Love is always in the air in February but which are the world places associated with true love all year round that really speak to our hearts? Europesure Travel Insurance has tracked down some of the most romance-ladened spots on the world map.
The Taj Mahal, Agra, India
One place associated with true love is undoubtedly the Taj Mahal in Agra. Now a world wonder and UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is an expression of the deep devotion of a husband to one of his wives. The man in question was Shah Jahan I, previously Prince Khurram, a powerful Mogul emperor who had ascended to India’s Peacock Throne. Whilst he was responsible for founding Old Delhi and for creating glorious mosques both there and in Agra, he is best known for the mausoleum he created for wife, Mumtaz Mahal, between 1631 and 1648.
The Taj Mahal, close to the River Yamuna, was built in memory of Mumtaz, after she died shortly after giving birth to her 13th child. She had made her husband promise to remember her in this way and he kept his word to a wife who was his trusted soul mate, by his side continually. Around 20,000 men, from across Northern India, were tasked with building the mausoleum, whilst expert artisans, including inlayers, calligraphers, marble carvers, sculptors and turret builders, were commissioned for what was to become one of the world’s most renowned buildings.
Visit the perfectly proportioned monument and marvel at its sheer beauty, whether pink in the morning, white later in the day, or glowing in golden setting sun. The Taj Mahal is open daily, other than Fridays, from thirty minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset. Buy Europesure Travel Insurance's worldwide single trip or annual travel insurance, if you wish to have comprehensive cover in India.
Juliet’s House and Balcony, Verona, Italy
A world place associated with true love of the mythical kind has to be Juliet’s house in the city of Verona. Located at Via Cappello 23, this building demonstrates the power of fictional love. Visitors flock to this former medieval tower house, documented since 1351, driven by the words of William Shakespeare. The Bard may have based his work on that of Italian authors, but it was his renown that made a visit here part of the European Grand Tour. Everyone from Hans Christian Andersen (1833-4) to Charles Dickens (1864) felt compelled to visit.
This is the place where Romeo supposedly expressed his love for Juliet. Former home of the Cappello family, it had no association with the Cappelletti family, mentioned by Dante in his Divine Comedy. Nor with the Montecchi, also referenced. Yet, these families are said to have inspired the fictional Montagues and Capulets. Furthermore, a, 18thcentury myth grew around Juliet’s tomb being in the garden of the church of San Francesco al Corso. Put the two together and we have the hub of love that we see today, in a house restored in 1939/1940.
This is when a balcony was added, to accentuate the drama. In 1972, a statue of Juliet, by Nereo Constantini, began to grace the courtyard. Now, thousands flock here each week, many seeking to be successful in love by rubbing Juliet’s right breast. With a house of paintings, engravings, sculptures, medieval motifs and even the bed from Zeffirelli’s 1968 film about the lovers, there is also something to explore, even if it may be more fiction than fact.
Juliet’s House is open from 9am to 7pm Tuesday to Sunday, and closed on Mondays, at the time of writing. To get the right protection for travel to Verona, purchase Europesure Travel Insurance's single trip or annual travel insurance for European travel.
Asian place associated with true love – Kodaiji Temple, Kyoto
In the Higashiyama district of Kyoto is a temple originally established in 1606. It marks a wife’s love of her husband – Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The wife in question, named Nene, originally built a breathtaking lacquer and gold temple. This was, unfortunately, destroyed by a 1912 fire and rebuilt in a less lavish fashion than previously.
Beautiful gardens surround what is still a richly decorated temple, however. Here, Nene would pray for her husband, within what is a memorial hall, or Kaizando, surrounded by beautiful flowers, pines and stunning maple trees that sport rich red leaves in November.
Behind the Kodaiji Temple, on the hillside, a mausoleum for the pair is gloriously furnished with powdered gold and silver lacquer work, in keeping with a local artisan tradition. A nod to Hideyoshi’s love of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony can be found by the presence of two teahouses. For travel insurance protection here, you will again need the worldwide cover provided by Europesure Travel Insurance.
The castle on Heart Island
Heart Island is one of 1000 islands in the St Lawrence River but it may be, very fittingly, the only one associated with true love. A tragic tale underpins Boldt Castle, open between May 9 and October 12 in 2026, by those arriving by boat from the US or Canadian coast.
The castle was built by the mega-rich proprietor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in new York, George C Boldt from 1900. The project was born out of love for his wife but the castle never delivered the joy intended. Mrs Boldt died suddenly in January 1904 and her heartbroken husband left the island, never to return. 73 years of neglect ensued, until the six-storey and 120-room castle was restored. With tunnels, drawbridge, Italian gardens, children’s playhouse, dovecote and more, it still speaks of the love poured into it by George C Boldt.
If visiting Boldt Castle from Europe, as a UK or European resident or expat, you will need worldwide travel insurance protection that includes the USA and Canada. Well-respected Europesure can provide you with this, at a highly competitive price.
And a place associated with true love in the UK
Finally, the UK also has its own castle underpinned by a rich love story. At Langley Castle Hotel, close to Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland, a battlements chapel was created by French widow, Josephine d’Écharvines in memory of her husband. She had married historian and antiquarian, Cadwallader John Bates, in the years after he had bought the ruined castle and started to restore it.
The castle had a rich Catholic history, being the former property of brothers James and Charles Radcliffe, cousins to the exiled Stuart monarchs. Both were beheaded, thanks to their part in Jacobite uprisings in 1715 (James and Charles) and 1745 (Charles). Restoring Langley Castle was a labour of love for both Bates and his wife and the pair made sure to create a shrine to the Radcliffes nearby.
With Cadwallader dying before the castle restoration was complete, Josephine carried on his work. She also travelled to Rome and requested an audience with Pope Leo XIII. From that meeting, she gained permission to create the consecrated chapel. This is appreciated by guests and non-residents alike taking a daily Battlements Tour at Langley Castle. The graves of the pair also lie just a short walk away.
Expat travel insurance warning
Remember, if visiting the UK from a European home in which you now reside, you are no longer entitled to free NHS treatment. Cover any health-related eventualities that might result in treatment or hospitalisation, by buying travel insurance from Europesure. That will also help you get back to your European home, if you require medical repatriation or special travel arrangements.
Love travel but make sure your head rules your heart when it comes to staying protected. Head to https://www.europesuretravelinsurance.com to choose the cover that will help you explore places around the world associated with true love.
