New Cărturești bookstore opens in iconic building in Cluj-Napoca

The first street-level Cărturești bookstore in Cluj-Napoca will be opened in the Hintz House, next to the Pharmacy Museum, on November 30.

Restored and rearranged over the course of four years, the Hintz House in Cluj will now host a Cărturești bookstore, with windows facing King Ferdinand Street and the entrance from Ferdinand 1 Street. The Hintz House currently also houses the Pharmacy Museum.

The bookstore covers 135 square meters inside this symbolic building for the city of Cluj-Napoca. The same space housed the first public pharmacy in Cluj, which opened in 1573. Pharmacist Tobias Mauksch rented the space from 1752, and in the second half of the 19th century, the house and the pharmacy came into the possession of the Hintz family. In 2013, the building was given back to the family.

The new Cărturești was designed to match the history of the Hintz House, giving way to the concept of a pharmacy-bookstore, visible in both the bookstore's window graphics and the opening campaign visuals, created by Ștefan Vasilachi, according to News.ro. The bookstore will offer a variety of books, including poetry, nonfiction, and children's books in Romanian, English, and Hungarian, as well as some in French. In addition to the book offering, it will welcome readers with items such as music on CD and vinyl, accessories, design objects, and tea.

The official opening will take place on November 30, at 17:00, and includes a chamber recital featuring interpretations of works by W. Amadeus Mozart, Alexander Borodin, and Béla Bartók and vinyl music by DJ Aldaris.

Cărturești, a Romanian bookstore chain, is currently expanding inside the country. New bookstores were opened in the first part of the year in Târgu-Mureș, Bacău, Râmnicu Vâlcea, and Zalău. More stores are set to open in Arad, Craiova, and Vaslui.

(Photo source: Carturesti Cluj on Facebook)