Paris - the city of lights and love, as well as a fascination for poets, playwrights and artists. More has been said about this legendary city than any other and it has been romanticized to the fullest. It is hard not to fall in love with or in this magical city that has been the epicentre of culture and history for hundreds of years. One glance around Paris and visitors are enthralled, but what exactly makes this city so enamouring and able to inspire such adoration in couples?

 

Jardin du Luxembourg

Jardin du Luxembourg
Credit: Cristian Bortes, https://www.flickr.com/photos/bortescristian/10463800106/

The huge gardens behind the Luxembourg Palace are a warm, sunny day favourite for local lovers and the critically lonely alike. The tree-lined avenues provide a pleasant place to stroll, but the paths the stray away into walls made of shrubbery or thick forests the ones that hold the most treasures. Stunning statues, lovely fountains and beautiful gardens all await around the park. It is only natural that the beautiful landscaping evokes warm feelings, and visiting couples wouldn't be the first to fall prey to it. The Jardin du Luxembourg has hosted more than its fair share of famous couples that have walked the very same paths people walk today, from Napoleon and Josephine to Jean-Paul Sarte and Simone de Beauvior.

 

Pont des Arts

Pont des Arts
Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/roscoland2/

The Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge over the river Seine, is almost as iconic to lovers in Paris as the Eiffel Tower. This bridge provides the perfect backdrop for a romantic rendezvous as well as almost every romance movie set in Paris not just for the view it provides, but for one of its most endearing features, the love locks. Visitors will notice the thousands of locks that adore the near invisible chain link fence on the bridge. Lover purchase these locks, write their names upon them, and put them on the bridge before throwing away the key and signifying their unbreakable bond.

 

Le Mur des Je T'aime

i love you wall paris
Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/haemengine/

When love is real, it can be hard to find the words to express it. For those having trouble finding the right thing to say about Paris or even to that special someone they came with, a visit to the Le Mur des Je T'aime in the Abbesses Garden is a must. This art installation by Frederic Baron and Claire Kito is the perfect accoutrement to the city of love. It features words of love in more than 250 different languages written upon its tiles. If visitors can't find the right way to express their adoration here, then words for it must not exist.

 

Montmartre

montmartre pink house
Credit: Christophe Laigle, Flickr.com/photos/claigle44

Although named for the surrounding neighbourhood, most visitors will know Montmartre as a hill located in the north of Paris. However, the hill itself is more well-known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacred Heart that sits atop it. Rising above the city, the it provides sweeping views over the city, which is where Paris is viewed at its best. For those that head to Montmartre to explore the greenery, they should head to the nearby Square of Tertre that has served as a hub of modern art for nearly a century. Famed artists such as Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh sat and painted here and today the very next cultural treasure could be found working amongst the crowds.

 

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomhilton/

While the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is one of the city's largest public parks, it is off the usual tourist track. It is the idyllic place to sneak a little kiss with a loved one, but the park's charm is in its dramatic landscape. Visitors can enjoy the verdant landscape littered with grottos, waterfalls and dramatic cliffs. One of the little known highlights of Buttes-Chaumont is the stunning Greek-style rotunda perched upon one of its tallest cliffs.

 

Square du Vert Galant

Those seeking a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city will find it in abundance in the Square du Vert Galant. Named for the famous philanderer Henry IV, the park along the western end of the Île de la Cité seems destined to inspire amorous feelings. Locals have even gone so far as to give it the nickname "where sweethearts linger." As one of the few entirely peaceful places in modern Paris, visitors are like to spot couples hidden amongst the weeping willow trees, watching boats drift down the river, and feel compelled to join them in their own private spot.

 

Eiffel Tower

eiffel tower
Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cjp24/

As the city's most iconic landmark, a visit to the Eiffel Tower is practically mandatory for those looking to fall in love either with each other or the city. Perhaps because the Eiffel Tower is the most visited site in Paris, it is the key to its reputation as the city of love. Visitors can dine at the Jules Verne restaurant on the second platform or head to the top for arguably the best view of the city. However, there has been a recent revelation among travellers that the best way to enjoy the Eiffel Tower is to have a picnic on the grassy knoll around it either during the day or at night illuminated by that Eiffel glow.

 


Have you ever visited Paris? Do you think it's a romantic city? 
Comment below or tweet us

Related content on Canadian Traveller