To spend your February holiday in a romantic mood, you can go to the places where films about meetings, partings, passion and all-consuming feelings were filmed. We talk about eight locations from iconic films about love.
“Beach”, Thailand
A beautiful story about the life of a young man on a tropical island without prohibitions made money not only for the creators, but also for the tourism business of Thailand. The film was released in 2000, and for more than 20 years many travelers have been going to Phi Phi Ley Island to see the very beach where the famous film was filmed. A few years later, the Thai authorities decided to close Maya Bay to visitors, as the rapidly growing tourist flow became a threat to the unique natural ecosystem. Today, the beach where the love story of the characters played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Tilda Swinton unfolded is again available to tourists. However, the number of people who can come here per day is limited. Therefore, it is better to book excursions in advance.
Where to stay:
In the three-star Phi Phi Hotel (rating 8.3) – from 4,700 rubles* per night.
“Only Lovers Left Alive,” Morocco
Jim Jarmusch’s slow and drawn-out drama about the eternal love of two vampires was filmed on several continents: America, Europe and Africa. At the center of the story is a married couple who have been living in this world together for hundreds of years. Husband and wife feel comfortable in a long-distance relationship, so Adam lives in gloomy Detroit and devotes himself to music, and Eva is interested in poetry and leads a bohemian lifestyle in one of the cities of Algeria. One day, from a phone conversation, she understands that Adam is feeling bad and goes to see him in the USA. When her younger sister joins them, a series of troubles begins that will again lead the lovers to the narrow oriental streets. However, they will no longer be as comfortable and serene as in the first half of the film.
The Algerian scenes were filmed in Morocco, in the old center (medina) of Tangier. Unlike many other cities in this country, Tangier is located in a hilly area, so the crooked cobbled streets run in different directions, and merchants prefer to lay out their goods on the stairs. The city has a creative atmosphere: famous artists, musicians, writers, poets, and actors often came here and spent their free time in local bars and cafes – just like Tilda Swinton’s character. One of the most popular places among bohemians, Cafe Baba, has been operating since 1943.
Where to stay:
In the historical three-star hotel Hotel Continental (rating 7.9) – from 7,300 rubles per night*.
“Bram Stoker’s Dracula”, Romania
Most likely, the real Vlad Tepes never visited Bran Castle. However, today this citadel is one of the most tourist places in Romania. The fortress gained such popularity thanks to director Francis Ford Coppola, who chose it as a film set for his film.
Bran Castle meets all the stereotypes about luxurious Transylvanian estates of otherworldly forces. Impregnable gloomy walls and pointed towers rise picturesquely on the cliff. The citadel is surrounded on three sides by an abyss, and it seems as if it is floating above the treetops. In the courtyard, different parts of the building are connected by graceful bridges and galleries. And at recognizable locations from the film there is a line of people wanting to take pictures and repeat familiar shots.
In the numerous restored rooms of the castle, virtually no historical interiors or decor have been preserved. The main exhibition in the rooms tells about the life of Queen Maria of Romania and her descendants; several rooms are dedicated to the most famous vampire, as well as the filming of a popular film.
Where to stay:
In the three-star Hotel Q Brasov (rating 9.4) – from 15,000 rubles* per day.
“Peter FM”, St. Petersburg
The northern capital has more than once turned into a large film set for beautiful love stories from different eras. Drawbridges, quiet canals, golden spiers, large windows and sunsets glowing over the water – it’s hard to imagine better scenery. In one of the most popular Russian rom-coms of the 2000s, Peter FM, viewers explore the city on the Neva along with the heroes, who throughout the film try to find each other in the interweaving of city streets and houses.
In the endless rush of young people to find happiness, recognizable places in St. Petersburg flash by. For example, the young architect Maxim lives in an attic with a large window, which is located in house 26-28 on Kamennoostrovsky Proezd. He agrees to meet with the heroine Masha near the Chernyshevskaya metro station. A creaky gate leads into the courtyard of the house at 104-106 Moika Embankment, opposite New Holland. And the picturesque bend along which Maxim rides his bicycle is located opposite house 101 on the embankment of the Griboyedov Canal. After the release of the film, Kapustin’s apartment building (Fontanka embankment, 159), which the main character admires, became especially popular.
Where to stay:
In the four-star Novotel St Petersburg Center hotel (rating 9.9) – from 4,700 rubles* per night.
“Romeo+Juliet”, Mexico
Paradoxically, the luxurious Italian palazzo of the Capulet family was filmed in Mexico. The Verona mansion, where Romeo and Juliet met at the ball, is the Chapultepec Palace in Mexico City. The monumental residence rises at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters above sea level on a hill in the middle of a green park. The palace was founded in 1785, but construction required such a large financial impact that the Viceroy decided to sell the building at auction.
The film shows rich baroque interiors, huge stained glass windows in the galleries, graceful balconies and grandiose gates. Today you can climb to them in two ways: either climb the hill on foot, or take a special minibus that runs between the foot and top of the hill. The Chapultepec Palace, built in a neoclassical European style that is uncharacteristic for Latin America, is very popular among tourists. If you plan your visit in advance, you can purchase a ticket with access to the roof of the palace, where there is a French mini-park with fruit trees, lawns and flower beds.
By the way, on the lake next to the palace they filmed the scene of the first date of the main characters of another iconic film love story – the Mexican series “Simply Maria”.
Where to stay:
In the five-star hotel Camino Real Polanco Mexico (rating 9) – from 13,400 rubles* per night.
“Eat, Pray, Love”, Indonesia
The main character of the film, played by Julia Roberts, goes on a great journey to find herself. As a result, fate brings her to Bali, where she experiences many adventures and finds true love. In the footage from the film, the souvenir market in Ubud is easily recognizable, and the house in which the heroine settled is located in the surrounding rice fields. Today anyone can rent it: the owners have kept the interiors unchanged and named the villa where the filming took place Eat Pray Love Villa.
For the most romantic moments, the filmmakers chose the southern beach of Bali, Padang Padang. Before the premiere, only surfers knew about the bay, protected on three sides by rocks and dense trees. It is considered to have some of the best waves in Indonesia. However, after Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem visited these places, the beach gained immense popularity among mass tourists and became crowded.
Where to stay:
In the three-star hotel Padang-Padang Inn (rating 8.7) – from 6,000 rubles* per day.
“Love and Doves”, Karelia
According to the plot, this tragicomic story took place in the Irkutsk region. However, the creators found suitable hilly landscapes in the vicinity of Medvezhyegorsk on the banks of the Kumsa River in Karelia. The house of the main characters was located at 12 Nizhnyaya Street. Several years ago it burned down, and a modern cottage was built on the site. However, the owners recreated that same dovecote in accordance with the movie scenery. Today, local guides conduct thematic film tours around Medvezhyegorsk, dedicated to the filming of one of the most beloved Soviet films by viewers.
Where to stay:
In the eco-hotel “Big Bear” (rating 8.8) – from 3,500 rubles* per night.
“Man and Woman”, France
The difficult story of the relationship between two lonely people who have lost their spouses is included in the list of the best films about love. The film received about 40 awards, including two Oscars. As the story progresses, the main characters seem to be perfect for each other. They experience a strong mutual attraction and finally confess their feelings for each other. However, at the climax, the heroine realizes that she cannot be with her beloved, since she has not yet experienced the death of her husband. A difficult scene of separation between a man and a woman, full of tenderness and tragedy, takes place at the Normandy Hotel in Deauville. The scenes of walks along the beach were also filmed in the same city. Today it is home to an elite bohemian resort. Guests can stay in the same room 406 and spend the night in interiors recreated from scenes from the film.
Where to stay:
In the five-star hotel Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy (rating 8.9) – from 29,900 rubles* per night.
*Prices are current at the time of publication.
