10 best secondhand bookshops in Budapest

Awaiting bibliophiles near downtown Madách tér since 1996, this haven of secondhand books stocks an astonishing assortment of venerable volumes. A collector-turned-used book vendor and library science graduate, the owner believes that people today, in fact, read more than ever before – they just do most of it online. However, he maintains that in-depth knowledge about certain topics can only be attained from printed works, and that reading a novel on paper is a tactile experience a virtual document cannot replicate.

Tucked away in the Castle District, Dani’s English bookshop is a hidden gem among the storied cobbled streets usually humming with tourists. The owner has been a bookworm ever since his Oxford days, then turned his passion into a business, aiming to share his love of books. This father-and-son outlet offers a wide range of purely English-language editions of every possible genre, History and Philosophy are on the left, crime and thrillers at the back, literature aligned A-Z to the right. There's even a section for Shipping. First and rare editions are given pride of place to the left just inside the door. To find the place, look out for the archway opening to the Vörös Ördög restaurant, but do phone ahead (+36 30 633 0558) as opening hours can be capricious.

Named after the Renaissance-era theologian, cosmographer, printer, woodcutter, educator, lawyer and first great figure of Saxon Transylvanian literature, Honterus is appropriately eclectic. Classical music and smooth jazz tunes spice up the afternoons as collectors browse the more rarefied items stocked here, surrounded by busts of famous Hungarian figures. The modest selection of used English-language books is at the back on the left-hand side, with unique maps and etchings carefully stored in the long drawers opposite – a member of the elderly staff will direct you to them if you're lost.

Changing its named from the Antiquarium Hungaricum on its 40th anniversary to reflect the familial legacy, ‘Kárpáti & Sons’ has been in business since 1974. Initially located on downtown Pilvax köz, it moved to the hub of the used-book trade near the National Museum in 2002. The owner has a degree in history and library science, so it all feels very erudite – they say there are items kept here dating back as far as the 1500s. A small gallery above the intimate space, and beautiful old prints and maps embellishing the walls, lend further scholarly tones. Auctions held twice a year. For English books, go to the bookcase in the middle. You may not find what you’re looking for but there’ll be something worth framing, for sure.

The mother of all secondhand bookstores, the largest of its kind in Hungary, has been in business since 1891, nearly 25 years before the Astoria Hotel nearby. Announcing its presence with a quite wonderful neon owl in bright blue, the ‘Central Antiquarian Bookshop’ has a display of classic vintage advertising posters in its many windows, and around the large main room centrepieced by glass cabinets containing rarities and autographed editions. The posters and the attractive old maps, stacked back-to-back to one side, carry hefty price tags, so if you’ve fallen for the gorgeous Orion radio ad from the 1920s, be prepared to pay for it. A substantial English-language section of used books, to the left of the counter as you walk in, goes beyond McBain, with histories, biographies and travelogues in good measure – bring the little steps your way to peruse the higher shelves. 

You might think that the name suggests a female owner, but this actually comes from the name of the surrounding district. The building housing this treasure trove of books used to be owned by Budapest’s famous confectionery clan, the Auguszts. The owner first got into books in his mid-teens when he began collecting them at 15. Ever since opening in 1998, the shop has been a popular haunt of local intellectuals. If you’re looking for something rare and printed, this place is a good bet.

Bookstore, café and community space in one, Massolit in the heart of the Jewish Quarter takes its name (‘Literature for the Masses’) from Bulgakov’s cult Soviet novel, Master and Margarita, copies left in a prominent spot in the busy lobby area. Foreign-language publications comprise the bulk of the stock, tatty old volumes left outside, new editions neatly arranged just inside the entrance, then shelves and shelves of mainly used titles in the warren-like interior leading to a small back garden. Labelled by category, non-fiction fills the front (Film, Photography) and narrow middle (African Studies, Eastern-European History) spaces, where tables are at a premium in winter, customers deep in long Zoom conversation by laptop. Literature begins towards the back, two separate groups organised in A-Z order, differentiated by whim into ‘fiction’ and ‘pulp fiction’, the cheaper, racier type facing the French- and German-language shelves by the door to the ivy-clad garden. Irvine Welsh will be pleased/displeased to know that he has been categorised in ‘fiction’. 

An offshoot of Honterus (see above) next door, this charming store was opened by four bookworms more than 30 years ago, an attractive space decorated with the vintage advertising and film posters all for sale. If you’re after an original poster with lettering in Art-Deco style advertising the XXXIV International Eucharistic Congress in May 1938, this is where to come. The English-friendly website lists far more books, exhibition catalogues, maps, postcards and manuscripts than could possibly fit into these intimate surroundings, but if you’re just browsing for random treasure, you’ll spend a very happy half-hour here. English-language books are near the back, on the left-hand side. For specific rarities, look out for their online auctions.

The owner, who originally trained as a cinematographer, eventually decided to give in to his love for books, and opened his own secondhand bookstore in 2005 on bustling Király utca. While the majority of the items don't fall into the antique category, some of the volumes here were printed in the 17th and 18th centuries. The shop’s old-world feel is enhanced by several paintings, typewriters, sketches, cameras and a collection of 30 vintage mechanical watches, some adorning the interior and the shop windows.

Perhaps the least acclaimed of the many antiquarian bookshops opposite the National Museum, with next to no web presence, the 'City Wall' is well worth a visit if you’re passing. Once you enter – mind the door handle, it’s tricky – you’ll find an expanse of books in English, French and German filling half the right-hand side of the store. Rows of old Penguin paperbacks, histories and biographies line the shelves, and if you’re just after an easy read for a few hundred forints, something you can slip into your coat pocket for a train journey, say, this may be the place. It’s also right next door to the Vinikli wine & bike shop, so you can open up your new-old purchase over a glass of red.