Romantic getaways

Still not booked that special trip! Don't panic. In the second part of our romantic destinations special, Barcelona, Dubrovnik and Prague are just some of the dreamy destinations we recommend.

Barcelona
Take the metro to Selva de Mar and walk along the quiet seafront in the direction of the Olympic Port to the main beach in Barceloneta. From there, dive into a cava bar, before heading to either the hip Born or Raval areas.
The creative Spanish dishes at Abac in the Born are ensuring this young restaurant becomes a classic. In the gritty Raval, budget eateries now sit next to such fine-dining institutions as Colibri. The decor at Hotel Omm’s Moo restaurant will soothe the senses; the inventive menu will challenge the palate.
Couples will be fighting over rooms at one of Barcelona’s latest design hotels, the Neri; situated in the Barri Gòtic, it mixes old with new. The Hotel Banys Orientals, meanwhile, offers high-styling at commendable prices.
Abac, 79-89 Carrer Rec (00 34 93 319 6600).
Colibri, 33-35 Carrer Riera Alta (00 34 93 443 2306).
Hotel Banys Orientals, 37 Carrer Argenteria (00 34 93 288 8460/
www.hotelbanysorientals.com). Doubles from £72.
Moo, Hotel Omm, 265 Carrer Rosselló (00 34 93 445 4040/ www.hotelomm.es).
Neri Hotel, 5 Carrer Sant Sever (00 34 93 304 0655/www.hotelneri.com).
Doubles from £156.50.
Getting there: EasyJet has return flights from London Stansted to Barcelona from £76.48 (08717 500 100/www.easyjet.co.uk).
Ryanair has return flights from London Stansted to Barcelona-Girona from £43.12
(0871 246 0000/www.ryanair.co.uk).

Brecon Beacons
Just a three-hour drive from London, Wales’ Brecon Beacons are one of the most beautiful parts of the UK. The summit of Hay Bluff, which rises above the literary town of Hay-on-Wye, has been the scene of many a marriage proposal. Take the Gospel Pass from Hay Bluff down through the Vale of Ewyas to Llanthony Priory, a remote, crumbling abbey backdropped by misty hills.
The best places to eat and drink are also the best places to stay – no need to fuss around with bills when you want to slip away to your room after dinner. Pwll-y-Faedda, a 1920s fishing lodge, is a wonderful B&B on the river Wye. Other local gems include the
Felin Fach Griffin, a leading gastropub with contemporary rooms, and the traditional Gliffaes Country House Hotel, an Italianate pile overlooking the River Usk.
Felin Fach Griffin, Felin Fach, Brecon, Powys (01874 620111/ www.eatdrinksleep.ltd.uk).
Bed, dinner, champagne in room and champagne breakfast from £99 per person.
Gliffaes Country House Hotel, Crickhowell, Powys (01874 730371/
www.gliffaeshotel.com). Doubles from £94 including dinner and breakfast.
Pwll-y-Faedda, Erwood, Builth Wells, Powys (01982 560202/ www.pwllyfaedda.co.uk).
Doubles from £70 B&B. Three-course dinner £28.

Carcassonne

Article continues

This tiny medieval town in southern France is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a walled citadel (La Cité), thirteenth-century lower town (La Bastide St-Louis) and tree-lined quays along the Canal du Midi; and off-season, it’s a delight.
Le Jardin du Tour is the place for dinner, with a richly decorated tent in the sometimes candlelit garden. Here you can try the regional speciality cassolette, a white bean stew with duck, ham and sausage. For drinks beneath the battlements, head to Bar à Vins.
The Route de St-Hilaire, housed in a nineteenth-century mansion, offers affordable luxury and a Michelin-starred restaurant. For a rustic alternative, try La Sauzette, a B&B ten miles south of Carcassonne surrounded by vineyards.
Bar à Vins, 6 rue du Plo (00 33 4 6847 3838).
Le Jardin du Tour, 11 rue Porte d’Aude (00 33 4 6825 7124).
Route de St-Hilaire, Carcassonne (00 33 4 6825 7222/ www.relaischateaux.com/auriac).
Doubles from £105.
La Sauzette, Route de Villefloure, Cazilhac (00 33 4 6879 8132/
www.lasauzette.com). B&B from £44.
Getting there: Ryanair has return flights from London Stansted to Carcassonne from £79.91 (0871 246 0000/ www.ryanair.co.uk).

Copenhagen
Wander past grand palaces, through narrow medieval streets and along canalsides, as you explore Copenhagen’s composite islands. In the east, the Tivoli, the Round Tower and the Little Mermaid statue are among the classic attractions. The hip part of town is the west – Vesterbro is an up-and-coming area where you’ll find a slew of funky restaurants and bars to wine and dine in.
Eating out is not cheap. If you can stretch to it, splash out on a meal at the Michelin-starred Kommandertan or at Alberto K, with its Arne Jacobsen-designed decor and great views.
Five-star options include the sexy Hotel Skt Petri in the old Latin Quarter and the central and stylish Hotel Alexandra. In Vesterbro, the Hotel Guldsmeden has 64 rooms in French colonial style, some with four-poster beds.
Alberto K, Radisson SAS Royal Hotel, 1 Hammerichsgade (00 45 33 426 000/
www.copenhagen.radissonsas.com).
Hotel Alexandra, 8 HC Andersens Boulevard (00 45 33 744 444/
www.hotel-alexandra.dk). Doubles from £125.
Hotel Guldsmeden, 66 Vesterbrogade (00 45 33 221 500/ www.hotelguldsmeden.dk).
Doubles from £96.
Hotel Skt Petri, Krystalgade (00 45 33 459 100/www.sktpetri.dk).
Doubles from £113 until end of Feb.
Kommandertan, 7 Ny Aldelgade (00 45 33 120 990).
Getting there: EasyJet has return flights from London Stansted to Copenhagen from £59.62
(08717 500 100/www.easyjet.co.uk).

Cyprus
The Mediterranean island of Cyprus is home of the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. Her mythical presence pervades the island today and you can visit the sanctuary built to honour her at Kouklia. The Adonis Trail on the Akamas Peninsula, meanwhile, makes for a breathtaking sunset walk. Lefkosia, or Nicosia, is the island’s medieval capital – its Venetian walls have heart-shaped bastions.
Cyprus is becoming something of a luxury destination, with new five-star resorts opening every year. The new boutique Thalassa hotel offers transfers from Paphos airport by limousine, a personalised butler service and most of the 58 ‘residences’ have his ’n’ hers bathrooms. Alternatively, book into the Columbia Beach Resort in Pissouri. This suite-only resort sits on a Blue Flag beach and is surrounded by mountains and vineyards.
Columbia Beach Resort, Pissouri Limassol (00 357 2583 3000/
www.columbia-hotels.com). Suites from £193.
Thalassa, Coral Bay, Paphos (00 357 2688 1500/www.thalassa.com.cy).
Mini-residences from £166 including breakfast. Three-night Valentine’s package from £465 per person.
Getting there: Cyprus Airways has flights from London Heathrow to Larnaca from £123 return (020 8359 1333/ www.cyprusairways.com).

Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik old town, jutting out into the deep emerald-green waters of the Adriatic, has been restored to its pre- war glory (it was decimated by Serbian and Montenegrin shells during the 1990s). Encircled by vertiginous walls and shot through the middle by the marble-paved Stradun (the main street), it harbours a plethora of little restaurants serving delicious seafood. Pick from those lining the sidestreets – avoid any on the main drag – or book a table at the posh Atlas Club Nautika, which serves simply executed Dalmatian cuisine.
For Valentine’s Day, bite the bullet and stay at the chic Pucic Palace or go for a room with a balcony and sea view at Hotel Excelsior. The Dubrovnik Palace on the Lapad peninsula has attractive weekend rates.
Atlas Club Nautika, 3 Brsalje (00 38 520 442 426/www.laus.hr/nautika).
Dubrovnik Palace, 20 Masarykov out (00 38 520 321 373). Doubles from £76.
Hotel Excelsior, Frana Supila 12 (00 38 520 414 222). Weekend packages from £228 per person.
Pucic Palace, Gunduliceva (00 38 520 326 222/www.thepucicpalace.com). Doubles from £176.
Getting there: Croatia Airlines has return flights from London Heathrow to Dubrovnik from £190.70 (020 8563 0022/ www.croatiaairlines.hr).

Edinburgh
Edinburgh is arguably up there with Venice, Florence and Paris in terms of looks. Make the effort to slip off the famous Royal Mile into Old St Paul’s church, or the Canongate Kirk, for instance, or walk down to the Mound, for a view of the Firth of Forth and beyond, and you’ll be richly rewarded.
The city’s first Michelin-starred chef, Martin Wishart, serves French cuisine at his eponymous waterfront restaurant, while the chi-chi Oloroso is a cocktail stop worth making. For dining with castle views, head to The Tower.
The over-the-top Gothic theme at the seven-suite The Witchery is a celeb-favourite. More affordable and easier to get into is the Point Hotel, which has spa baths overlooking the castle in some rooms. Ardmor House, meanwhile, is a gay-owned B&B with five light and airy en-suite rooms in a Victorian townhouse.
Ardmor House, 74 Pilrig St (0131 554 944/www.ardmorhouse.com).
B&B from £25 per person per night.
Martin Wishart, 54 The Shore (0131 553 3557).
Oloroso, 33 Castle St (0131 226 7614).
Point Hotel, 34 Bread St (0131 221 5555/www.point-hotel.co.uk).
Valentine’s packages from £150 per person.
The Tower, Chambers St (0131 225 3003).
The Witchery, Castlehill (0131 225 5613/www.thewitchery.com).
Doubles from £250.
Getting there: EasyJet has return flights from London Stansted to Edinburgh from £50.98
(08717 500 100/www.easyjet.co.uk).

Prague
Prague is never more atmospheric than in winter, when a low mist hangs over its castle and the gothic streets, lit by gas lamps, hold an air of mystery and suspense. A walk across Charles Bridge is unforgettable.
The best riverside views can be had at Kampa Park, one of Prague’s first foodie meccas that serves up global fare in a slick wood and glass dining room. Pálffy Palác occupies a baroque palace room with crystal chandeliers; classy cuisine comes at friendly prices. Attentive service and dreamy Franche-Comté food at Le Bistrot de Malène are worth booking ahead for.
The deluxe Aria Hotel divides its floors between classical, opera, contemporary and jazz soundtracks, while some of Prague’s most romantic suites are at the Hotel U Páva and its sister residence, the U Krále Karla.
Aria Hotel, 9 Trziste (00 420 225 334 111/www.ariahotel.net).
Weekend packages from £430.
Le Bistrot de Malène, 4 Plavecká (00 420 224 921 853).
Hotel U Páva, 32 U Luzickeho seminare (00 420 257 533 573/
www.romantichotels.cz). Doubles from £110.
Kampa Park, 8b Na Kampe (00 420 257 532 685).
Pálffy Palác, 14 Valdstejnská (00 420 257 530 522/www.palffy.cz).
U Krále Karla, 4 Uvoz (00 420 257 532 869/www.romantichotels.cz).
Doubles from £97.
Getting there: EasyJet has return flights from London Stansted to Prague from £134.98 (08717 500 100/ www.easyjet.co.uk).

Venice
Bobbing atop 100 islands, the watery city of Venice happily lives up to its romanticised image. Don’t miss a walk up the aisle of the great Basilica di San Marco, the unparalleled collection of Renaissance art at the Gallerie dell’Accademia or the view of the Grand Canal from the Rialto bridge. The best impressions of Venice, however, can be gained by exploring its backwaters. The city is easily navigable on foot, while a three-day water taxi pass is around £15. If you insist on taking a gondola, expect to pay £45 for a 50-minute ride.
Foodie couples will relish the creative seafood served in a rustic yet refined setting at Al Covo. The Michelin-starred Da Fiore is Venice’s top restaurant, with prices to match. Less expensive, but still enticing to the palate, is Alla Zucca.
Hotels in Venice are expensive. The historic Gritti Palace has reduced rates on its sumptuous rooms until February 28, while the Locanda Vivaldi – located partly in the former residence of the composer Vivaldi – is a more moderately priced option.
Al Covo, Castello 3968, campiello della Pescaria (00 39 041 522 3812).
Alla Zucca, Sant Croce 1762, ponte del Megio (00 39 041 524 1570/www.lazucca.it).
Da Fiore, San Polo 2202, calle del Scaleter (00 39 041 721 308).
Gallerie dell’Accademia, Dorsoduro 1050, campo Carità (00 39 041 522 2247).
Gritti Palace, San Marco 2467, campo Santa Maria del Giglio (00 39 041 794 611/
www.luxurycollection.com/grittipalace). Doubles from £262 per night.
Locanda Vivaldi, Castello 4150/52, riva degli Schiavoni (00 39 041 277 0477/
www.locandavivaldi.it). Doubles from £125.
Getting there: Bmi has return flights from London Gatwick toVenice from £111.40
(0870 607 0555/www.flybmi.com).

Still stuck for ideas? Time Out’s ‘Europe by Air’ guide covers 150 destinations across Europe and is available from all good bookshops and newsagents at £6.99. Or get £2 off at www.timeout.com/shop

Jessica Eveleigh
Time Out London Issue 1799: February 9-16 2005

European breaks: The top 100 by Air, Sea & Rail For only £3.99, this magazine-format guide to the top 100 most inspiring European summer destinations is a must-have. Complete with all the essential information you'll need for the perfect break. [Buy Now ] Availiable in bookshops and direct from timeout.com/shop