# Europe Forum > Travelling & Living in Europe >  What are Europe's most romantic destinations ?

## Maciamo

This thread's purpose is to discuss and vote for Europe's most romantic destinations.

The criteria to take into account are the atmosphere, the scenery, the beauty of the buildings, the quality and atmosphere of local restaurants, the friendliness of the locals, the weather, and above all whether you would want to take someone on a date there.

My personal top 20 would be:

Amalfi CoastRomeFlorenceVeniceParisFrench RivieraCinque TerreSantoriniSevilleLondonLisbonViennaStockholmStrasbourgDubrovnikAmsterdamCopenhagenBrugesPragueBudapest

Other potential candidates: Verona, Siena, Barcelona, Madrid, St Petersburg, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Oxford, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dresden, Salzburg, Colmar...

It's more difficult to rank places for their romantic character than for their sightseeing value because romance depends on a lot of subtle factors that make the atmosphere particularly pleasant_ in addition to_ the beauty of the place. For example it is undeniable that *St Petersburg* is far more interesting than *Bruges* for sightseeing, but Bruges is cute, cosy, has excellent food, romantic canals, and a kind of Disneyland atmosphere. In contrast St Petersburg is crisscrossed by very big boulevards with a lot of traffic and has the Russian mafia - two elements that really kills the romantic feeling of the place. That's also the reason I woudln't list the city of *Naples* itself anywhere near the top 100. The presence of organised crime, the ubiquitous petty crimes, and the dirtiness of the city are very strong mood killers. The *Amalfi Coast, Capri and Procida* have been spared those problems though.

*Oxford* and *Cambridge* are almost just as cute and snug as Bruges, but are too serious and intellectual places to feel truly romantic. Whenever I am there I feel more like thinking about sciences than above love. *Edinburgh* is just too dark and gloomy to be romantic in any other sense than 19th-century literary romanticism (which is not what the ranking is about). It's an extremely beautiful city, but the mood just isn't one of cheerful, light-hearted romance.

*Barcelona* and *Madrid* have a lot of sightseeing, but very dispersed and both cities are too big and sprawling for a romantic stroll. Both also lacks a proper river. The same criticism also applies to *Brussels*.

*Prague* and *Budapest* are nice enough from a sightseeing point of view, but they are not the perfect dating places for a number of reasons. Eating goulash with beer in a tavern is not exactly my idea of the perfect romantic dinner. Besides I have found the locals working in the tourist industry not very accommodating, and sometimes too prone to cheating unsuspecting tourists to make a few extra cents. That is the kind of behaviour one expects and usually finds in touristy developing countries like Egypt or Thailand. Spain has long been like that too, and Madrid still is to some extent. Having to constantly be on your guard and argue about money can be very nerve-racking, and that is why I did not give a higher ranking to Prague, Budapest or Madrid.

German cities have been badly disfigured by WWII and still haven't recovered from their antebellum charm. *Strasbourg* could be considered the best preserved German city, although it is now French. That factor played in its advantage for the romantic side since it is definitely more romantic to hear French around than German. Alsatian cuisine has also benefited from the influence of the French culture and culinary _savoir-faire_. The most beautiful city in Germany is *Dresden*, but the mood isn't so cheerful (still a lingering post-communist, post-industrial atmosphere) and the food is far from the best in Europe.

*Vienna* is the nicest and most romantic German-speaking city though. Even if major German cities had not suffered so much from the war, I doubt that any could beat Vienna for its unique charm and atmosphere.

What in your opinion are Europe's most romantic spots ?

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## Maciamo

I have added a poll to this thread. Your votes are welcome.

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## Dovadiv

I think the best destinations would be ofcourse seaside , i've been in Italy , Spain ,etc.. , but the best one was Croatia , you can go on boat trips , they give you food , fish ofcourse and wine (Depends from boat to boat) , but the nightlife is so beautiful , some parts are more for the younger generation , but you can go out to eat a pizza , eat some fish , or go to a restaurant.

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## edgargibbons

In addition to your shortlisted destination for Europe, I would like to suggest one more destination that you should surely visit in, i.e. France. It is the land of Eiffel Tower, which is considered as one of the top rated destination in Europe. 

Well if you are looking for cheap way to travel there, then nothing to worry about, as you have the option of selecting some good travel agencies that provide good reasonable Europe tour packages. 

One of the fine examples of such agencies is Koshertravelers.com. I hope they will up come to your expectations.

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## alayka

Rome
Florence
Venice
Paris
French Riviera
Cinque Terre
Santorini
Seville
London
Lisbon
Vienna

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## adamgilcristt

Below are the most romantic destinations in Europe. You can plan your trip to mentioned places. 

RomeFlorenceVeniceParisLondonSantoriniAmsterdam

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## Angela

Every country has its romantic places. :)

I'm planning a two to three week trip to Britain (mostly places mentioned in my favorite British literature), and there are quite a few places that look like they'd be very romantic: parts of the Scottish highlands, the Cotswolds, the Lake Country, maybe the Cornish Coast. (Yes, too much Poldark, maybe. :))

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## SunnyDay

Italian cities are the most romantic ones) Venice is the best one.

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## MelvynGreer

For me, the most romantic place in Rome. I have been there several times. I liked it. Such as there are friendly people and delicious food. No wonder they say: "All roads lead to Rome."

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## Laura Adams

I believe it is Rome and Florence. Probably the whole Italy! Fantastic country!

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## morris

1. Paris
2. Venice
3. Prague
4. Florence
5. Santorini

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