10 bookstores built in strange places around the world, from boats to bank vaults

The village is over 800 years old. Dilapidated buildings like the bookstore have been restored rather than torn down. All that remains of the original building is the outer rammed earth walls.

Books in the shop cover topics such as the protection of ancient villages, rural education, and agricultural civilizations. The shop also holds art exhibitions, theater shows, and live music acts throughout the year.

The shop operates out of a 1920s Dutch barge on Regents Canal. Started by Paddy Screech, Jonathan Privett, and Stephane Chaudat, the shop originally alternated locations because of canal regulations, but after a vocal public campaign, the bookstore was given a permanent spot.

The bookstore has a range of books, from cult classics to modern bestsellers.

Since its creation in 1919, the Grand Splendid has been a performing arts theater, a cinema, and now a bookstore. The building still maintains much of the architecture and decor from when it was first built, including a red curtain stage, theater boxes, and balconies.

Grupo Ilhsa, a popular book chain, swooped in and saved the building from destruction. The bookstore's musical roots aren't completely lost. It often has live performances from piano players.

The store is designed to be explored. Bookshelves have been randomly placed throughout the store. A selection of hardbacks have been arranged by color rather than author. Used and damaged books have been stacked a variety of ways.

Visitors will notice design touches such as marble pillars and a high ceiling. If customers look hard enough, they'll stumble across the bank vault in the back — but it's now stocked with books.

Over 50 years old, this bookstore was founded by Nobel prize-winning author Alice Munro and her husband. The building where the shop is located was designed to be the Royal Bank of Canada.

Located below Nanjing's Wutaishan Stadium, Librairie Avant-Garde was founded in 1999 when owner Qian Xiaohua renovated the 41,000-square-foot space. The store has become a popular place for students and tourists alike.

Parts of the bookstore are decorated in large crosses, but according to the owner, who is Christian, knowledge is the most sacred thing of all. Also in the store is a replica of Auguste Rodin's statue "The Thinker."

The name of the store translates to "Book Store of High Water." To protect its collection from the frequent flooding of Venice's canals, the store has placed its books in waterproof basins, bathtubs, and even a gondola that floats during a flood. Steps leading outside have been formed from water-damaged books.

Originally a Catholic church, the building was deconsecrated in the 1790s by Napoleon Bonaparte, who used it as a place to store equipment and personnel rather than as a place of worship. In 2005, the space was renovated into the bookstore it's known for today.

Two years later, the students rounded up a couple of their friends and moved to Greece. The shop has been open ever since, and they've even joked that their children will run the place one day.

It's whats inside this store that makes it particularly strange.

The bookstore has been designed to resemble a kaleidoscope with ceiling mirrors that reflect colorful rooms. Multiple staircases and their mirror duplicates create a spider's web across the store.

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