Valentine’s Day & Paris: A Match Made in Heaven

Who could disagree that Paris is truly the City of Love? Every year, thousands of couples spend their honeymoon here and millions of travelers with their hearts set on romance visit the city with their lover in tow, honoring a tradition that dates back at least a century.

It’s easy to sound trite when talking about Paris, and not just when it comes to love, either. And yet, the truth is undeniable: For the most part, Parisian clichés are right on the money (just ask Emily from Emily in Paris). Not only that, they’re a key ingredient in the magical cocktail that makes this city oh-so intoxicating. All you need to do to experience the wonder that is Paris is to let yourself be seduced by its many charms.

Your next romantic dinner is just a heartbeat away

No matter whether you prefer a view overlooking (or why not from?) the Eiffel Tower, or a bustling, first-come-first-served bar in a hip part of town, Paris can deliver a brand of romantic dining to suit anyone’s tastes. Or perhaps a celebrated rendezvous like the Lapérouse restaurant is more your style? Here, you and that special someone can book the same private salons where famous and influential names once met their mistresses tête-à-tête as far back as the time of Emperor Napoleon III.

Legendary old haunts of the Lapérouse variety aside, Paris’s ever-evolving restaurant scene is constantly adding new culinary gems to its repertoire. Why not while away a few hours at the TOO Restaurant, for example? Perched atop the new TOO Hotel in the city’s 13th arrondissement, its panoramic views over famous Parisian landmarks Notre-Dame, the River Seine, and Montmartre provide the perfect backdrop for a romantic dining experience.

We recommend a leisurely stroll along the quays of the River Seine or Saint-Martin Canal on your way to or from the restaurant as the pièce de résistance. Take in the tranquil scene of softly-lit boats filled with diners enjoying their evening repast as they glide by. Contemplate couples in love who, just like you, are spending a magical moment with someone they can’t bear to be apart from, as they gaze out over the water from atop a bridge.

If you time your promenade just right, you might even catch the lights of the Eiffel Tower sparkling in the night sky. While there’s no doubt that Gustave Eiffel’s wrought-iron tower erected in 1889 is among the biggest Parisian clichés of them all, we’re willing to bet you’ll still be awe-struck by this marvel of engineering as you pass by.

In Paris, even the cemeteries are romantic

Believe it or not, Parisian landmark the Père-Lachaise Cemetery, where famous names like Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Marcel Proust now rest in peace, is widely touted as one of Paris’s premier romantic destinations.

But if a cemetery should feel just a tad de trop, any of the city’s stunningly beautiful parks would make the perfect milieu for a lovers’ outing—from fabled attractions like the Luxembourg Gardens to lesser-known green spaces like the Buttes-Chaumont Park in the city’s 19th arrondissement.

But if all this isn’t enough to tempt you to indulge in a romantic getaway, the city’s florists, patisseries, perfume houses, Musée de la Vie Romantique museum, and The I Love You Wall art installation might just tip the scales in Paris’s favor. A trip to the City of Love is almost guaranteed to be a romantic dream come true. After all, this city’s heart beats for lovers.

Addresses:

Eiffel Tower
Champ de Mars, 7th arrondissement

Lapérouse
51 Quai des Grands Augustins, 6th arrondissement

TOO Restaurant
65 Rue Bruneseau, 13th arrondissement

Père Lachaise Cemetery
16 Rue du Repos, 20th arrondissement

Luxembourg Gardens
6th arrondissement

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
19th arrondissement

Museum of Romantic Life
16 Rue Chaptal, 9th arrondissement

Wall of Love (Le mur des je t’aime)
Square Jehan Rictus, Pl. des Abbesses, 18th arrondissement

Text by Daniel Björk