By Therese Eley, Director of Member Services
1. Snuggle in Trocadéro Gardens – Find a secluded bench with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower, snuggle, and wait for the magic moment of the top of the hour when the Eiffel Tower suddenly sparkles for 10 minutes.
2. A Picnic in Luxembourg Gardens – Pick up some fresh bread and cheese and a bottle of vin rouge on your way, then find a quiet spot to reconnect with nature and each other. We suggest finding your way to the more secluded De Medici Fountain, built by Henri IV in 1625 for his wife, Marie De Médici, who was homesick for her native Florence, Italy.
3. Steal a Kiss under the Pont-Marie – Known as the “bridge of lovers”, legend has it that if you kiss under the Pont-Marie and wish for eternal love, your wish will be granted. So hop onto one of the riverboats that travel up and down the Seine and seal your relationship with a kiss under this famous bridge.
4. Speak the Language of Love at the “Wall of Love” – Le Mur des Je T’aime (the Wall of Love) is a mural beautifully inscribed with the words “I love you” in 311 languages. The red splashes signify “broken hearts” which the artist hopes the mural will cure.
5. Practice your French Kiss on the Most Romantic Bridge in Paris – The Pont des Arts, located between the 1st and 6th arrondissements, offers one of the most romantic views in the world. From its centre one has a 360º panorama of famous Paris sights such as the Ile de la Cite, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, and more. But beyond the view, this has become a popular location for lovers to declare their eternal love for each other by writing their ames on a padlock and locking it to the bridge.
6. Enjoy a feast of love at Lapérouse – Located in an elegant townhouse on the Seine, Lapérouse has a long history of romantic entanglements. In the late 1800′s, it was popular among famous French courtesans as a rendezvous spot for illicit liaisons with their high society clients. Upon receiving their payment in diamonds, the courtesans would then scratch the mirrors in the dining room to ensure the diamonds were not fakes. Today, you can reserve one of their private dining salons for your own romantic tryst, indulge in a decadent French feast, and lounge on the sumptuous red velvet couches… don’t worry, the maître d’ will not interrupt or enter until you’ve summoned him with the pull of a cord.
7. Take a stroll through Versaille – This decadent palace and its expansive gardens are a setting straight out of a fairy tale. Originally designated as the centre for the French royal court and government by Louis XIV, the Sun King, in 1682, the gardens at the Chateau de Versaille offer an idyllic setting for a romantic stroll with your sweetie.
8. Join the Carnival of Lovers at the Musee Carnavalet – Today, the Musee Carnavalet is the official museum of Parisian History, and it is not without its own provocative past itself. In the 1500s, the mansion in which the museum resides was the home of the beautiful young woman named Madame de Kernevenoy, whose husband had been killed in a duel, leaving her a widow at age 25. Renowned for her beauty, she was later nicknamed “Carnevalet” after the never-ending carnival of courtiers who would line up outside her residence. Its lavish gardens and secluded museum hallways are the perfect setting for honouring the 500 year history of passion witnessed in this decadent mansion.
9. Love at the Louvre – One of the world’s best museums, the Louvre is filled with history’s masterworks, many of which were inspired by and depict the many facets of love, from the first seeds of romance to sensual, passionate intrigues and loves lost. Follow the “I Love You” thematic trail through the museum to discover how artists from antiquity to the 18th century have chosen to represent amorous relationships.
10. And of course… A Kiss atop the Eiffel Tower - With the glittering city of lights twinkling before you, need we say more?
