Vienna gave us one of opera’s happier love stories (Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow since you ask). So here some options for February 14th in our fair city.
- For the record: yes, it’s celebrated locally
- Book a concert & dinner* in Vienna
- See also:
Jump to:
- Romantic dinner
- Dinner & a concert
- Valentine’s Day specials
- A night at the opera/ballet?
- A night at the cinema?
- Romantic footsteps
Romance for two in 2027
Not going to lie…I’ve been married so long that a romantic gesture now means cleaning the apartment on a Saturday morning while your partner has a lie in. But I am not entirely lost to the art of romance.
For those who prefer to say it with flowers rather than a vacuum cleaner, a few suggestions for Valentine’s Day 2027 in Vienna…
Romantic dinner?
(Dinner in the sky at the Danube Tower; press photo © Donauturm)
The obvious choice is a suitably romantic location for a tête-à-tête over a glass of wine and fine food. Perhaps with a view across the city rooftops.
Since a romantic dinner is not just something for Valentine’s Day, I actually have a whole article of suggestions. Obviously, book well in advance for the commercial locations.
Many restaurants will have Valentine’s Day offers, of course. Last time out, for example, the Donauturm viewing platform had special options available in its tower café and restaurant.
Dinner and a concert?
(The Musikverein venue)
How about a night of light classical music in a romantic historical ambience with dinner to boot? A strong alternative which hopefully repeats in 2027, for example, is:
- Schönbrunn concerts: a bit of Strauss and Mozart in the long Baroque palace orangery, where the latter used to play for Emperor Joseph II (unless I’ve mixed up my monarchs)
Check out a few concert / dinner options here*, too, as the big day approaches.
Valentine’s Day specials
(A kiss beneath The Kiss at Belvedere? Press photo © Ivory Rose Photography / Belvedere, Wien)
Obviously, a lot of locations, hotels, and attractions will come up with ideas for special events or offers on the 14th.
They usually announce such things fairly late in the day, but I will add notable specials as they reach my inbox.
Here’s a look back at the 2006 day…
A kiss and the Kiss?
(Upper Belvedere: not a bad spot for a romantic evening excursion)
Between 7pm and 11pm on February 14th, Upper Belvedere offered free entry to its Klimt rooms out-of-hours for pairs to get a romantic photo in front of The Kiss.
A professional photographer took your photo as you kissed in front of Gustav Klimt’s famous painting, and they sent you a digital copy of the result (also for free).
All was on a first come first served basis.
Other museum specials
(Enjoy 2 for the price of 1 at the Gaming Museum)
Every year, look out for specials for couples and pairs at other museums and similar locations. In 2026, for example, the Retro Gaming Museum had a “buy a ticket and get a free one for your date” offer.
Museums often offer Valentine-themed tours, but largely in German only. You might find exceptions, though.
Concert by candlelight
I’ve written elsewhere about the Candlelight Concerts that commonly feature today’s music in classical form. Last time, one of those concerts was a February 14th Valentine Day’s special in the Weltmuseum with a string quartet interpreting such tunes as La Vie En Rose or Can’t Help Falling in Love.
On the water?
(Valentine’s Day dinner along the Danube; press photo © DDSG Blue Danube & Emanuel Kaser)
Ah, moonbeams on the waterfront as your gondola…um, no, that’s Venice not Vienna. However…
The DDSG Blue Danube cruise service that operates around Vienna’s waterways offered an evening trip up the river with a four-course candlelit dinner and suitable music on the 14th.
A night at the opera/ballet?
(The Staatsoper State Opera House)
A spot of high culture seems a fine way to spend the evening on Valentine’s Day. We had a couple of suitable productions on the 14th in 2026, but I await schedules for 2027:
- The Volksoper had Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss, with its comedic tale of love in 18th-century Vienna
- The Staatsoper had the ballet Jewels: a homage to precious gems by George Balanchine that provided a modern update on the romantic ballet tradition
A night at the cinema?
You might be lucky and find a new release with an appropriate theme at one of Vienna’s many English-language cinemas. But look for special Valentine showings, too. In 2026, the Haydn Kino screened 2005’s Pride & Prejudice, for example.
Romantic footsteps?
(Scene of the poetry recital in Before Sunrise)
Alternatively, simply draw Valentine inspiration from fictional and courtly lovers and retrace their journeys. For example:
- Before Sunrise movie: follow Jesse and Céline as they wander nocturnal Vienna, talk about life, and learn that we’re all just stardust. Recreate Jesse’s recital of Auden’s poem As I walked out one Evening outside the Albertina
- Sachertorte movie: take after Karl and enjoy chocolate cake and coffee in honour of the (possible) love of your life
- Empress Elisabeth: turn the clocks back some 150 years and tread gently in the footsteps of the legendary Sisi, subject of Emperor Franz Joseph’s undying love. Although that relationship was perhaps also as much tragedy as romance.