It would be a shame to say that Humanitas Cismigiu is only a library. Once you get inside you will be delighted by the innovative design (I love the illuminated boat shaped chandeliers) and the smell of books combined with the smell of coffee – as you can also enjoy a drink at their cozy café and watch the pedestrians pass by. The library is also a space for cultural events, from exhibitions to conferences and, of course, book launches, so make sure you check out their Facebook page for updated events or just drop by.

Humanitas is one of the biggest players on the library market in Bucharest and they have opened this particular bookstore in one of the symbolic buildings of Bucharest. It’s situated on the ground floor of Hotel Cismigiu, which 100 years ago was Hotel Palace. Hotel Palace was built in 1912 and it was the first building on Regina Elisabeta Boulevard. Once nationalized in 1948, the building was renamed as Hotel Cismigiu and in 1990 transformed into a dorm of the Theater and Film Faculty in Bucharest.

In March 2012, after 7 years of being closed, the building was unveiled to the public, making not only a lot of historians and architects happy, but also the inhabitants that love their city. Nowadays the building hosts the historic Hotel Cismigiu and the Humanitas Library. Now, of course, in case you’re looking for a hotel with history, you know where to find it.