The other day I realized I had a gift certificate to redeem at an Amsterdam-based travel bookstore called Pied a Terre. I headed down to Overtoom 135 and had a look around – and the store was a delightful surprise!

Not only does Pied a Terre provide the standard mix of travel books for worldwide destinations, but also it mixes English, Dutch and French options throughout each section. It has a special corner dedicated to biking trails and another for walkers. I saw a Jakarta street atlas, a wide selection of globes and travel journals and even globe-shaped bike bells.

A kid’s play area is tucked under the stairs and a small café in back boasted a coffee and apple pie special for under 5 euros. After an hour of wandering in awe, I chose a Vienna travel guide and paid with my gift certificate. This store is highly recommended for any kind of traveler…or book lover, for that matter.