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While the Eiffel Tower shouts romance, much of the city's appeal lies in everyday attractions, from patisseries and chocolate shops to the Art Nouveau metro entrances.
From the Victorian inns of San Francisco to the teahouses of Kyoto, the world is full of romantic destinations. Although Paris is the obvious choice, there are many other cities (domestic and exotic) where the vistas, architecture and food can inspire passion and even marriage proposals.
Slideshow: See which cities are the most romantic cities
The qualities that make a city romantic are subjective. For some people, nothing surpasses Buenos Aires’s tango clubs and cutting-edge restaurants. Visitors can stay in the Palermo Soho neighborhood at 1555 Malabia House, which was originally built as a 19th-century convent and is now considered Argentina’s first designer B&B.
For dinner, the unmarked entrance to Tegui is hidden by graffiti, but once inside, you’ll find ambitious, locally sourced cuisine from hotshot chef German Martitegui.
Other travelers may be seduced by Fez. Morocco’s ancient fortress city has maze-like alleyways lined with mysterious windowless shops, tiled mosques, tea gardens and souks overflowing with fruits, spices and nuts.
Once the summer palace of a Moroccan pasha, the carefully restored Le Jardin des Biehn now welcomes hotel guests with a hammam, gallery space and large Andalusian-style garden.
Cecile Houizot-Nanot’s Fes et Gestes is another find in Fez. Housed in an old French colonial building with a high-walled garden, the restaurant is known for its traditional Moroccan tea service and tagines.
In Europe, Budapest offers architectural beauty and thermal baths; Paris, chocolatiers’ windows and the Seine at night.
From great food to magnificent ruins, fabulous nightclubs to medieval streets, the most romantic cities have one thing in common: They’ll keep you in the mood for love.
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I apologize but Paris is NOT the obvious choice. I've been there several times and there's nothing intrinsically romantic about it. The only reason why that comment was made is because that is how Paris markets itself to the rest of the world.
I've been there many times and I couldn't disagree with Richard more. It is still one of the most shockingly gorgeous cities on earth, and full of art, history, spectacular architecture, and some of the best food and drink on the planet. Richard might have had a bad experience, but Paris maintains its reputation for a reason.
All very fine cities but how can you leave Oia on Santorini in Greece off of this list?
Or for that manner any of the many Greek locations that are known as romance locations? But especially Oia.