In a study carried out by Amazon Books in the UK, Italy and Germany, the most romantic cities were revealed to be Bristol, Siena, and Potsdam.
Known for romantic hotspots like Clifton Observatory, as well as the phrase “Alright my luvver”, Amazon Books UK data shows that Bristolians buy and read more romance novels (per capita) than any other UK city. Meanwhile, with its romantic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle and Arthur’s Seat, and home to the great Robert Burns, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Scottish capital Edinburgh took second place.
Northern Irish and Welsh capital cities, Belfast and Cardiff, also appeared in the list, notably above London, which ranked twelfth. Despite being stereotypically less friendly and loving than its Northern counterparts, London did however still beat the country’s next largest city, Manchester, which finished fifteenth on the list.
Siena, in the province of Tuscany, which came third last year, is now number one in the new top 10 Italian cities which love reading romance. Whether it is the striking colours of the city’s roofs and building facades, or its timeless charm, the city’s inhabitants didn’t give up on romance. The city of the sun, Cagliari, features in second place, while Pavia comes in at third place, with a remarkable leap forward from last year of no less than seven positions.
In Italy, the romantic novel that was most read in 2023 is Dammi mille baci by Tillie Cole, the story of Poppy Litcheld who, at the age of nine, decides to embark on the greatest adventure of her life: collecting a thousand kisses that will make her heart burst.
The German city of love is Potsdam, as this is where the most romance stories were read in 2023, closely followed by Wolfsburg in second place, and Paderborn in third place.
The most romantic cities in the UK, according to Amazon Books UK, based on those that purchased the most romantic fiction (per capita) in 2023:
- Bristol
- Edinburgh
- Sheffield
- Nottingham
- Cardiff
- Liverpool
- Coventry
- Glasgow
- Southampton
- Belfast
- Newcastle
- London
- Leeds
- Birmingham
- Manchester
The top 10 most romantic Italian cities
- Siena
- Cagliari
- Pavia
- Vicenza
- Trieste
- Gallarate
- Milan
- Sanremo
- Padua
- Verona
The top 10 most romantic German cities
- Potsdam
- Wolfsburg
- Paderborn
- Mainz
- Moers
- Oldenburg
- Bergisch Gladbach
- Karlsruhe
- Erlangen
- Wuerzburg
- Brunswick
- Munich
- Jena
- Aachen
- Muenster
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.