Unique Find Just Outside Amsterdam

Just over an hour train ride from Amsterdam in Zwolle, Overijssel is one of the most beautiful bookshops in the Netherlands. Waanders The Broeren is a 15th century church converted into a 21st century bookstore and cafe. The beautiful ceiling paintings, curved arches, stained glass windows and functioning pipe organ remain untouched in the repurposing of the cathedral.

Designer BK Architecten elegantly added three levels of retail space to the side wings of the church, carefully designing it to preserve the church’s cultural heritage while complementing the church’s original architecture and interior.

: Waanders The Broeren Interior

: Waanders The Broeren Pipe Organ

Waanders The Broeren Exterior

They don’t have a huge selection of books – and most of them are in Dutch – but it was still a great store with novelty items for art, culinary and music lovers.

Indulge in the Church

The brasserie located at the alter of the church offers fresh seasonal sandwiches, hot drinks, baked pastries and even a glass of wine! The prices are affordable, ranging from 4€ to 13€. The menu is in Dutch, however the staff speak English and will help you out.

Wild Boar Sandwich at Waanders The Broeren Brasserie

Know Before You Go

Please check hours before you go. They’re typically not open on Sunday’s.
If you purchase Amsterdam to Zwolle train tickets from the NS site, it’s 18€ each way, which is quite pricey. You can find roundtrip tickets for 13€ (current deal is 25€ for an unlimited pass for two people on the weekend, which means you can check out some other cities nearby too) if you do some digging for ticket deals (again, the website is in Dutch, but Google Chrome does a fair job translating the page for you).

If you’re obsessed with bookshops in churches, be sure to also check out Polare and Dominicanen in Maastricht!