A plan for an evening for two: a trip to the cinema and dinner somewhere nice. In the “original” version - maybe having a massage or going to the spa together. Sound familiar? Are you looking for something new that will surprise your other half, provide an unforgettable experience and rekindle romance? Take advantage of our inspirations – below you will find over 20 original romantic ideas for couples in Cracow, Lodz, Katowice, Miedzyzdroje and Warsaw. You can use them to organize last minute celebrations for Valentine’s Day, your anniversary or your loved one’s birthday.
We’ve divided the ideas into cities, so you can read everything or focus on the destination you’re interested in. We also have a gift for you - Google Maps with marked places to download to your phone! Help yourself 🙂
Pop-cultural Cracow
As always, the Italians are to blame! More specifically, the writer Federico Moccia and his novel “Three Metres above the Sky” – supposedly, the love padlock tradition has spread because of the Italian best-seller and, later, its film adaptation. In the book, the characters attach a padlock, as a token of their love, to one of the lamp posts on the Milvian Bridge in Rome, and throw the key into the Tiber so that nothing can break the bonds of love. This symbolic act was quickly copied by many fans and now “love bridges” can be found in almost every European city. In Cracow, lovers go to Father Bernatek Footbridge (Kładka Ojca Bernatka), a pedestrian crossing and bikeway spanning the Vistula River at the end of Mostowa Street. This is a perfect place to go for a romantic walk through the Old Town – it is worth following this popular custom, “locking” your feelings, and, what’s more, seeing a beautiful part of Cracow. When walking through the Old Town, you can go to the Mirror Labyrinth on Grodzka Street – watch out, it’s easy to get dizzy there! The magic of mirrors and the effect of endless space provide an extraordinary visual experience, although it’s better to plan a visit to the labyrinth as a nice break rather than the main attraction, because it is rather a “micro-scale” attraction. However, it is a spectacular setting for photos –great selfies guaranteed! But the events taking place in Tauron Arena are definitely macro-scale: Cracow’s largest entertainment arena is a place where world-class stars perform all year round. Make your loved one happy and buy tickets for Carlos Santana, Celine Dion or Aerosmith. Take advantage of the special offer for concerts and save on accommodation!
Download the “Romantic Cracow” map with marked places to see: http://bit.ly/Romantyczny-Krakow
STAY AT / Vienna House Easy Cracow
Lodz in the light of stars
The capital of Polish cinematography has many faces: it is a former industrial metropolis with post-industrial charm, and, at the same time, a thoroughly modern city undergoing intensive urban redevelopment, with 21st century technology. It is worth reaching for the treasures gathered here and starting a romantic trip by visiting the Lodz Film Centre, which has the largest collection and rental shop of costumes, props, armour and firearms in Poland. This is not a typical dating spot, but that’s what it’s all about, and the place is great! You can wander the warehouse corridors for hours and immerse yourself in bygone eras. Ladies will be delighted with outfits and jewellery: you can find there, among others, a beautiful dress of Barbara Radziwiłłówna, worn by Anna Dymna in the series “Królowa Bona” (“Queen Bona”), and also a 3-piece suit worn by Daniel Olbrychski in the movie “Ziemia obiecana (“The Promised Land”). Gentlemen will be interested in an impressive collection of cold weapons and pistols, revolvers, rifles, double shotguns, shotguns… – some of them dating back to the 19th century. The Lodz Film Centre also runs an antique shop, where you can buy stills, photos of the film sets, and film posters. Visits must be arranged in advance, admission is possible on weekdays apart from Wednesdays. The one condition is that you actually have to rent something because the Centre does not offer sightseeing tours.
The polar opposite of the former idea for spending time together in Lodz is a visit to the ultra-modern EC1 complex on Targowa Street: the historic power plant currently houses the Science and Technology Centre and the Planetarium, whose extensive offer guarantees a magical evening – after all, looking at the stars is one of the favourite activities of all lovers… The alternative is to look down from the sky to the ground – scenic flights have been enjoying popularity for many years. You can choose from ready-made “experience gifts” or book a charter flight – for example in Bartolini Air. The flight will give a rush of adrenaline for fans of more extreme entertainment, and it will also be an opportunity to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the modernist architecture of Lodz and numerous new investment projects. After such attractions you need to relax – a special offer to spend the night in a luxury 4-star hotel suite, as stayed in by Justin Bieber, Rhianna and Lenny Kravitz, will be the crowning achievement of an escapade in Lodz, ensuring fantastic memories. You can’t get closer to the stars!
Download the “Romantic Lodz” map with marked places to see: http://bit.ly/Romantyczna-Lodz
STAY AT / Vienna House Andel’s Lodz
Katowice – sweet, with a bit of… coal
You cannot visit Silesia without visiting the “Central Park” of the conurbation – Silesian Park located between Katowice and Chorzów. One of the numerous attractions there is the Elka cable railway, which on 14 February offers lovers special Valentine’s Day rides with hot chocolate, muffins, a rose for your loved one, and a photo session in a photo booth – all tickets are sold out within a few hours after reservations open in the last days of January. However, Elka does not only operate on Valentine’s Day, and the views changing with the season are always beautiful. In spite of its mining history, Katowice is one of the greenest cities of the conurbation – over 40% of its area is covered with forests, parks, green squares, and gardens. Apart from the phenomenal Silesian Park, the area around Skłodowska-Curie, PCK and Rymera Streets is also interesting; it is also worth planning a romantic walk through the green valley next to the International Congress Centre to the scenic viewpoint on the hill – this is a cult dating spot in Katowice. And if you want to sing a serenade for your beloved, you should definitely take her to the Guitar History Museum. Two enthusiasts, Leszek and Tomek, who run the museum, can talk for hours about how lutes were made and tell stories about obtaining specific instruments. It is worth listening or taking an instrument in your hands (it’s allowed!) and playing it. To make the trip less sweet – in the end go together to the mouth of the Guido Mine in nearby Zabrze, where extreme conditions (darkness, absolute silence, steep and narrow passages) will be a test for your relationship and an opportunity to check how strong your feelings are (you can hum to yourself: “How deep is your love”). Who will go first? Who will hold the mine lamp, the only source of light? You will go back in a comfortable suspension underground railway and finish in the Pump Hall, the pub in the deepest location in Europe.
Download the “Romantic Katowice” map with marked places to see: http://bit.ly/Romantyczne-Katowice
STAY AT / Vienna House Easy Katowice
Exoticism in the City of Kings
Although Cracow is generally associated first and foremost with Polish history and centuries-old tradition, the influence of the distant world is being felt more and more clearly there. Restaurants with Hawaiian or California cuisine (such as Hilo, Miski or Mavericks) with their Pacific atmosphere and ever-present tropical elements are becoming increasingly popular. It is worth mentioning that the Botanical Garden of the Jagiellonian University has the oldest and richest collection of orchids in Poland – admiring flowers together can be very romantic, especially because orchids may trigger specific associations… The trend for exoticism is also reflected in the Amazonia Parrot House located in the Main Square, where you can look closely at and even feed cockatoos, macaws, green-cheeked parakeets and grey parrots. The birds are tame and very friendly; they sit on your hands and let you stroke them. Importantly, the motto of the parrot house is love and respect for animals – so the visit is supervised by specialized workers who not only ensure comfortable conditions for parrots, but also help visitors get to know and understand them.
After flowers and birds, you need only butterflies to have a perfect tropical paradise – and you can find them a few streets away. The Museum of Live Butterflies, located on Grodzka Street, has a collection of over a dozen species, including Attacus Atlas, the largest butterflies in the world (they reach up to 24 cm!) and Blue Morpho. The opportunity to see the process of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon is also an unusual attraction – everyone watches this spectacle in awe! However, you’d better check in advance if there will be such a possibility on a specific date – it’s worth choosing the right time because the butterfly’s life cycle lasts only a few weeks… However, it’s always a good time to take your other half to the Mo61 perfumery and, accompanied by an experienced “nose”, compose your own scent. You can choose between a gift voucher (from 199 PLN per person) or Sunday’s individual premium fragrance workshops (from 500 PLN per person). Apart from the obvious benefit of visiting the perfume shop in the form of a bottle of customized perfume, the time you spend surrounded by inspiring scents will stimulate your senses and put you in a mood for other pleasurable activities for two… Take advantage of the special offer to have a room with romantic decorations and a bottle of sparkling wine waiting for you!
Download the “Romantic Cracow” map with marked places to see: http://bit.ly/Romantyczny-Krakow
STAY AT / Vienna House Andel’s Cracow
Miedzyzdroje: sea tales to the rhythm of tango
Seaside resorts usually come to life during the summer season and there isn’t much to do at other times. However, in Miedzyzdroje you can find interesting attractions for couples all year round. The first and most obvious attraction there is the sea – the Polish Baltic Sea is quite enchanting even in the colder months. Stormy weather makes rough waves cast amber to the shore – it is worth looking around when walking on the beach! – and an empty beach covered with snow or frost looks amazing. In autumn, winter and spring there is more iodine in the air, so a romantic walk along the seashore or on a promenade among the coastal pines will have a beneficial effect on your health. Other suggestions include the “standard dating option”: dinner + film – the Eva cinema located next to the pier has special boxes for couples. But why should you limit your choices? Two streets away, there is the newly opened state-of-the-art Oceanarium with laser projections, 4K monitors (from 43″ to huge 83″) and motion detection technology. The offer includes animals from all over the world and an exhibition of shark models on a 1:1 scale – it can get scary, but, luckily, you will be there together…
A great idea for two is also a trip to the Amber Baltic Golf Club, located in nearby Kolczewo – its 18-hole course (Par 72) will make you fully satisfied with your game. It will also be a sensual pleasure, especially if one of you already knows how to play and the other one is learning – correcting your partner’s posture and improving their stroke technique is a great opportunity for physical contact: brushing, touching, warm embrace… It is cheaper on Tuesdays and if you stay at the Vienna House Amber Baltic! However, the local dance opportunities are the best feature of Miedzyzdroje because of the high standard of the dance culture in the region. Great tournaments, such as the Pearl of the Baltic in May, and festivals, such as the International Argentine Tango Festival in Swinoujscie at the end of September, are held there. It is also home to the Jantar Dance School, which prepares national teams and gives lessons to amateurs. Tango Passion Cafe Club in Swinoujscie had a great idea – it organizes regular “tango replays” for anyone who wants to join – every Thursday at 8.30 pm you can dance till you drop. On the other days of the week it offers salsa workshops or bachata lessons – there is always something going on there.
Download the “Romantic Miedzyzdroje” map with marked places to see: http://bit.ly/Romantyczne-Miedzyzdroje
STAY AT / Vienna House Amber Baltic Miedzyzdroje
Warsaw – a blend of old and new and aphrodisiacs for dessert
In the capital city, couples may choose from numerous romantic activities – the key is to select the ones really worthy of attention. To start with, two museum visits… – are you saying that’s boring? Not if you visit Fotoplastikon in Warsaw! Located in the very centre, the unique “optical auditorium” was established at the beginning of the 20th century and has been operating with occasional breaks until now. Using a stereoscopic imaging technique (consisting in presenting a different image to the left and right eyes with the use of fotoplasticon glasses – which, when combined in the brain, gives a spatial image), it presents the audience with the charm of cities of the past, as captured in old photographs. February 14th marks the opening of the exhibition “Ville de l’amour or Paris in pre-war photography”, which will make you fall in love with the French capital and love each other even more. Fotoplastikon is a cosy place, a bit dark in the old style, with an unusual atmosphere… Is there any better place for a date? The second suggestion is a visit to the newly opened Cosmos Museum in Wola – currently “the most Instagrammable place in Warsaw”. It is a kingdom of illusions and digital art – interactive, fascinating and unpredictable. 50 extraordinary exhibits based on optical illusions have the power of transferring to another world – you will have a lot of fun there.
When your eyes are suffused with fantastic images, it is worth closing them for a moment to use the other senses. An opportunity to turn off the automatic visual perception of reality can be found in a visit to the Invisible Exhibition – a unique interactive journey during which you can try to cope with everyday situations without the sense of sight, only by means of hearing, touch, smell… The guides on this journey are blind people, thanks to whom the experience is not frightening, but intriguing, allowing us to appreciate anew all the sights we perceive every day as something natural. It gives food for thought! After experiencing so many sensations you can get hungry – luckily, the cooking workshop is next on the schedule. The Institute of Culinary Art, located at Postępu 5, offers suggestions for every topic and every occasion. For Valentine’s Day, the menu includes, for example, aphrodisiac dishes: aubergine rolls with nut paste and pomegranate, Imeritian khachapuri or Spanish paella marinera all sound good, right? And for dessert, chocolate mousse, hmm… As experts say, cooking together is the best way to build relationships and an opportunity to get even closer – and that’s what it’s all about!
Download the “Romantic Warsaw” map with marked places to see: http://bit.ly/Romantyczna-Warszawa
STAY AT / Vienna House Mokotow Warsaw