Massolit Books & Café

Massolit Books & Café is an English-language bookshop with a café at ul. Felicjanek 4 in Kraków, in the Lesser Poland region of Poland, in a townhouse near the Planty park ring north-west of the Old Town. The shop is named after the literary association in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, and it has become a gathering place for expatriates, students and travellers looking for books in English. Its specialty is English-language fiction and non-fiction, with new and secondhand titles spread over several rooms, including classics, contemporary novels, crime, history, travel writing and books about Poland and Central Europe, as well as a selection of translated Polish literature. This makes it a useful stop for visitors who want to read Polish authors or history in translation, such as Nobel-winning writers and Holocaust and wartime history, and for those who have finished their own reading material. It is a bookshop rather than a souvenir outlet, so goods are real books rather than tourist trinkets, and selection reflects the owners' taste. Prices for books are typically around 20 to 80 PLN, with secondhand copies at the lower end and new imports higher. Prices are fixed and there is no bargaining, and cards and contactless payments are accepted. Tax-free shopping rarely applies to book purchases of this size. The atmosphere is quiet, bookish and relaxed, with mismatched furniture, browsing nooks and a loyal clientele, and it is usually busiest in the afternoon and at weekends. The on-site café serves coffee, tea, cakes and light dishes, so visitors can read a purchase before leaving, and a small garden or courtyard seating may be used in warm weather. Opening is generally daily from about 10:00 to 20:00, but hours can change seasonally. The shop sits close to the Planty and a short walk from the Main Square and Jagiellonian University buildings, so it is easy to add to an Old Town route. It also hosts readings and events from time to time, which can be found by asking at the shop.