Bookstore Guide: De Dry Coppen, Leuven

Where? Leuven, Belgium

Recommended by An Wouters

An said: "Can I add one great store in Belgium, Leuven? It is called De Dry Coppen, and is situated in a charming historic building in a narrow, cobbled street of Leuven, the University City of the Flemish part of Belgium. It is quite and cozy there and you can sip a cup of coffee or drink a glass of wine, while reading the newspaper, your newest book or lingering by the bookshelves, full of classics or new books. Check it out for yourself, if one day you will visit Belgium.

Ed and Katlijne are the owners, they seem to have read every book and can give you all the advice you need. We are enthusiastic booklovers, and “de Dry Coppen” is our weekly rendez-vous."

De Dry Coppen is situated in one of the side streets in the center of Leuven, near the main shopping street. It mostly stocks books in Dutch but English language books are not foreign here. The city of Leuven has quite a large number of foreign students who also love to browse here.

Praised not only for books but also their coffee (make sure you try their double Mexican espresso, which seems to be the most popular choice of most of the bookstore's visitors), De Dry Coppen is one of those bookstores where you can just simply relax, sit at a table, browse through books before buying them or simply sit in the relaxed atmosphere of this book heaven. In the summer, tables are put outside so you can enjoy your drink basking in the sun. This perfect fusion that always works for us (i.e. bookstore and coffeshop) has certainly established a firm place within the community of young people and students of Leuven. Their Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/DeDryCoppen