I was lucky enough to spend some time in the charming city of Ghent, in Flemish Belgium, this past August. I was won over within days of my arrival by this little jewel in Europe without even having a piece of its world-famous chocolate and, after indulging in that remarkable use of cacao at last, I knew a future return to Ghent was inevitable. Unbeknownst to me, however, Ghent was harboring another ace in its pocket: a bookshop called PAARD OF TROJE (the Trojan horse).
This sanctuary of books might just be the chicest bookshop in all of Europe. Yes, I am well aware of the fact that I haven't seen all that Europe has to offer in terms of bookshops, but I couldn't help but be seduced by this incredible use of space – where function and form have a royal time battling it out, and the end result is a perfect equilibrium of excellent styling and design. Add to this a brilliant selection of titles adorning the beautifully crafted shelves and a vital dose of booklovers' atmosphere.
I was very impressed that the shop owners manage to keep their children's section light and airy, stocked with exquisitely illustrated Dutch titles, without compromising on the style and aesthetics of the shop or the selection – a pitfall into which many bookshops stumble head first. My favourite feature has to be the custom-designed ladders which have an almost forgotten art nouveau look about them and are latched onto a rail system, making navigating to the top shelves easy and exciting. This simple design utilises every corner of space, without intruding on readers' abilities to move around, and adds to unique experience that is PAARD VAN TROJE.
