Where to celebrate Valentine's Day

For contemplative couples

The Venice of Provence

If your relationship is all about rose-tinted spectacles and watching the sun go down hand in hand, we have just what you need. Ah, Venice… The majestic Saint Mark’s Square, the old palace, pastel façades lining the canals and gondolas… It is romance incarnate. But wait a minute, what if the reputation of the real Venice was a bit overdone? Because although it’s a well-kept secret, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur has its very own Venice too – BUT BETTER. Yes indeed. Because here we have… Martigues. With its flowering canals dotted with little, multicoloured boats, our “Venice of Provence” is just as good as its Italian peer!

Added extras: It’s cheaper than going to Venice, there are hardly any pigeons and you won’t need to learn Italian. Mamma mia!

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Une publication partagée par Office de Tourisme Martigues (@martiguestourisme)

For trendy duos

Juan-les-Pins

You and your other half love being the centre of attention and hogging the limelight? In that case, simply head over to Juan-les-Pins in the footsteps of the Côte d’Azur‘s most glamorous Twenties couple: American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda. Icons of the Lost Generation, the author of “Tender is the Night” and his beloved set up home at Villa Saint-Louis, a sumptuous abode at the water’s edge now called the Hôtel Belles Rives, where they live a raucous party life in the company of the local artistic crème de la crème, including Hemingway and Picasso.

Added extras: The Côte d’Azur in winter is so chic! Despite their penchant for the bottle, the Fitzgeralds and their friends were no fools.

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Une publication partagée par Hotel Belles Rives (@bellesrives)

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Une publication partagée par Aurélie Bondoux (@aurelie1108)

Grans

A pretty little square adorned with a fountain and plane trees, houses with green shutters and delightful old lanes… Situated between Miramas and Salon-de-Provence, Grans promises to make your dreams of Valentine’s Day in a typical Provencal village come true. What’s more, this escapade is also a great opportunity to pay tribute to a place that revolutionized the history of romance forever. Remember: it was in Grans, between 2016 and 2021, that desperate singles lined up to marry complete strangers in the M6 TV show “Married at First Sight“. And every week, along with two million other spectators, you were glued to the screen with a mixture of horror and fascination. Switching off simply wasn’t an option – it would be like opening a packet of crisps and trying to only eat one. Not doable.

Added extras: It’s the ideal place to propose. Because unlike in the TV show, you already know your other half. And if ever they say no, not too many people will know about it.

For drama queens

Rocher des Deux Frères in La Seyne-sur-Mer

Love is never easy for you. You just can’t see eye to eye: a dirty sock on the floor, overcooked pasta or a simple trip to IKEA can spark a slanging match at the drop of a hat. You loathe each other for three days before melodramatically patching things up… Until the next sock happens of course. Well, we’ve found the perfect place for your Valentine’s Day: Plage des Deux Frères in La Seyne-sur-Mer, at the foot of Cape Sicié. It offers clear views over the twin offshore rocks known as the “Two Brothers”. Legend tells that one day, two brothers came face to face with a wounded mermaid. As they attempted to get her back on her feet (as it were), they both became so obsessed with her that they killed each other out of jealousy. Poseidon, at the request of the mermaid, turned them into rocks…

Added extras: The site and the myth might just help you get things into perspective. Your love is, after all, stronger than a dirty sock or a LUDFJÄRTKUNG dressing table.

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Une publication partagée par La Seyne, Ollioules, Saint Mandrier et Six Fours Tourisme (@smileinouestvar)

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Une publication partagée par Le Queyras (@lequeyras)

Madame Carle’s Meadow

Here’s a variation on the same theme for those of you who prefer the mountains to the sea: Pré de Madame Carle (Madame Carle’s Meadow) in Écrins National Park. Set at the gateway to the great alpine mountaineering expeditions, this ancient, fertile plain, surrounded by majestic summits, takes its name from another tragic legend from the 17th century. Monsieur Carle, the president of the Grenoble parliament, had tasked his pretty wife with supervising the painting of a fresco by a young Italian artist at the church. But the story ended in disaster: a double deception followed by a murder disguised as a drowning in the tumultuous waters of the river…

Added extras: This is definitely another great place to take a step back and improve your couple’s communication skills. Or at the very least, an original place to ask for a divorce.

Happy Valentine’s Day in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur!