We give you three Europe wide destinations perfect for you to get on bended knee.
LONDON
Say ‘Yes!’ in the UK’s capital
1. TOWER BRIDGE
London’s most famous bridge has thrown open its doors to the public with the Tower Bridge Exhibition, allowing visitors to experience a fresh perspective of the city - and allow fiancés-in-the-making to make the proposal of a lifetime, 42 metres above the Thames.
The toughened glass floor, which took a team of 20 to install, gives the effect of floating on air, making it a wonderful setting to pop the all-important question.
But for a proposal that’ll truly impress your future grandkids, coincide your visit with a bridge lift and relish the magic of the bridge drawing up right below your feet! Find bridge lift times and buy tickets to the Tower Bridge Exhibition online.
• www.towerbridge.org.uk
2. THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY GREENWICH
Make your pledge to love her to the ends of the universe and for all time in beautiful Greenwich, the home of the stunning Royal Observatory and the birthplace of the Prime Meridian, which sets the time for the rest of the world. The onion-domed Observatory, often compared to the dome of the Taj Mahal, has an 18-tonne Victorian telescope through which you can view stars and distant galaxies over the winter months (booking is highly recommended) and makes a stellar setting for a proposal that’s out of this world.
• www.rmg.co.uk
3. COCA COLA LONDON EYE
The observation wheel on the riverside of the Thames changed London's skyline forever when it was first revealed for the Millennium New Year celebrations 15 years ago and it's now as much of an architectural icon as Big Ben. Thousands of visitors enjoy a 30min 'flight' in one of its capsules, but if you want to pop the question without an audience gawping at you, why not hire a Cupid's Capsule? A private pod allows you to enjoy romantic views 40km across the capital with only a bottle of Pommery Brut Royal Champagne and a luxury box of Hotel Chocolat Pink Champagne Truffles served by a personal host for company. Reserve a capsule for twilight and toast your engagement as the sun sets across the city. Cupid Capsule for two, £350.
• www.londoneye.com
PARIS
Get on bended knee in the City of Lights
1. LE CRAZY HORSE
A Parisian institution, Le Crazy Horse combines the playfulness of cabaret with the pure seduction of burlesque in a venue that first opened its doors in 1951. Each of Le Crazy’s dancers have been chosen for their identikit body stats, such is it’s dedication to perfection and dance in precision in a selection of tantalising costumes ranging from corsets and feather fans to just strategic strips of black tape in some numbers!
Colours, images and lighting blur the boundaries between fantasy and reality and ensure that your attention to the stage is absolute. You won’t be able to wrench your eyes away from the 90min show, but luckily a well-timed interval gives you a chance to catch your breath.
Yes, there’s nudity, but it’s never seedy or lewd – Le Crazy is less about nakedness, and more about celebrating the female form. The show is so renowned that a string of celebrities have joined the cabaret for limited runs, including Dita Von Teese and Carmen Electra. Beyonce even used the venue to film her red-hot video Partition, learning the choreography to popular routines such as ‘Legmania’ for some clips.
Cabaret at Le Crazy Horse should be at the top of your ‘must-do’ list in Paris and offers an evening of sensual entertainment that will become one of the highlights of your getaway.
• www.lecrazyhorseparis.com
2. L’HOTEL
Experience the charms of Gallic cooking at the Michelin-starred Le Restaurant, the highly-praised restaurant of L’Hotel, situated on Paris’ Left Bank in well-heeled St Germain-des-Prés.
The chic restaurant offers three services through the day, but lunch is the best time to dine thanks to the wide windows and conservatory-style ceiling which allow light to illuminate the space. On warm days, the rear windows are opened to allow diners to enjoy the small garden and fountain, a rare find in the centre of the city’s urban sprawl.
Dishes are made using fresh, seasonal ingredients and are classically French, such as roast veal with a reduced red wine jus or fragrant cod loin served with salad and grapefruit.
Save room for dessert; there’s a perfectly balanced cheeseboard of Beaufort 2013, rich chocolate bombe or chestnut mousse with pomegranate to agonise over.
Everything from the considerate staff who helpfully suggest wines to accompany each course and explain the dishes in flawless English, to the sophisticated décor ensure that dining at Le Restaurant is an experience like no other.
• www.l-hotel.com
3. THE FAST TRACK TO PARIS
Getting to the heart of Paris has never been easier thanks to Eurostar. The train's UK terminal at King's Cross St Pancras International means you can breakfast in London and zip into Paris' Gare du Nord in time for lunch. Flying may seem shorter than Eurostar's 2h15m journey, but when you consider the time and expense of traipsing to and from airports, lengthy security queues and limited on-board luggage, it's clear that hopping aboard the Eurostar is the hassle-free (and eco-friendlier) option. With up to 18 daily services and return fares from as low as £69, why travel any other way?
• www.eurostar.com
BARCELONA
Make a grand gesture in the Catalan city
1. SAGRADA FAMILIA
If you only have time to visit one attraction, make it this one; the unfinished marvel of Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia. Construction of the church began in 1882 with an expected finish date of 2026, a hundred years after its architect’s death. While scaffolding marrs the exterior walls, the interior is filled with etheral, otherworldy beauty thanks to the exquisite stained glass windows, soaring marble columns and gothic and Art Nouveua details.
• www.sagradafamilia.cat
2. PARK GUELL
If you cut Barcelona open, no one would be surprised to find Antoni Gaudí’s name stamped through the centre like a stick of rock. The Spanish architect’s work is evident for all to see across the city, but one of the most accessible is the impressive Park Güell, which offers panoramic views across Barcelona from its lofty walkways and elevated landscaped platforms.
The park is divided into free and ticketed sections and is the perfect way to while away a lazy afternoon. A stone staircase decorated with a glass and tile dragon is an ideal spot to pop the big Q.
• www.parkguell.cat
3. GRAN TEATRE DEL LICEU
Book evening tickets for the ballet or opera at the Liceu Opera Barcelona, locally known as Gran Teatre del Liceu. The gorgeous building was founded on Barcelona’s Rambla back in 1847. It’s the biggest horseshoe-shaped opera theatre in Europe and the second largest in the world, with 3500 seats. With its uninterrupted show schedule for more than 165 years, the Liceu has been a privileged spectator of some of the most pivotal events of the 19th and 20th century.
The Theatre also offers multilingual tours that include a visit to the Círculo del Liceo, the oldest and most prestigious private club in Barcelona, home to one of the most important private collections of art-nouveau in the city.
• www.liceubarcelona.cat