In need of a little romance away from the bustling crowds, city lights and sounds? Head to one of these romantic small towns in Europe for a holiday you (and your partner) will never forget…
1. Bruges, Belgium
Bruges is often cited as Europe’s most romantic little town – and it’s not hard to see why. Whether you visit in Summer or Winter (or in between), its impossible not to fall in love with effortlessly romantic Bruges.
2. Hallstatt, Austria
This little hidden gem is the perfect winter escape you’ve been looking for. The small lakeside town in Austria is just a short drive from Salzburg but feels a world away from reality.
3. Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
Just a couple of hours drive south of Prague one will find the impossibly charming Cesky Krumlov. It’s the perfect place to escape reality for a few days and enjoy true Czech hospitality that you just won’t find in the busy capital!
4. Cinque Terre, Italy
It’s no secret this would have to be one of the most romantic picks in all of Europe. Sure, it’s ‘been done before’. But one look at that picture and you know why… it’s hard to beat! Cinque Terre is in fact an area made up of a few little towns – giving you more than one reason to visit!
5. Wroclaw, Poland
Lesser known Wroclaw is a perfect choice for travellers looking to get off the beaten path and enjoy a town less frequented by crowds of tourists. It is also home to oodles of charming and colourful architecture with each building distinct from the next! Sure, Wroclaw is a large city itself – but the old town of Wroclaw won our hearts and subsequently a place on the list.
6. Tallinn, Estonia
The capital of Estonia feels like a real life fairytale. Tallinn’s old town is perfectly picturesque but as you scratch beneath the surface you will soon find quirk and plenty of it. Be sure to stop by the apothecary and pick up some unicorn horn powder or the self dubbed “cure for a broken heart”.
7. St Moritz, Switzerland
Although it is packed with avid ski enthusiasts during the winter, St Moritz is a true hidden gem in the warmer months. There’s a great variety of hiking in the area and the small Swiss village seems as if it could pass as a ghost town during summer – making it the perfect escape for couples.
8. Positano, Italy
There is nothing quite as magical as waking up to a pastel pink sky lighting up the colourful homes on the Amalfi Coast. Positano is hands down the most romantic town in the Amalfi and a great place to base yourself to explore the area.
9. Delft, Netherlands
When you think of romantic towns in Europe you might not immediately think to the Netherlands. Famous for Amsterdam, the Netherlands is full of lovely smaller towns to discover such as Delft. This small town is just a short train or tram ride from The Hague.
10. Colmar, France
With a strong German influence just over the border into France, Colmar is a romantic dreamboat if ever there were one. This town is best enjoyed in the summer time when the flowers are in full bloom and the sun is shining through the clouds.
11. Perast, Montenegro
The Balkans are quickly becoming one of the most sought after holidays in Europe. Thanks to its relative affordability and incredible charm, Montenegro is one of the most popular countries to visit in the Balkans. While Kotor is the most visited town in tourist numbers, the secret is to travel 30 minutes by car along the Bay to the charming town of Perast, the most romantic town in Montenegro.
12. Lake Bled, Slovenia
Lake Bled hardly needs an introduction… especially if a picture tells a thousand words. There could quite possibly be nothing more romantic than a visit to one of Europe’s most stunning lakes, rowing a boat to the island and climbing the stairs to the church once there.
![[Stories, pt. XI] The only guy I ever fell for in Los Angeles was an Emmy award winning producer of documentary films. At least, that’s how his LinkedIn profile reads.
Let's start with the Saturday we met on Sunset Boulevard. It sounds cliché because it was. Doing this story justice feels like a hefty task - plagued by my own bias, naturally. But when your story ends in a foreign country alone on Christmas Day having been left in the middle of the night, you earn the right to tell the tale. And tell it I did - to every air hostess who would listen on that 30 hour flight path back to Australia on 26 December 2018.
This may take a while (you've been warned). I had decided I would only date older men - a phase? Perhaps. Convinced age must have been the downfall to my previous failed relationships, I swore on a 30’s or 40’s kind of guy. Statistics show 60% of men prefer dating younger, so if nothing else, the stats were on my side.
I was introduced to Simon (names have been changed) at an inconvenient time. There are cute foods to be eating when you meet a man and then there are acai bowls. My teeth covered in a layer of purple soup, I smiled and introduced myself. I was with a friend and her beau - used here as an adjective because in LA a “boyfriend” is as good as a lifetime sentence. He happened to walk by and, caught by surprise, noticed his work colleague was sitting with us. “Hey Brian, fancy seeing you here”. I would later come to learn that the meeting was as set up as a Hindu wedding.
Later that evening I was the 4th wheel in a double date to an emo band playing at a venue in Highland Park. In a haze of vodka sodas and white wine, we stumbled into the uber and darted across town. Uninterested at first, my eyes darted around the room to a sea of eligible bachelors. It could have been the white wine or it could have been the laser beam lights that framed his face, but I caught myself lock eyes with his and for a split second, I really noticed him. “He’s won an Emmy” Brian announced the next day. “And he’s into you” he finished. After a series of first dates that apparently weren’t into me, my ego got the better of me.
To be continued...🍷🍿](http://www.worldofwanderlust.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)