Disclosure: In any review for a product or service, products or compensation may have been provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” and "Terms of Use" tabs for more information.
Valentine’s Day marks the time of year you can put aside everything else and focus on you and your loved one – at least if you’re lucky enough! In which case, why not really indulge you and your partner by booking a city-break overseas in one of Europe’s most romantic metropolises? But which one to choose…?
Paris
Nicknamed the ‘City of Love’, Paris is pretty much the obvious, nay essential place to kick-off a list of this ilk. Blessed with so many delightful sights – from the Eiffel Tower to the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe to the Latin Quarter and the cobbled streets of the bohemian Montmartre to all those bridges over the Seine – it may be a cliché to say Paris is the ideal city for lovers to visit, but its romanticism is absolutely unquestioned.
Venice
As far as this blogger’s concerned, Venice may just be the most romantic city in the entire world. Built on an island lying in a lagoon, it contains villas, opera houses, canals and nary a road to be seen. Much of it dates from the Renaissance, including so many of the timeless artworks to be discovered in its multitude of churches. Beautiful and utterly unique in equal measure.
Florence
Speaking of the Renaissance, you absolutely can’t overlook its birthplace as a possible Valentine’s destination. Brimming with spellbinding architecture and stunning statues, it’s also blessed with that awe-inspiring Tuscan sun, gorgeous gelato and all those utterly delicious food dishes. The one problem with the place perhaps is that it’s so beautiful you may never want to leave!
Barcelona
A world-renowned Iberian institution, the Catalan capital is Spain’s most popular tourist destination – and for good reason. Offering up all those magnificently shaped Gaudi structures, incredible cuisine, supreme nightlife and, for culture vultures, a fascinating history and arts scene, it’s a metropolis to absolutely explore (so best pack those comfy but great-for-walking women’s brogue shoes from Mr Shoes) while on a romantic getaway.
Vienna
Waltzes, Ferris wheels, pastries, horse-drawn carriages, royal residences, opera and exquisite Imperial architecture; yes, this Central European capital that’s oozing historical resonance has it all. Easily one of the most elegant cities you could care to visit, why not take a Viennese whirl in one of those Hell Bunny skirts in the Austrian capital? Why not, indeed!
Amsterdam
The Dutch capital’s another city blessed with the beauty that a cornucopia of canals can bring, yet – unlike one or two others on this list – it’s far from the mega metropolis; to visit Amsterdam is to take in a charmingly and very charismatically compact city. And, frankly, who couldn’t feel amorous here, with all its cafés and restaurants and bicycles and echoes of the Dutch masters?
Prague
A perennial destination for stag and hen dos it may be, but this relatively recently discovered tourist-trap of a European capital also makes for a fine Valentine’s short-break location. Why? Because, once again, the architecture is breath-taking in its old fashioned beauty, while its restaurants and café culture are topped off by its plethora of cosy bars in which you and your loved one can sample and sup from an unparalleled choice of fine beers – or a bottle or two of red, of course!
Santorini
Finally, who could overlook the picture-postcard beauty of this little bit of heaven in the Aegean Ocean. In actual fact, this destination’s an entire island (one of the Cyclades) as much as it’s a city, but with its rugged landscape, whitewashed cubiform houses and, of course, that blue, blue Mediterranean water, it’s simply an irresistible locale to while away a few loved up days with your special someone.
[…] for your great European adventure with your dog? These tips will surely make it a lot more enjoyable – for both you and your […]