Swoonable: Cities that Set the Scene for Love
ByLeslie Trew Magraw
February 14, 2012
4 min readA great Valentine’s Day has as much to do with where you spend it as it does with the person you share it with.
Here’s a list of a few of our favorite romantic movies of all time — and the cities that made them sing:
- Vienna, Austria: Before Sunrise (1995)
Two strangers (one French, one American) meet on a train…and jump off in Vienna to spend the night walking around the city. Ever think about a person you met long ago, but never gave a chance? This movie captures that “two ships passing in the night” feeling, and makes us wonder about what could have been — or what could be, if we have the guts to follow our hearts. - Mumbai, India: Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
This crowd-pleaser — about three kids from the Juhu slums in Mumbai who walk down very different life paths after being separated — shows us that sometimes good things (like love) come to those who wait, and despite great odds. - New York City, USA: When Harry Met Sally (1989)
The film that famously asks, “Can men and women be friends?” proves that sometimes your best friend can be someone you used to hate — and can even end up being the love of your life. “I’ll have what she’s having.” - Paris, France: Amelie (2001)
When a shy waitress begins helping the people around her find happiness, she comes to find that she deserves it herself. A good lesson to learn indeed. Plus, the whimsical, brightly colored Parisian world created by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet will make you want to book a plane ticket, stat. - Tokyo, Japan: Lost in Translation (2003)
Two Americans meet by chance in a Tokyo hotel — one a washed up actor in the midst of a midlife crisis, the other a young wife in the midst of a quarter-life crisis — and form a special friendship (love takes many forms) that takes them to the pulsating streets of this uber-modern city and leaves them (and us) forever changed. - Budapest, Hungary: The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
The inspiration for 1998’s You’ve Got Mail, this quirky film centers around two co-workers who fight like cats and dogs in real life, but who are (unbeknownst to them) pen pals embarking on an anonymous epistolary romance. This is a movie that challenges us to give people the benefit of the doubt — and to open ourselves up to the possibility of love. - London, England: My Fair Lady (1964)
Audrey Hepburn shines as Eliza Doolittle — and Edwardian London provides the perfect backdrop for this delectable musical confection about a rags-to-riches (and May-December) romance. A direct predecessor to Pretty Woman. - Casablanca, Morocco: Casablanca (1942)
This bittersweet love story — about a cynical, bar-owning American expat, his long-thought-lost Norwegian lover, and their love-hate relationship — proves that sometimes love means letting go. Just try to listen to “As Time Goes By” without tearing up.
Check out Traveler’s Valentine’s Day quiz to test your amour mettle.
Go Further
Animals
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
- Octopuses have a lot of secrets. Can you guess 8 of them?
- Animals
- Feature
Octopuses have a lot of secrets. Can you guess 8 of them? - This biologist and her rescue dog help protect bears in the AndesThis biologist and her rescue dog help protect bears in the Andes
Environment
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
- Listen to 30 years of climate change transformed into haunting musicListen to 30 years of climate change transformed into haunting music
- This ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrificeThis ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrifice
- U.S. plans to clean its drinking water. What does that mean?U.S. plans to clean its drinking water. What does that mean?
- Food systems: supporting the triangle of food security, Video Story
- Paid Content
Food systems: supporting the triangle of food security
History & Culture
- Heard of Zoroastrianism? The religion still has fervent followersHeard of Zoroastrianism? The religion still has fervent followers
- Strange clues in a Maya temple reveal a fiery political dramaStrange clues in a Maya temple reveal a fiery political drama
- How technology is revealing secrets in these ancient scrollsHow technology is revealing secrets in these ancient scrolls
- Pilgrimages aren’t just spiritual anymore. They’re a workout.Pilgrimages aren’t just spiritual anymore. They’re a workout.
- This ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrificeThis ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrifice
Science
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
- Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?
- The unexpected health benefits of Ozempic and MounjaroThe unexpected health benefits of Ozempic and Mounjaro
- Do you have an inner monologue? Here’s what it reveals about you.Do you have an inner monologue? Here’s what it reveals about you.
- Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io has been erupting for billions of yearsJupiter’s volcanic moon Io has been erupting for billions of years
Travel
- On the path of Latin America's greatest wildlife migrationOn the path of Latin America's greatest wildlife migration
- Everything you need to know about Everglades National ParkEverything you need to know about Everglades National Park
- Spend a night at the museum at these 7 spots around the worldSpend a night at the museum at these 7 spots around the world
- How nanobreweries are shaking up Portland's beer sceneHow nanobreweries are shaking up Portland's beer scene