The Paris Traveler

Taschen

by Kim on February 9th, 2008

You could easily walk right past this storefront as it is so unassuming from the outside.  But it’s hard to miss the tables set up on the street, stacked with beautifully designed books on a variety of subjects. And the equally wonderful calendars and planners sitting there too, waiting for you to take them home and record your daily goings on in them.  A great way to be reminded of your trip to Paris.   

 Taschen, on rue de Buci in the heart of St-Germain-des-Pres, devotes itself to publishing out of the ordinary books on art, architecture, fashion and other topics, that are works of art in themselves.  Some,  like their city guides are utilitarian, hopefully becoming dog-eared during your visit.   Others command center stage on your coffee table, prompting mini get-aways over a cup of coffee or glass of wine.

For my birthday, one of my daughters, Taylor, gave me a copy of Paris Interiors, a 25th anniversary look at unique apartment dwellings around the city.  I love to look through it just to be inspired.  My other daughter, Lindsay, just helped me take, upload, download, crop, resize and post this picture.  I love my girls!

The store, designed by Philippe Starke, is so sophisticated and pulls you in, making sure you don’t miss a thing through its layout, lighting and displays.  It is so conducive to just staying and making oneself at home, as if you were in someone’s personal library.  

 Some of my favorites are: this Paris guideto restaurants that has companion guides for shopping and hotels for a number of major cities throughout the world.  These will be your buddies in both planning your trip and your days in Paris.  

 The Finest Atlas of the Heavens, is a collection of celestial atlas’ based on the works of Copernicus, Ptolemy and Brahe.  The illustrations are breathtaking,  taking the reader back to the Golden Age of cartography.  The book could actually be a table, it is that big, so be sure you have a special place for it!

 And last, but not least by a long shot:

La Tour de 300 Mètres provides sketches and actual photographs of the Eiffel Tower under construction,  exploring its design and the process of bringing this amazing structure to life.  

All these books are certainly timeless, gifts that would keep on giving.  The great thing about the location of this shop is that the minute you walk out, there are countless cafés to stop at, order a coffee and spend some time discovering  your new purchase.   

For more information visit:  Taschen 

Share This

Related Stories

No related posts

POSTED IN: Shopping