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Hay-on-Wye, A Book Paradise in the Welsh Countryside

Hay-on-Wye Wales

I can’t believe I hadn’t known anything about Hay-on-Wye until H told me about this little town. It’s only a 45-minute drive away from Rhayader, where his parents currently live. When we visited them 2 weeks ago, we made a day-trip to this gorgeous little town.

The timing was perfect, as Hay Festival was taking place at that time. We chose the least gloomy day of the week to go there, and finally went on a sunny Thursday. And while I didn’t do much at the festival (the tickets for the talks I wanted to see were all sold out), I had a blast exploring the town.

A Glimpse of Hay-on-Wye

A little warning, there’s a serious overload of photos in this post. I’ve always been strict to the number of photos in a post, but with Hay-on-Wye, I had to break that rule. This place is just too pretty.

Now, the town… Where do I start? Hay-on-Wye, as the name suggests, is located on the bank of River Wye. It’s a little market town in Wales where the annual literary Hay Festival is held. The town isΒ the National Book Town of Wales, and as such, is commonly dubbed as ‘the town of books’. Apparently, it’s the bibliophiles’ destination in the UK.

Needless to say, I was ecstatic when we arrived, much like a kid in a candy store. In the first few minutes, I knew Hay had made it into my list of 10 Favorite Towns in the UK.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

And by God, this place deserves to be on that list. I might be biased since Hay is clearly a heaven on earth for bookworms, but even if you’re not into reading, I bet you wouldn’t be able to resist its charms. Imagine a town surrounded by lush, green hills, with traces of medieval era that could be found at many corners of the town. The size of the town was perfect for walking, and with independent bookshops lining the street and pastel-colored walls everywhere, exploring a town had never been more delightful. A bonus point for Hay: at the visitor center, they give you a mapΒ of the town, dotted with every bookshop in the area.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

We were lucky we went here at the time of the festival, as it added to the lively vibe. We strolled around, browsing every bookshop and vintage market in sight, while the buskers serenaded usΒ with their rendition of Bastille and Ed Sheeran’s songs.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye WalesGuess which plaque I had my eye on! (If you guess ‘Beware of the owner, enter at your own risk’, you’re right).

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Something I noted while walking around the town, was that everything looked so pretty here, including particularly the houses and shops.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

I took about 36528739 pictures of houses and buildings in Hay, but you can see why…

By midday, our stomachs had started growling. We were walking along Castle Street, looking for a pub to have lunch, when we passed the castle gate and the smell of grilled food wafted in the air. As if we were hypnotized, we looked at each other and went through the gate without words. It turned out to be a good decision.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye WalesBookshelves everywhere, even in this place.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Once we finished lunch (a shared plate of falafel, pita bread, and hummus that were gobbled down in minutes before I had the chance to take out my camera), we continued our mission to visit as many bookshops as we could. But before we get to some of my favorite bookshops, let me show you what this town has to offer. Literally, books everywhere,Β and each shop boldly and proudly display their quirkiness, which I LOVE. I think this is the main reason why this town is so unique and special.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye WalesFound this man on the dispay window of a vintage map shop.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye WalesThe stare of this sinister man? That’s the stare I reserve for noisy children. I’m wondering if he was dealing with that thing when he was being painted.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

How great are these signs? I wish every town and city had these.

The Bookshops

Now, onto some of my favorite bookshops. There were LOTS of bookshops here, and even though the town itself is small, a day was just not enough to browse through them all (I promised myself I’d go back again soon). Like I’ve said earlier, every shop has its quirk, and going from one bookshop to another felt like going on an adventure through different worlds. You’ll see what I mean. So, here they are.

Richard Booth

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Richard Booth, or affectionately known as the King of Hay, is a big name here, asΒ it was due to his work that Hay became the town of books. This very bookshop had belonged to him, before he sold it when he intended to move to Germany.

Richard Booth bookshop sells new and secondhand books, and compared to its neighbors, it’s significantly bigger. The building was charmingly old, with rickety floors and a cold, low-ceilinged basement (this is where the secondhand books are!). The basement smelled a bit damp and musty, but almost every bookshop here was like that. The collection of secondhand book in this basement wasΒ massive,Β from romance to thriller, everything was neatly organized so it was easy for me to find the books I was looking for.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye WalesPretty tiles outside the bookshop.

Definitely a must visit.

Murder and Mayhem

Hay-on-Wye Wales

From the outside,Β Murder and MayhemΒ looks innocent enough, nothing like its name. But once you step inside, that’s when the themed decor brings you to another world.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

I don’t know much about thrillerΒ books (my knowledge is limited to Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Tess Gerritsen, and Gillian Flynn) but this bookshop is impressive. I spotted the books that I was familiar with (lots of them), and for the umpteenth time that day, I needed to restrain myself.

For me, this bookshop was striking for its daring theme and interior. Entering this bookshop felt like stepping inside a criminal’s lair, and I loved all the chill and thrill. I’d recommend this shop, even if you’re not a fan of thriller and crime books.

Clock Tower Books

Hay-on-Wye Wales

This was the last bookshop we visited, and it stood out to me as it had a good selection of Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl’s books, my childhood favorites. H also found stacks of Dr. Who books, much to his delight. These reasons alone were enough to give Clock Tower BooksΒ a plus point, but I liked it even more when I found many hidden gems in this shop. All the antiques were also interesting to see (definitely not in our budget range, though).

After that, with our shopping bags getting heavier and our feet screaming in protest after hours of walking, we decided to call it a day and head back home.

But not without stopping a few times to soak up the beauty of this pretty little town.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

And okay, on the drive back home, I told H to stop so many times just so I could take photos of the views.

Hay-on-Wye Wales

Hay-on-Wye Wales

But can you blame me? πŸ˜‰

Ah, Hay-on-Wye. You got me.

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12 Comments

  • Reply Nerissa

    kak dixieee, my heart just almost exploded from all those cute doors, fairytale houses, books, bookshelves, vintage shops, summer bunting and all </3 they are SO cute!!!

    June 18, 2017 at 6:01 am
    • Reply Dixiezetha

      I had those feelings too when I was there! It’s definitely one of the prettiest towns I’ve ever visited πŸ™‚

      June 18, 2017 at 10:18 am
  • Reply Maria Inta

    Oh my God, Thats so interesting! :))) I love books ;3

    June 18, 2017 at 7:41 am
    • Reply Dixiezetha

      If you love books, I think you’d love this town πŸ˜‰

      June 18, 2017 at 10:19 am
  • Reply Arman

    Lucu ya kota nya. Suka ngeliat bunga bunga yg digantung di depan rumah rumah nya..

    June 19, 2017 at 2:01 am
    • Reply Dixiezetha

      Iyaa, kotanya emang cantik banget. Kota kecil dikelilingin bukit, terus bangunan2nya juga lucu2 warnanya. Bunga digantung di depan rumah pasti langsung bikin semuanya jadi cantik ya πŸ˜€

      June 22, 2017 at 9:23 am
  • Reply aggy87

    OH GOSH! I cannot breathe! The place look so amazing Dixie! I have bookmarked this post and will FOR SURE give this place a visit. All those books, I think I will need a suitcase when I come here lol. I certainly understand why you took so many pictures.

    June 22, 2017 at 12:41 pm
    • Reply Dixiezetha

      It was quite surreal to be there, definitely one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been too. I think you’d like this place too Gy πŸ˜€

      June 22, 2017 at 6:06 pm
  • Reply Nazura Gulfira

    DIXXX, nyesel banget pas waktu di UK dulu enggak tau ada tempat dan festival buku ini :(( heaven on earth bgt yaaa, bisa kebayang sih aku pun pasti bakalan kalap (dan histeris, hahaha) begitu ngunjungin ke Hay :’)

    June 26, 2017 at 10:30 am
    • Reply Dixiezetha

      Aku juga pas masters dulu ga tau apa2 loh Zu tentang Hay dan festivalnya (sampe heran, kok bisa2nya ga tau). Baru tau pas dikasih tau cowo aku, begitu googling langsung nyeselll ga pernah ke sini. Semoga nanti ada kesempatan ke UK lagi ya Zu, biar bisa ke Hay. Must visit bgt, walaupun gede resikonya kantong jebol :’)

      June 26, 2017 at 12:54 pm
  • Reply Mira Afianti

    Oh my God! harus banget ke siniiiii. untung baca ini dulu sebelum balik Indo for good. Thank you, Dixie πŸ™‚

    July 4, 2017 at 7:31 pm
    • Reply Dixiezetha

      Iya Miraa, kalo ada waktu harus banget ke sini. Kota di sekitarnya pun juga bagus2 kalo mau sekalian jalan2 πŸ™‚

      July 5, 2017 at 6:40 pm

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