Academic Bookstore (Akateeminen Kirjakauppa)
Academic Bookstore (Akateeminen Kirjakauppa)
4.5
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Vironniemi
How to get there
- Rautatientori • 5 min walk
- Helsingin yliopisto • 6 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
1,534 within 5 kms
Attractions
475 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
254 reviews
Excellent
122
Very good
102
Average
24
Poor
3
Terrible
3
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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Feb 2024 • Family
The bookstore building is said to have been designed by a famous architect, a bit like Blackwell's in Oxford. There are many English books here, and the selection is comprehensive. Is it like some Trip Advisor reviews that it is "commercialized" and is located in the city center to do tourist business? Or as the taxi driver said, today's young people in Finland all admire Britain and the United States, so there is indeed a market for English books? Running a bookstore is not easy.
Written February 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KH
London, UK
Dec 2023 • Solo
This bookstore is located in the downtown area of Helsinki. It was designed by the famous architect Aalto, so there is also a cafe named after him. Next to the cafe space there is a corner with books related to architecture, and even just looking at the photos was interesting.
Written January 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SopiNepi
Kawasaki, Japan
May 2024 • Couples
This bookstore became famous as the setting for the movie "The Seagull Restaurant". It's almost right in front of the Moomin Shop. (By the way, there are a few Moomin Shops, so it's the flagship store on Rue Esplanadi.) I went on this trip (actually, always) with absolutely no prior research, so I went in looking for a Marimekko poster, not knowing what this bookstore was. I thought it was a bright bookstore with light pouring from the ceiling glass, but that was it. For now, it feels like a normal bookstore. I'm glad I took a picture of the back cafe. There's a lot to see around here, so I think it's only a short stop.
Automatically translated
Written June 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Miss Voon
Stockholm County, Sweden
Jul 2023 • Family
I love this place with all the books and the service.
Can’t understand why it always needs to be so warm inside though
Cannot either understand why there are so few Swedish books. Swedish is after all the second official language of the country
Can’t understand why it always needs to be so warm inside though
Cannot either understand why there are so few Swedish books. Swedish is after all the second official language of the country
Written July 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sheilagh
Atlanta, GA
Jul 2024 • Solo
This place has a nice selection of books. The staff are lovely and helpful. S/he kindly wrapped the book gift for me in a lovely manner. I am very grateful to their kindness and artistic taste.
I love they have beautiful poetry, like MANY famous English ones including also International ones like Rumi. I wish they had more poetry books and some recommendations throughout the bookstore. I couldn't reach out to ask for suggestions.
Also this place has a lovely selection of postcards with beautiful Finnish words. I wish they had more from the art of Finnish painters like Martha W and more.
I love they have beautiful poetry, like MANY famous English ones including also International ones like Rumi. I wish they had more poetry books and some recommendations throughout the bookstore. I couldn't reach out to ask for suggestions.
Also this place has a lovely selection of postcards with beautiful Finnish words. I wish they had more from the art of Finnish painters like Martha W and more.
Written August 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kalle
Helsinki, Finland
I would just first like to tell you that Akademiska Kirjakauppa means nothing. It's a micture of Swedish and Finnish, it should Akademiska Bokhandel (Swedish) or Akateeminen Kirjakauppa (Finnish).
Anyway, it's the best bookshop in Finland and it is a four-floored mecca for readers. It has the most perfect collection of English books and if you can't find your book here, you're unlikely to find it anywhere else.
Anyway, it's the best bookshop in Finland and it is a four-floored mecca for readers. It has the most perfect collection of English books and if you can't find your book here, you're unlikely to find it anywhere else.
Written September 3, 2004
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pwaltari
Helsinki
Dec 2016 • Solo
Akateeminen Kirjakauppa (Academic Bookstore) is a traditional bookstore with great variety of books and related products.
The building was designed by the most famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto in 1969. "Akateeminen" (as it is commonly called) is one of the more monumental bookstores anywhere, and the interieur is a sight in itself.
The book selection is good, but it used to be better. Since 2015 new Swedish owner Bonnier Books has emphasized the "store" and played down the "academic".
Service is still on the positive side. On the second floor there is a quality cafeteria called Cafe Aalto.
The building was designed by the most famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto in 1969. "Akateeminen" (as it is commonly called) is one of the more monumental bookstores anywhere, and the interieur is a sight in itself.
The book selection is good, but it used to be better. Since 2015 new Swedish owner Bonnier Books has emphasized the "store" and played down the "academic".
Service is still on the positive side. On the second floor there is a quality cafeteria called Cafe Aalto.
Written December 24, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travelling_My
Helsinki, Finland
Jun 2012 • Friends
Academic bookshop designed by the iconic Finnish architect Alvar Aalto in the 1960s is an architectural gem on white marble in the corner of Northern Esplanade (Pohjoisesplanadi) and Keskuskatu street in the very heart of the city, (see http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Academic_Bookshop.html). It is a must for all architecture and book lovers. It is the best bookstore in Helsinki and one of the largest bookstores in the Nordic countries, with several floors, and books in several languages. You can easily spend hours browsing the selection and admiring the beauty of the building. The second floor small cafe Aalto is excellent, one of my absolute favorites in Helsinki. The cafe has original Aalto furnishings, interesting and chatty culture vulture clientele, table service, good coffee, large selection of delicious sweet and savoury snacks and light lunch options, always fresh and tasty!
Written July 20, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kari P
Helsinki, Finland
Jun 2012 • Solo
The atmosphere is something special and Cafe Aalto inside the shop is a perfect meeting place. Books in many languages and the personnel is really professional ( they speak most of the european languages i guess - and you will get the help you need)
Easy to find in the city centre. Surprisingly many japanese tourists are visiting - probably because of the architecture (by Alvar Aalto)
Easy to find in the city centre. Surprisingly many japanese tourists are visiting - probably because of the architecture (by Alvar Aalto)
Written June 5, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pnemiller
Kutztown, PA
This terrific place has a wide variety of books in different languages--it is a great gathering place with a very good cafe. The best in Helsinki.
Written September 23, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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