Present for 400 years on the banks of the Seine, Parisian booksellers are less and less numerous. The profession is struggling to attract while the City of Paris is looking for buyers.

Along the Seine for 400 years

Along the banks of the Seine, famous green boxes as old as the Eiffel Tower. Collector’s books, postcards, engravings … For 400 years, the stands of Parisian booksellers have attracted locals and tourists. But Covid 19 crisis dealt the fatal blow to some of the sellers .

An ancestral tradition under threat

These small shops which offer old books and posters of all kinds are listed in French heritage and hope to soon join the UNESCO world heritage, which would give them a real spotlight and the hope of continuing for a few more centuries. With the Covid, second-hand booksellers no longer receive visits from tourists, a blow to their businesses. Without customers, the shops have to close. Many have already disappeared, and of the remaining 240, 18 are currently unoccupied. The City of Paris again wanted to give a boost, and launched a call for applications open until February 18, 2022. For the moment, success is not at the rendezvous, with only a dozen applications sent.