About

History

The Old Bookstore in Iceland, formally named "Verslunin Bræðurnir Eyjólfsson" or " The Brothers Eyjolfsson store" is a fourth generation family store since 1914.

The store has two locations, the original store in Flateyri and the other one is located in the city center of Reykjavík. 

The Old Bookstore in Flateyri is the oldest original store in Iceland. A unique establishment that has been run by the same family for over a century, established 1914. What makes the store even more unique is that all the furnishing and the dècor are practically unchanged since the store was first opened in the very same house, that was built 1898.

In the Old Bookstore in Flateyri you can meet the family and buy second hand books by weight, Icelandic books and sagas in english and many other languages, local products and luxury goods from around the world, from companies that are all more than 100 years old.

You can also visit the merchant apartment of Jón, the founder of the Old Bookstore, and his wife, Guðrún. They lived in the apartment from the year 1915 and nothing has been changed since 1950, when Jón passed away. – It is a truly an unforgettable experience to take a step into the past, by visiting the old apartment in the Old Bookstore.

 

The Old Bookstore in news

The Old Bookstore is one of Icelands most known bookstores. It has attracted attention from around the world both among book lovers and those who appreciate beautiful shops with a unique history. 

The Bookstore has been featured in international books, such as:

  • 150 Bookstores You Need to Visit Before You Die (Lannoo)
  • The World's Most Beautiful Shops (Artisan Publishers)
  • The World's Best Shops (Courier)
  • Bookstores Around The World (Enchanted Lion)
  • World's Most Beautiful and Interesting Bookstores (Lonely Planet)

As well as news articles around the world:

  • Reykjavík Grapevine features the old bookstore in Flateyri, a unique treasure from the past. Eyþór, the owner of the bookstore, shares, among other things, its history and stories about life surrounding the shop.
  • The Sun features some of the most interesting places to visit in Reykjavík, with The Old Bookstore being one of the stops.
  • Iceland Review features both our Flateyri location as well as our Reykjavík location. 
  • In Guide to Iceland Ana, who's lived in Iceland for 17 years, writes about staying in our old bed and breakfast that's located above our shop in Flateyri
  • The Shopkeepers has us on the 100 most beautiful bookstores to visit.
  • Forbes features all the best things about Iceland and bookstores are high on the list.
  • RTÉ features their journey around the Westfjords, including a stop at the Flateyri shop where they had a chat with Eyþór, the bookstore owner. 
  • RND is a German newsletter that writes about our shop in Flateyri.
  • PBS did a tv-show where Eyþór, the bookstore owner and a filmmaker shows the people around the Westfjords and of course talks about the history of the shop.
  • Strong sense of Place talks about how wonderful it was to visit us in Flateyri.

  • VicroArt talks about the time he visited the Reykjavík location and his mission to support independent bookstores.
  • Linda Berlin talks beautifully in her blog post about her time in Flateyri.
  • World Literature Today (WLT) feature our history of our Flateyri store.
  • Travel + Leisure tells you the five books you need to read before coming to Iceland. The good shepherd has been recommended by Eyþór as it is his favourite and the book he has read most often!

  • Sidewalk Safari wrote an article on what to do on rainy day in Reykjavík. Stopping in The Old Bookstore in Reykjavík is a must!