{"id":134132,"date":"2024-04-23T05:12:36","date_gmt":"2024-04-23T05:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=134132"},"modified":"2024-04-23T05:14:14","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T05:14:14","slug":"the-blue-mountains-bookshop-trail-a-book-lovers-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-blue-mountains-bookshop-trail-a-book-lovers-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"The Blue Mountains Bookshop Trail; A Book Lovers Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Blue Mountains Bookshop Trail; A Book Lovers Adventure<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Did you the Blue Mountains has it\u2019s own bookshop trail? The brainchild of the Good Earth Bookshop, the trail features 12 Blue Mountains bookshops between Glenbrook and Lithgow and includes new, secondhand and specialty bookshops.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a unique idea for a Blue Mountains weekend away, fun day out with a few girlfriends a book club gathering with a difference or even a way to spend a\u00a0rainy day<\/a>, the Blue Mountains Bookshop Trail can easily form the basis for a great day! I love the space in many of the bookshops in the Blue Mountains, they invite you to sit down and spend time rather than just get in and out as quickly as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

October 7th was Love Your Bookshop day, which was coincidentally the date my book club girlfriends had chosen to explore the bookshops on the route. During the whole month of October you can grab a map from any of the stores and get it stamped at each of the stores you visit, and go into the draw to win a prize at the end of the month.<\/span><\/p>\n

This post contains affiliate links. Making a purchase through one of these links earns a small commission at no additional cost to you and is a great way of showing your support to this site.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Plan your Blue Mountains Bookshop Trail<\/span><\/h2>\n

Most likely you\u2019ll be thinking about visiting the Blue Mountains Bookshops on a weekend, so its important to check out the opening hours of each of the stores. A number of them will operate reduced hours on weekends which may impact the order you need to check them off to complete the trail in a day. If you are book lovers like my friends and I you\u2019ll understand that its not hard to while away a fair chunk of time in a bookshop, and with travel time factored in fitting in all 12 in a day is a challenge!<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternatively, give yourself a weekend to take your time and explore some of the other activities on offer in the Blue Mountains! We chose to start our day in Glenbrook and spend the night in Lithgow. We were relaxed about how many we tried to squeeze into the day, knowing we wouldn\u2019t get to all of them and would have the next morning to finish the trail. Ultimately we finished up in Leura on the first day and visited the remaining bookshops the next morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are doing the Bookshop Trail on a weekend and want to attempt it in a day, you\u2019ll need to consider your order carefully as both the first and last bookshops close early on a weekend. Also think about where you might like to stop for meals, there\u2019s some great places to eat in the Blue Mountains, many in the same towns as the bookshops on the trail, so you might like to factor this into your timings.<\/span><\/p>\n

To help you plan your day read on for the details of each store and travel times. Some parts of the Blue Mountains have recently installed paid parking for non-residents so if you are visiting you\u2019ll need to be aware of where you park. Alternatively, most of the Blue Mountains Bookshops could be ticked off easily by catching a train between mountains towns, but this will add to your time significantly, especially on a weekend train timetable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blue Mountains Bookshops<\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/span>Blue Dragon Books<\/span><\/h3>\n

Address:<\/strong>\u00a011 Ross Street Glenbrook<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening hours:\u00a0<\/strong>Mon-Fri 10am \u2013 5pm, Saturday 9.30 \u2013 3pm, Sunday 10am \u2013 2pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Parking:\u00a0<\/strong>If you are unable to nab parking in the street there is a parking lot on the left as you travel down Ross Street or another at the end of the street.
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If you start your day off in Glenbrook you may like to enjoy breakfast or a coffee first at one of the great cafes that Glenbrook has on offer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Located in an arcade off the main street of Glenbrook is this great little secondhand bookshop. Well spaced for browsing and a great range of books to select from. I ended up with a couple of purchases from my visit to Blue Dragon!<\/span><\/p>\n

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You can check out their stock online at\u00a0Blue Dragon Books<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Springwood Book Lounge<\/span><\/h3>\n

Address:\u00a0<\/strong>252-258 Macquarie Rd Springwood (down the end where the train station is)<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening Hours:\u00a0<\/strong>Mon-Fri 9am to 4pm, Saturday 9-2.30pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel Time:\u00a0<\/strong>Glenbrook to Springwood is approximately 11 minutes<\/span><\/p>\n

Parking:\u00a0<\/strong>If unable to find street parking the railway station carpark is nearby, or the parking lot accessed from Springwood Avenue is between the 2 bookshops.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the epitome of the stereotypical secondhand bookshop! Barely room to move and we didn\u2019t even see the proprietor sitting behind the pile of books on the counter. My friend found a copy of a book she had lost years before and had been looking for since so there\u2019s the chance to find yourself a rare gem!<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Turning Page Bookshop<\/span><\/h3>\n

Address:\u00a0<\/strong>125 Macquarie Rd Springwood (down the end where the Oriental Hotel is)<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening Hours:\u00a0<\/strong>Mon-Fri 9.30am \u2013 5.30pm, Sat\/Sun 9.30am \u2013 3pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel Time:\u00a0<\/strong>Walking Distance<\/span><\/p>\n

Parking:\u00a0<\/strong>Underground parking beneath The Turning Page is accessible from Greenway Lane if you don\u2019t find street parking.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Springwood icon, The Turning Page has been around as long as I can remember, celebrating 40 years of business in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n

Selling new books and a selection of games and novelties, it features a great children\u2019s area.<\/span><\/p>\n

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You can check out their website at\u00a0The Turning Page Bookshop<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Chapters and Leaves<\/span><\/h3>\n

Address:\u00a0<\/strong>7-9 St Georges Crescent Faulconbridge<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening Hours:\u00a0<\/strong>Mon\/Wed\/Thurs 9.30am \u2013 2pm, Friday 9.30am \u2013 5pm, Saturday 9.30am \u2013 3pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel Time:\u00a0<\/strong>5 minutes<\/span><\/p>\n

Parking:\u00a0<\/strong>Street parking or there is parking a short distance away on Home Street in front of the Community Hall<\/span><\/p>\n

Plan this one for your morning tea stop. Its more a cafe than a bookshop, with only a handful of shelves full of books on display, but the coffee is good (as is the tea according to my friends) and the cakes were delicious! I understand it has new owners as of recently and is now a much bigger and more inviting space than it used to be.<\/span><\/p>\n

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You can check out their tea room and menu at\u00a0Chapters and Leaves<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>RoseyRavelston Books<\/span><\/h3>\n

Address:\u00a0<\/strong>1 Badgery Crescent Lawson<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening Hours:\u00a0<\/strong>Tue-Fri 9am \u2013 6pm, Saturday 9am \u2013 5pm, Sunday 10am \u2013 4pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel Time:\u00a0<\/strong>Faulconbridge to Lawson is approximately 11 minutes<\/span><\/p>\n

Parking:\u00a0<\/strong>There is a parking lot directly in front of the bookshop.<\/span><\/p>\n

RoseyRavelston was definitely the highlight of my day. The bookshop is warm and inviting, with wooden floors, a large table in the centre of the room, armchairs tucked into the corner and a resident dog. While I didn\u2019t try the coffee myself there is an adjoining shop which sells produce and coffee.<\/span><\/p>\n

RoseyRavelston also offer coworking space and host regular events both indoors and in the garden out the back, including a monthly book club where you can talk about your favourite book from the month. Even better \u2013 they are a social enterprise so 50% of their profit is donated to amazing causes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Check out their website at\u00a0The Good Earth Bookshop<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Good Earth Bookshop<\/span><\/p>\n

Address:\u00a0<\/strong>28-30 Station Street Wentworth Falls<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening Hours:\u00a0<\/strong>Tues \u2013 Sun 10am \u2013 5pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel Time:\u00a0<\/strong>Lawson to Wentworth Falls is approximately 7 minutes<\/span><\/p>\n

Parking:\u00a0<\/strong>You can often be lucky enough to grab a street park in Wentworth Falls, though weekends can get busy. There is a car parking area directly in front of the bookshop or the station carpark on Station Street.<\/span><\/p>\n

This store was another of my favourites! Again nice and big with room to wander round without feeling cramped and spaces which are made available for other events. The owner of this shop is behind the Blue Mountains Bookshop Trail idea and was really excited when we told her we were doing it as a book club outing!<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span>Wyrdbooks<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Address:\u00a0<\/strong>32 Station Street Wentworth Falls<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening Hours:\u00a0<\/strong>Thu-Sat 9am \u2013 4pm, Sunday 10am \u2013 4pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel Time:\u00a0<\/strong>Walking distance<\/span><\/p>\n

Wyrdbooks is a bit of a unique offering on this list, being that it does cater to a specific genre; science fiction, fantasy and horror. Even if this isn\u2019t your jam it is worth popping your head in as the owner is a true collector, and will take great delight in showing off some of the special and unique editions he has in store.<\/span><\/p>\n

It completely slipped my mind to grab a photo in this one but you can check them out online at\u00a0Wyrdbooks<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wentworth Falls makes a great point to stop for lunch if you are working your way up the mountain.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Megalong Books<\/span><\/h3>\n

Address:\u00a0<\/strong>183 Leura Mall Leura<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening Hours:\u00a0<\/strong>Mon- Sat 9am \u2013 5pm, Sunday 10am \u2013 5pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel Time:\u00a0<\/strong>Wentworth Falls to Leura is approximately 6 minutes<\/span><\/p>\n

Parking:\u00a0<\/strong>Leura Mall will get very busy especially on a weekend but its worth checking anyway. Entry to the Woolworths carpark behind the street is off Megalong Road.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leura is another great option for a lunch stop with cafe options spread all along the Mall. Megalong Books is found on the Katoomba side and stocks new books.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Check them out online at\u00a0Megalong Books<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>The Little Lost Bookshop<\/span><\/h3>\n

Address:\u00a0<\/strong>Shop 10 Hapenny Lane Katoomba<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening Hours:\u00a0<\/strong>Tues \u2013 Sat 10am \u2013 4pm, Sunday 10am \u2013 3pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel Time:\u00a0<\/strong>Leura to Katoomba is approximately 5 minutes<\/span><\/p>\n

Parking<\/strong>: Its always worth checking Katoomba street for a spot, otherwise head for the Woolworths carpark off Parke Street.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a charming little bookshop with a split level located in a little alleyway between the main street and the shopping centre. The upstairs features a piano and chairs for perusing and they sell a selection of games and new books.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Check them out online at\u00a0The Little Lost Bookshop<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Mr Pickwicks fine old books<\/span><\/h3>\n

Address:\u00a0<\/strong>84 Katoomba Street Katoomba<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening Hours:\u00a0<\/strong>7 Days 10am \u2013 5pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel Time:\u00a0<\/strong>Walking distance<\/span><\/p>\n

You might be forgiven for not knowing this place was here. Its the lower level of a large antiques and collectables store and only a small sign out the front indicates it\u2019s presence. They have a good selection of classics and Australiana.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Gleebooks<\/span><\/h3>\n

Address:\u00a0<\/strong>Shop 1 Colliers Arcade, Govetts Leap Rd Blackheath<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening Hours:\u00a0<\/strong>7 Days 9am \u2013 5pm (there are 2 parts to Gleebooks and the secondhand part of the store closes earlier)<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel Time:\u00a0<\/strong>Katoomba to Blackheath is approximately 13 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Parking:\u00a0<\/strong>There is a small parking lot behind the Victory Theatre which is a short walk away.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tucked away in Colliers Arcade which runs off Govetts Leap Road, there is a new and secondhand part of Gleebooks. Each has their own store but they face each other across the walkway of the arcade. We did arrive to find the secondhand store had closed earlier than the new but got to have a wander in this light and airy bookshop!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Check out their website at\u00a0Gleebooks<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>A Readers Heaven<\/span><\/h3>\n

Address:<\/strong>\u00a0184 Mort Street Lithgow<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening Hours:\u00a0<\/strong>Mon\/Wed\/Thurs\/Fri 9.30am \u2013 5.30pm, Sat\/Sun 9.30am \u2013 3pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel Time:\u00a0<\/strong>Blackheath to Lithgow is approximately 30 minutes<\/span><\/p>\n

A Readers Heaven was another of my favourites on the day with a good space and selection to choose from. Make sure you have a rummage through the bargain shelf by the window which has some great books for just $1!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Check them out at\u00a0A Readers Heaven<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Top Tips for enjoying your Blue Mountains Bookshop Trail adventure<\/span><\/h2>\n