Finest romantic weekend metropolis breaks in Europe for {couples} in 2024

Signal as much as Simon Calder’s free journey e-mail for professional recommendation and money-saving reductions

Get Simon Calder’s Journey e-mail

February is quick approaching, which suggests Valentine’s Day on the 14th. The celebration of affection will be an excuse to depart the abnormal behind and jet off to swoon-worthy locations throughout the UK and Europe to woo the one that you love on a romance-filled metropolis break – not that you simply want a special occasion to do this, in fact.

From a basic lover’s retreat to Paris to a unusual weekend in Amsterdam, a mountain sojourn à deux within the French Alps or a back-to-nature break on a wild Welsh island, here is how one can make reminiscences throughout your time away plus, – maybe most significantly – the place to remain.

Finest for beachy escapism: Comporta, Portugal

All lime-green paddy fields, pine-backed sand dunes, wildflower meadows and cork tree forests, this sequence of mellow, beachy villages an hour south of Lisbon in Portugal’s Alentejo rank extremely within the rustic appeal stakes.  Comporta’s lengthy sands, together with fairly Praia da Comporta, will be explored on foot or by horseback, guided by Cavalos na Areia. The primary village has a clutch of hippy-chic design retailers to discover  – together with Rice for baskets and Lavanda for mushy linens – whereas in close by Troia, resident bottlenose dolphins will be noticed gliding by the Sado Estuary, with eco-experts Vertigem Azul.

The place to remain

Elegant Comporta has A-frame cabana suites and villas with all-white decor, billowing gauzy curtains, driftwood touches and egg-shaped bathtubs set in dappled woodland. At its bohemian restaurant, Sem Porta, Chef Hélio Gonçalves serves a riot of native dishes in an atmospheric former rice barn.

Learn extra on honeymoons and romantic holidays:

Finest for fashionable surroundings: Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen combines canals, cobbled streets, brightly-coloured homes, a skyline zig-zagged with twisting spires, world-class design museums and extra creative New Nordic eateries than you shake a stick at. It doesn’t matter what will get your hearts racing, the Danish capital’s acquired it coated.

Appealingly simple to navigate – by foot or by bike – highlights embrace Tivoli Gardens for fairytale kitsch and retro funfair rides, and the ultra-stylish Danish Design Museum. Foodie {couples} shall be in heaven too, whether or not you’ve managed to bag a reserving at The Alchemist, Rasmus Munk’s 50-course eating expertise, otherwise you’re simply tucking into Hart Bageri’s double-baked croissants.

The place to remain

The 87-room Manon les Suites, near the lakes and central sq., was created by the staff behind Ubud’s Jungle Fish “no seashore” seashore membership. It serves up tropical thrills with its foliage-wreathed swimming pool, giving the texture of a dip within the forest, surrounded by dangling crops in terracotta pots and Balinese penjor poles.

Filled with heaps of historical past and heritage, from 2,000-year-old steamy, columned Roman Baths to curves of honey-hued Georgian structure, Tub does supercharged romance with aplomb. Lovers can ‘take the waters’ whereas having fun with skyline views from the spring-fed rooftop pool at Thermae Tub Spa, step again in time on the Jane Austen museum, or go for chicken’s eye views from the highest of Tub Abbey’s tower. For trad diners, there’s Afternoon Tea on the Georgian Pump Room, whereas for Twenty first-century British aptitude, Beckford Canteen has partitions wearing jade inexperienced Wedgwood cabbage plates, Czechoslovakian pendant lights and a menu that includes the likes of pean and mint soup and rarebit with pickled onions.

The place to remain

In a main location on Tub’s Royal Crescent, the 45-room Royal Crescent Resort has a stunning spa – the spotlight being the 12m leisure pool which sits by Tub stone brick partitions and arching cathedral-style home windows. The swankiest bedrooms have ornate plasterwork, chandeliers and 4 poster beds, and a brand new garden-bar-dining expertise, Montagu’s Mews, provides relaxed eating with refined seasonal menus.

Finest for traditional romance: Paris, France

Synonymous with romance the world over, Paris, with its boulevards, classical monuments, pavement cafes, atmospheric bistros and late-night jazz bars, by no means fails to enchant. Make for Saint-Germain-des-Prés to walk by the tree-lined Jardin du Luxembourg and for sultry nightcaps at Bar Joséphine, a horny spot with Romanesque frescoes on the partitions and punchy vodka, Champagne and St-Germain cocktails. Structure followers can ogle the Arc de Triomphe, Grand Palais and Montmartre’s cobbled streets and windmills, to not point out the Eiffel Tower, which sparkles golden every night. Better of all? Fuelling up on the world’s greatest patisserie – don’t miss Pierre Herme’s macarons and chocolate-pistachio escargots from Du Ache et des Idees.

The place to remain

Resort Rochechouart sits within the arty Pigalle neighbourhood, close by of Sacré Coeur. From its enticing crimson and gilded Artwork Deco facade to its earthy-toned bedrooms and revamped Le Mikado membership – the place DJs spin disco and funk on Friday and Saturday – the vibe is belle epoque hedonism at its greatest.

Finest for arty quirk: Amsterdam, Netherlands

A gorgeous compact metropolis, crisscrossed by canals lined by crooked townhouses, and a bunch of world-class museums, Amsterdam fits arty {couples} right down to the bottom. A roll name of masterpieces will be present in The Museum Quarter, with Rembrandts on the Rijksmuseum, Warhols on the Stedelijk, and Sunflowers on present on the Van Gogh Museum. Pootling alongside the waterways by bike or floating alongside them by boat is one other nice solution to go the time, as is visiting the indie boutiques and Albert Cuypmarkt in stylish De Pijp. It’s price taking time to settle in for a pint at a standard ‘bruin café’ (brown cafe, these homely spots are a bit just like the Dutch equal of an old-school neighbourhood pub) to greatest expertise the sluggish appeal of town’s gezellig– or convivial – ambiance.

The place to remain

Unfold by 25 historic canal homes in 9 Streets, Pulitzer Amsterdam’s playful bedrooms have bar carts, peaked gable-inspired headboards and loos with Le Labo toiletries. Prime suites are further whimsical; one has a e book archway, one other,  a wall hung with trumpets. Plus there’s fashionable Dutch grub at Restaurant Jansz and a cute courtyard backyard.

Finest for mountain appeal: Megeve, France

Set within the coronary heart of the Mont Blanc massif, this trad wintersports resort is a favorite for powder-mad {couples}. The area has 400km of pristine pistes and snow-topped mountains to admire (ski season runs from mid-December to mid-April), in addition to a picturesque medieval centre filled with artisan retailers, together with ski favorite Allard and perfumier Mizensir whose fragrances are impressed by the pine-filled mountain air. Slopes apart, lovers can clop by the village sq. by horse drawn carriage, or dine on the likes of Flocons de Sel, the place Chef Emmanuel Renaut serves up dishes impressed by his love of the Alpine area, or farmhouse-chic La Ferme de mon Père which has vaulted lounges and the likes of truffle risotto and conventional ‘style Tatin’ apple tart on the menu.

The place to remain

Lately renovated, plush Beaumier property L’Alpaga has chalet-style bedrooms with velvet headboards, botanical paintings and wood-panelled touches, to not point out breathtaking views straight onto the slopes, and one Michelin-starred restaurant La Desk de L’Alpaga.

Finest for music lovers: Vienna, Austria

Wandering by Vienna’s winding lanes and arcade-lined courtyards, previous Baroque palaces and Spittelberg’s superbly preserved Biedermeier interval homes, is vastly atmospheric. Its wealthy musical heritage – Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert all hail from town – will be skilled right now at a slew of world-class musical venues, together with house of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Musikverein, and the ritzy Staatsoper opera home. Artwork-wise, Klimt’s The Kiss sits on everlasting show within the Higher Belvedere palace. One of many metropolis’s further particular methods to discover? When the moon is full, uncover the meandering Danube by lantern-lit canoe; the surroundings of the Previous Danube is much more lovely when bathed in light moonlight.

The place to remain

Combining Twenties Parisian opulence with modern Viennese-meets-Scandi sensibility, Resort MOTTO’s luxurious bedrooms have golden lamps and brass cocktail carts. At glass-domed Chez Bernard, dine on Austrian meets north African dishes below hanging planters, or the roof terrace is an interesting spot for Grüner Veltliner toasts.

Finest for wild-at-heart nature: Anglesey, Wales

Wales’ largest island, off the northwest coast and separated from the mainland by the dazzling Menai Strait, this windswept isle is likely to be greatest recognized for tongue-twister pub trivia favorite Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch village. Much more fascinating, nevertheless, is its 125-mile shoreline – all rolling dunes, wildflower-topped cliffs and mudflats teeming with birds – a lot of which is a delegated Space of Excellent Pure Beaty. Seaside picks embrace the stretching sands of Crimson Wharf Bay, Porth Dafarch for rock pooling and Rhosneigr for windsurfing. In addition to over 100 historic monuments, together with Bronze Age burial chambers, there’s medieval fortress Beaumaris Fortress and stately house Plas Newydd to discover. One other spotlight? A stroll by Newborough Warren’s dunes to tidal island Llanddwyn, the place high-drama lighthouses and the ruins of the Church of St Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers, await.

The place to remain

An abundance of turrets and towers on the shoreline, Loire Valley-inspired Chateau Rhianfa has fairytale attractiveness – a panelled banqueting corridor, grand lounges with interval furnishing, and 27 characterful bedrooms – plus killer views throughout to Snowdonia.

Finest for set jetters: Dubrovnik, Croatia

With its Unesco world heritage listed Previous City, riot of Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance monuments and whitewashed terracotta-roofed buildings which tumble right down to the teal waters of the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik is as good-looking as they arrive. {Couples} can play Recreation of Thrones bingo – town had a starring function as King’s Touchdown, with the likes of Fort Lovrijenac doubling up because the Crimson Preserve and the Fifteenth-century Rector’s Palace as Qarth – as they stroll the historic partitions. Except for seen-on-screen attractiveness, different highlights together with the cable automotive whizz to the highest of Mount Srd, lazing at Banje seashore, and wandering alongside photogenic stone alleyways draped in tendrils of sizzling pink bougainvillea to bump into candlelit seafood eating places. For one thing a bit totally different, the fascinating Love Tales museum options sentimental gadgets which convey to life real-world romances.

The place to remain

Absorb the views at calming cliffside retreat Resort Bellevue Dubrovnik, which seems to be out to Miramare Bay. In addition to restful rooms – some with balconies – there’s an unimaginable spa and freshwater pool and Michelin-recommended Vapor restaurant for blowout advantageous eating.

Finest for tradition: Oslo, Norway

Ringed by mountains and the ocean, this simple to navigate metropolis provides city tradition – on the likes of the brand new MUNCH museum and Nationwide Museum of Artwork, Structure and Design –  and pure magnificence, due to its waterways, fjords and parks. These embrace Frogner Park, house to 200 Gustav Vigeland bronze and forged iron sculptures. In addition to loads of hopping cocktail spots – together with Norway’s first bar court docket, Posthallen Drinkhub, which has 10 venues below one roof, and Svanen, the place Aquavit Negronis are served in atmospheric old-apothecary surrounds – {couples} also can flip up the warmth, by embracing Oslo’s booming sauna tradition. At Bjorvika’s  Oslo Badstuforening, constructed from recycled driftwood, there’s a hatch for straight into the fjord dips, whereas Kongen Marina’s “Miami Vice”-style seashore membership brings collectively palm bushes, DJ units and a glass-domed floating sauna. Eco-minded lovers may also admire the general public transport system; it’s set to go all-electric by the tip of 2023, with fjord boat journeys already powered by electrical energy.

Certain, a former electrical HQ may not sound attractive, however new child on the block Sommerro, a part of the swish Most well-liked Inns & Resorts portfolio, has reworked Oslo Lysverker’s outdated HQ right into a whirl of Artwork Deco pizazz, with a beautifully-restored swimming pool, Vestkantbadet, and Thirties-style brasserie, cocktail and jazz bar Ekspedisjonshallen.

Learn extra: The perfect honeymoon resorts in Bali