Texts and emails aren’t quite the same as poignant love letter, stolen kisses and elaborate outpourings from balconies. But that’s not to say modern lovers can’t escape to romantic retreats around the world – and where better than the European haunts of famous lovers, both reals and fictional?
Treat your Valentine by following in the footsteps of these well-known couples.
1) Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor: Aberystwyth, Wales
Image source: Gwesty Cymru
Nestled between three hills and two beaches, Aberystwyth was once an idyllic retreat for the ultimate romantic twosome – Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
The two famous lovers began an extramarital affair while playing Mark Antony and Cleopatra in the 1963 film Cleopatra.
Despite the huge public scandal, the two married a year later. They visited the beautiful Aberystwyth in 1975 to visit Elizabeth’s son Michael Wilding Jnr, who was living nearby.
There must be something in the water in the Welsh town; another Hollywood couple, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones, also have links to the area. Michael bought his wedding ring from Aberystwyth jeweller T J Davies & Son. He wore the Welsh gold band, inscribed with an ancient celtic design when he married Catherine Zeta Jones in 2000.
Relive the romance:
One of the most romantic hotels in Wales – and certainly one with a strong sense of place in Aberystwyth – is Gwesty Cymru. The Edwardian guest house has been transformed into a 21st century boutique hotel with breathtaking views of the sea front.
2) Robert & Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Florence, Italy
“I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett”. And so began one of history’s most famous literary marriages, between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barratt – both prominent poets of the Victorian era.
The two met in Britain and escaped to live in Florence, Italy after her father’s disapproval of their marriage. For 15 years, they lived happily 15 years in a house known as the Casa Guidi, next to the San Felice square (now a museum to their memory).
Relive the romance:
The world’s only olive oil resort and hotel, Villa Campestri, sits on the peaceful Florentine hills, overlooking the glorious Mugello Valley. Relax with your loved one in the Campestri’s pool, enjoy a massage under the bamboo grove or indulge on a cheese or wine tasting tour.
The nearest railway station is a short drive away, where you can head straight to Florence to experience Casa Guidi yourself.
3) Peter Abelard & Héloïse d’Argenteuil: Paris, France
The walls of Notre-Dame bear witness to the unique love story of a monk and a nun, whose love letters became world famous.
Around 1100, Peter Abelard’s studies at the school of Notre-Dame won him a formidable reputation as a philosopher. But at the height of his fame, Fulbert, the canon of Notre-Dame, hired Abelard to tutor his niece Héloïse. The two fell deeply in love, had a child and were secretly married. Fulbert was furious, exiling Héloïse to a convent and ordering Abelard to be castrated while he slept.
Abelard became a monk and the heartbroken Héloïse also took holy orders in her convent, but they remained very much in love, continuing to send poignant letters, later collected and published.
Relive the romance:
There is no escaping the romance of Paris – and Hotel Le Bellechasse envelopes you in the intimate atmosphere the city is famous for.
A setting for your very own love story, this charming 5-star hotel was decorated by the famous couturier Christian Lacroix and sits in the beautiful 7th arrondissement of Paris – a metro ride away from Notre-Dame Cathedral.
4) Odysseus & Penelope: Ithaca, Ionian Islands, Greece
No lovers quite understand sacrifice like this Greek pair. In Homer’s Odyssey, Penelope waits ten long years for hero Odysseus to return to their home in Ithaca, a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, west of continental Greece.
War takes Odysseus away shortly after the couple’s marriage. In his absence, it’s assumed he has died – yet Penelope resists the many suitors who compete to replace her husband. Odysseus, meanwhile, refuses a beautiful nymph’s offer of everlasting love and eternal youth and begs to return to his wife and son.
Relive the romance:
A hop across the water, on the Greek mainland, is the stunning Marpessa Smart Luxury Hotel – built in the early 1920s when the area was the heart of the tobacco trade in Greece. Its former use as a tobacco store is now long forgotten as the house has had a dramatic makeover into a smart boutique hotel.
The warm lounge with romantic fireplace, marbled bathrooms and dazzling courtyard make for a dream escape for two. And if you’re spending Valentine’s Day single this year take a cue from Homer and remember that true love is worth waiting for.
