Valentine's Day 2023, when does it falland where to go?
14 February is an opportunity to dedicate some time to the couple: to take a romantic trip, share a special adventure, indulge in a dinner at a beautiful restaurant, stay somewhere special or spend a day discovering new and unexpected things.
What to do and where to go on Valentine's Day 2023? Here are some original ideas for celebrating Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day 2023
What to do on Valentine's Day 2023? 14 February 2023 falls on a Tuesday, with a few days off you can enjoy a little holiday.
In this helpful guide, we have selected some alternative and original ideas for Valentine's Day 20 23 and the best destinations to visit as a couple. We haven't forgotten about singles who prefer to escape on Valentine's Day or, why not, dedicate themselves to looking for their soul mate on that very day.
Not sure what to get for Valentine's Day? If you love to travel, and in this case it is entirely desirable that your partner does too, you can choose from one of the 50 most beautiful gifts for travellers to give on Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day 2023: 10 romantic destinations
Paris
New York City
Bali
Hamburg
Seville
Teruel
Bruges
Verona
Gradara
Scanno
Valentine's Day: date and history
But let's go in order. Why is St Valentine's Day celebrated? 14 February is the day in the Christian calendar dedicated to Saint Valentine, martyr and saint.
St Valentine was born in 176 and at just over 20 years of age was already bishop of Terni. In the course of his long life (he lived to be 97 years old) he escaped martyrdom, but fell victim to the persecution of Christians by the Empire and was beheaded on the Via Flaminia. His remains were transported to Terni and buried where the Basilica of St Valentine in Terni stands today.
A few centuries later he became a saint and the day to sanctify him was dropped to 14 February. From 13 to 15 February, the Lupercali were still celebrated in Rome: a ritual pagan festival that averted sterility and contained a good dose of ingredients that frightened the Catholic Church.
The figure of St Valentine, who in life had preached love between all living creatures, was linked to the love between men and women to exorcise and replace the dreaded Lupercali in the Catholic calendar.
Romantic Villages for Valentine's Day 2023
The Valentine's long weekend is the perfect opportunity to plan a trip out of town for couples, a romantic getaway to the most incredible villages in Italy.
What are the best destinations?
Besides the most romantic cities, we have selected a list of small towns worth visiting:
Rasiglia
Gradara
Chianalea di Scilla
Sirmione
Castell'Arquato
Pienza
Amalfi
Civita di Bagnoregio
Nesso
Scanno
The legend of Saint Valentine
According to legend Saint Valentine became the protector of lovers because he celebrated a marriage between a pagan legionary and a young Christian girl.
It is then said that hearing two fiancés quarrelling, he gave them a rose and asked them to clasp it together, taking care not to sting each other, and that after some time the two fiancés asked him to unite them in marriage.
According to legend, the couples in love, having heard the anecdote, began making pilgrimages to Terni on 14 February, because Saint Valentine blessed their union.
What to do on Valentine's Day 2023
What to do on Valentine's Day 2023? Here are 10 alternative things to do on Valentine 's Day and here are some ideas for Valentine's Day for singles.
Valentine's Day at the spa
One of our favourite alternatives for Valentine's Day is to treat yourself and your partner to a relaxing time at a spa.
You can choose the low-cost, alternative relaxation of Italy's most beautiful free spas or the magical, snowy world at the Aquadome Langenfeld spa in Austria or the thermal baths in Bormio.
The thermal baths of Viterbo offer a nice variety of free spas to which one can add a day at the private establishment of the Terme dei Papi.
The Terme dei Papi has a bath named after St Valentine and perfect for this day. Most spas also offer special Valentine's Day packages.
Valentine's Day under the stars
Here you will find 8 places to sleep under the stars and as many hotels and resorts with open-air rooms, perfect for gazing at the sky and making a wish before falling asleep. The best place to enjoy some open-air romance are the Canary Islands where the climate is spring-like all year round.
Wherever you are, don't forget to raise your eyes to the sky and enjoy the astronomical spectacle of February. Venus, the planet of love, will in fact be particularly visible and its observable range extends until the end of the month.
Valentine's Day on the Centovalli Vigezzina Railway
A carriage ride along the world's most romantic railway: on the occasion of Valentine's Day 2023, you can travel for two at half price on the route from Domodossola to Locarno.
Valentine's Day in the Civic Museums of Rome
In the Civic Museums of Rome, Valentine's Day is celebrated with an interesting exhibition ROMAMOR at first sight with many appointments to discover characters, anecdotes and unusual places in the city.
Valentine's Day in a castle
In Cornwall there is a castle where you can sleep like king and queen for a night, but without spending a fortune. Also in Italy you can sleep in a castle by staying in the Castello di Petroia in Umbria. Here you can find all the castles turned into hotels.
Valentine's Day in a lighthouse
If you prefer the sea to fairy tales and castles, you can choose from the best lighthouse hotels for a unique and unforgettable experience. Nothing is more romantic than a lighthouse, a lone lantern illuminating the route for sailors.
Valentine's Day in Terni
Terni is the city of lovers par excellence. In fact, the saint Valentine was a bishop here and the city has always been a destination for lovers from all over Europe.
On the occasion of the festival of lovers, a very sweet event is held every year called Cioccolentino and is dedicated to chocolate. After the cocoa and a visit to the Basilica of San Valentino, you can visit the Marmore Falls, which with its forest trails and viewpoints over one ofItaly's most incredible falls, is a spectacular experience to be shared by two.
Valentine's Day in Verona
Verona is internationally recognised as the city of love. Here Shakespeare set the most romantic play of all time and Juliet's House (now a museum) is a pilgrimage destination for lovers from all over the world.
Valentine's Day in the footsteps of history's great loves
Juliet and Romeo, born from the imaginative pen of Shakespeare, are not the only legendary lovers. Paolo and Francesca, recounted by Dante in a passage from the Inferno, really existed and lived in the castle of Gradara, in the Marche region. Abelard and Heloise, on the other hand, lived in Paris and a plaque on her house still recalls their love. Their bodies are buried near the Père Lachaise cemetery.
Valentine's Day in Alberobello
From 8 February and for a whole month, Alberobello becomes the capital of love. The town is staging the Lights in Love event: for the occasion, the trulli will be coloured red.
Numerous light installations will be projected on the Belvedere, the Church of Sant'Antonio and the Trullo Sovrano.
Best destinations for Valentine's Day
Which are the most romantic cities in the world perfect for a Valentine's Day trip?
Venice
Paris
Prague
Amsterdam
New York City
Verona
Vienna
Original ideas
Did you know that in Brazil, Lovers' Day is celebrated in June? If you hate Valentine's Day on 14 February, you can escape to Brazil! In London , the city's most beautiful museums are free on Valentine's Day.
In Seoul they put padlocks on a bridge, just like in Rome, and in Paris there are plenty of things to do and the most romantic things can also be alternative and very original. Here are 10 romantic and original things to do in Paris.
Valentine's Day 2023 offers
Daydreams offers a special Valentine's Day package: 3 nights for 2 people from 49 euros. You can choose from around 2000 hotels.
Also on Lastminute there are great offers for couples including hotel, flight + hotel package or flight only.
On eDreams, on the other hand, you can find a fantastic offer to spend 3 romantic nights in Barcelona and here many other interesting alternatives at great prices.
Best restaurants for Valentine's Day
What are the best restaurants for a candlelight dinner on Valentine's Day evening?
Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana, one of the best restaurants in the world, is a sought-after destination but difficult to reach. In fact, to book a table for Valentine's Day you have to book well in advance, as much as a year in advance.
Soloperdue, in the province of Rieti, is a romantic restaurant with a single table in the villa where the Latin poet Horace lived. Customers can ask for special dishes, cooked especially for the occasion, and dine in pure luxury with soft lighting.
At the Antica Dimora, in Capranica, in the Tuscia region of Viterbo, one can book the entire restaurant for just two, a romantic wine cellar with a bathtub and bed on a mezzanine.
Italy