My kind of place! I would like to get locked into some of those book shops for days and days!
Thank you for sharing this with us, Rupali!
I am so glad you got to buy some books!
HUGS!!! 🙂
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Thank you Carolyn.
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Fascinating.
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Thank you Derrick.
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Gorgeous and marvelous place, Rupali and such a wonderful book library, awesome photos. Hope I too could be there the place looks heaven on earth.
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Thank you Kamal for your such kind words. I have heard about some great resourceful libraries in Mumbai. Sadly I never visited them but one day I shall.
I am sure you must have had that honour.
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Welcome Rupali yes but we do not have such libraries in the countryside but mostly in towns and cities but yes some of them are found in great houses.
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Don’t you live in Mumbai?
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Yes dear I Live in Mumbai why what happened
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Sorry for replying late Kamal. Being in Mumbai you must have had chance to visit the great libraries in the vicinity. Say the Asiatic Society, David Sassoon library, NCPA library and many more.
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Yes of course and many more but sometimes these quaint little libraries give such a warm presence to them.
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🙂 I agree.
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Yes have a wonderful week Rupali
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Thanks Kamal and wish you the same.
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Welcome Rupali.
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interesting informative post thanks to share
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Thanks a lot Pushpendra.
Sorry for replying late as your comment was found in my spam folder.
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Wow these are great sights! What a trip!
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Thanks a lot Indrani and sorry for replying late.
Sadly your comment was moved to spam folder.
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Beautiful town and great that they saved the red telephone booth.
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Yes. Thank you Alice.
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Wow this is so cool! How I wish I could be transported there 😀
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Thanks Dahlia. It is super simple. Just guess how?
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Tell me! Unless it is through my kindle reader 😀
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There is link some where on the site telling how to donate books.
Bas bakse mein baith ka chali ja 😀 … kuch books par Dahlia ko entry free 🙂
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😀
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Such a charming town with the secondhand book display everywhere in this town. I would certainly like to visit and find a few favorite books. I only saw that telephone booth in London during my last visit.
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🙂 thank you Miriam.
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You’re welcome, Rupali! 🙂
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Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : Alte and about | restlessjo
What a fabulous and very unique place – thank you for sharing 🙂
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Thanks Eunice for appreciating it.
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Rupali, great blog! I live in Norway and did not know about this, so thank you !
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I am so glad you found it interesting.
Thank you so much for visiting my blog.
I too live in Norway 🙂
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I live outside Norway and didn’t know about this book town either. I’m so glad you brought us there. 🙂
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It’s my pleasure to share such interesting information. Thank you for visiting my blog.
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Always fun to discover something new and interesting. 😁
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Pingback: The World’s Biggest Booktown | The World according to Dina
Thank you so much for the link Dina.
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This has to be one of the top extraordinary places I heard about, just amazing. A bookshop inside a telephone booth, and an abandoned bus stop 😍
Ordering by mail and post is just not done from here, it has to be an in person buy, then sit by that lovely Lake and read the book, and go back to buy the next. Stuff of dreams, thank you so much for pointing this out Rupali. I am in more awe of the world!
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Thanks Deb 🙏. I like to share what I find interesting. I am very glad at the people and administration of such a small town are still managing to keep the business going. 😊
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