A Bookstore at Altitude
Did you know that the highest bookstore in Europe is up at an altitude of 3,466 meters? While we won’t head that high, I truly find a bookstore at altitude to be fascinating.
Here in Keelung, Milvus was built at 58 meters high. It’s definitely not comparable to the Feltrinelli bookstore on the Mont Blanc but Milvus still allows you a pretty good view of the Taiwanese city.
How to Get to Milvus Bookstore
Built in the Keelung tower (click here for an article about said tower), the bookstore was opened this year (2025) and allows you a place with air conditioning and comfortable chairs to sit down and enjoy the view.
From the bottom of the tower, you can take one of the elevators that go to the 4th floor (where Milvus is) or go to the deck first and take the stairs down. It’s easily accessible for people with a disability thanks to the elevators; however be cautious in summer as they don’t have AC in the elevator and it can get very hot in it (the ride is fast, though).
Because of the tower’s architecture, the place has an interesting design. It surprised me when I went there for the first time, though not in a bad way. It differentiates it from other book cafes or even regular cafes.
Souvenirs & Keelung’s local products
While I went to Sea to See and Bleu & Book bookstores before Milvus, I felt like this third place had a more diverse range of souvenirs.
With the usual postcards, you can also find two shelves with Keelung products. The first one is called “Scent of Keelung”, where they sell hydrolat, oils, soaps, facial scrubs, mosquito repellent, etc) while the second one is “flavors of Keelung” for the drinks (both alcoholic and non alcoholic).
They also advertise our 3 hour Keelung tour & language exchange, don’t hesitate to check those out online.
Practical information about Milvus bookstore
The staff I met could understand and speak English well enough but they do not have any books in English. I reckon Milvus is a place where you can view the city from a higher spot while being indoor and where you can do some shopping for local products.
You can also take a seat and have a meal. They serve vegetarian food only and have three options. Please note that the place does NOT accept cash (as of June 2025 … As they opened a few months ago only, they might change this later on but for now, you will need to pay by card or online payment). The meals are NT$250 each. Coffee is NT$180, non alcoholic beverages are NT$170 and light cocktails are NT$200. Their menu is shorter than other places I’ve been to.
I did not see any wifi password anywhere but if you order a drink or food, you might ask the staff if they have it as well, as I saw that the tower does have wifi.
The restrooms are all gendered and situated at the bottom of the tower, you can take the elevator from outside of Milvus to go down and follow the sign to find them.
Location of Milvus: 4 F., No. 130, Yi 2nd Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Keelung City ( or search for the Keelung Tower.)
Opening Hours: Closed on Monday. Open 10:00 AM–10:00 PM on weekdays and Sundays, with an early opening at 7:30 AM on Saturdays.
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