Six Romantic European Getaways

There are so many European getaways that are full of romance and adventure that travel writers have written entire books about them. Here are six breathtaking romantic getaways. Thanks to Europe’s topnotch transportation systems, all of them are fairly easy to get to and there are reasonably priced hotels or hostels or pensiones in the area.

Italy: The Lake District
The beautiful Lake District in Italy, with its sparkling blue volcanic lakes, stretches from the Piedmont to Venetia and into Switzerland and embraces Lakes Maggiore, Orta, Lugano, Como, Iseo and Garda. The vegetation around Lake Maggiore, in particular, is especially lush, with a profusion of water lilies, lotus, coffee and tulip trees, palms, rhododendrons, azaleas and myrtles. The visitors should take time to visit the islands in some of the lakes, as well as the resorts, old palatial houses and castles and their gardens.

Paris: The Bois de Boulogne
The Bois is a 2,224 acre park full of flowers, trees, ornamental lakes, cafes and restaurants in the heart of Paris. Back in the day it was a forest where bear, deer, wolves and wild boar were hunted. Later, it became a royal hunting ground, then a place where the rich and powerful built their mansions. Finally, Napoleon III gave the park to Paris. Among the sights to see are the Bagatelle, the former house of Charles X and the Hertford Family, the Upper and Lower Lakes, the Shakespeare garden and the Municipal Floral garden with a hothouse full of exotic and tropical plants.

Greece: Corfu
The island of Corfu is known, in modern times at least, as the birthplace of the Duke of Edinburgh and the playground of many of his royal relatives, including Kaiser Wilhelm II and Elizabeth of Austria. The island is 37 miles long and is a bit warm and damp in the winter but very hot and summer and so is lush with old olive trees, citrus, magnolias and palms. The Spianada, planted with beautiful gardens, is a great place for strolling at twilight. Pelekas sports the Kaiser’s Throne, which is where Kaiser Wilhelm used to come and watch the beautiful panoramic view.

Germany: The Mosel Valley
This is a beautiful valley carved out by the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer rivers. The valley has been long planted with vineyards famous for their wines. One excursion is to Bernkasetel-Kues, known for superb vineyards. The visitors should take note of the sundials fixed to the rocks there. Some vintages of wine have been named after these sundials. Another nice excursion is to visit Koblenz, whose name comes from the Latin word for “confluence.” Here’s where the Mosel and the Rhine meet, as well as the four Rhine massifs.

French Riviera: Menton
Menton is the warmest of the resort towns on the Riviera, as it’s sheltered by the north wind. This makes it a lovely place to stay for the winter as well as the summer. The visitors can see the partially man-made Garavan harbor and the tropical botanical garden around the Villa ValRahmeh. The famous Menton lemon trees perfume the air and in February the citrus and flower show closes the annual Lemon Festival.

United Kingdom: The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are found in ravishingly beautiful and wild hill country in the center of England. They’re mostly in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and a bit into Warwickshire. The Cotswolds are dotted with little towns and villages and no doubt the visitor can always find a welcoming Bed and Breakfast. Excursions should include a trip to the amazing, secret garden at Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, with its herbaceous borders, and long, leisurely, aimless walks around the rolling hills with stops at little places with names like Stow-in-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh and Wotton-under-Edge.

If the tourist is interested in any of these places — and how can they not be? — they should feel free to contact Canadian Travel.