Fancy the smell of old books? You’ll find the sleepy village of Redu in the Ardennes entirely to your taste!
Redu is officially known as the capital of books and has a nice history. Despite its charming emplacement in the heart of nature, it was deserted by most of its farming inhabitants because of economical restrictions in the second half of the 20th century. By the 1980s, it was practically a ghost town. Until someone had the brilliant idea to fill the abandoned barns, houses and even local school with rows and rows of second hand books. Others followed the lead, and nowadays Redu is alive and kicking once again, its extended offer of vintage book stores complemented with antique dealers, cute cafes and a quite amazing interactive museum (Mudia) bringing over 300 artworks to life -kids love it. If you’re a comic book freak, head over to the stores just next to the church, as they are specialized in unique, one-of-a-kind “BDs”. The owners know their stuff and like to talk, so prep yourself for long rants about this or that BD hero -or think of a great excuse in advance to cut it short…
