If Valentine’s Day has got you plotting where best to get down on bended knee and pop the question to your beloved, then consider Bristol your amorous wing-lady. The city’s unique, jaw-dropping backdrops are bound to capture the mood and help you put a ring on it!

Here are some of the most romantic places to propose in the city... 

Bristol red arrows heart

Image - RAF Red Arrows over Bristol, photo credit Angharad Paull

5. Iconic Bristol Attractions

Bristol’s top attractions make great backdrops for a proposal. 

Drop hints to your partner at Bristol Aquarium and spot the clownfish and seahorses who mate for life, or declare your love up on the deck of Brunel’s SS Great Britain (also a popular wedding venue).

Wind through the beautiful ancient walkways in Bear Wood at Bristol Zoo Project and watch the magnificent bears, wolves and lynx as they roam below. Or if you're into adrenaline rushes, propose after taking a jump at Leap of Faith

Brunel's SS Great Britain
Image - Brunel's SS Great Britain

If your partner is into planes, or you want some real Bristol heritage to be part of your proposal story, pop the question under Concorde at Aerospace Bristol

For something different, delight in the history, geology and legends at the Wookey Hole, then emerge from the caves to the hidden valley where the views are spectacular. 

Concorde at Aerospace BristolImage - Aerospace Bristol

4. Clevedon Pier

Clevedon, near Bristol, is a charming seaside town with a pebbled shoreline and restored Grade I* listed Victorian pier – one of the finest in all of England. Boyband One Direction thought it had the love factor and shot the video to their song, You and I here (perhaps you could serenade the object of your affections in similar style? Just an idea...). Stroll through the ornamental gardens or take to the water at the re-vamped Marine Lake, before a promenade and proposal on the pier.

Clevedon pier

Image - Clevedon pier

3. A restaurant

If food is the way to your partner’s heart, dazzle them with some delicious nosh in one of Bristol’s romantic eateries. Whether you opt for a table at one of Bristol's Michelin-starred restaurants, or twinkly poolside tapas at the Lido, gaze into your partner’s eyes over a long lingering dinner before summoning up the courage to ask them to be yours forever.

2. Clifton Suspension Bridge

Views like this are hard to top. From any angle – above, below, the Leigh Woods side or looking down from the Clifton Observatory, Brunel’s mighty suspension bridge is hypnotic in its splendour. Drink in the view of the dramatic Avon Gorge together, before putting the icing on the cake and asking your partner that question.

Alternatively, just outside the city you'll find the jaw-dropping Cheddar Gorge, where you can climb Jacob's Ladder to enjoy stunning views across Somerset.

Clifton Suspension bridge

Image - Clifton Suspension Bridge, photo credit Tamany Baker

1. In a hot air balloon

Provided your partner isn’t scared of heights, this is the ultimate romantic gesture. Soar over Bristol’s photogenic landscape, for an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience, then in the quiet, still air that comes with floating this high above the Earth, you’ll have to give up those views for a moment as you get down on one knee. Celebrate with a glass of Champers as you touch down after your flight. Fly Away Ballooning or Elite Air (UK) Ltd all offer Champagne packages. Love truly is in the air.

  • Browse romantic local experiences, from wine tasting to pottery making, on Yuup

Bristol Balloon champagne ride
Image - Hot air balloon over Bristol, photo credit Paul Box

For even more starry-eyed declarations of love you could hire a tandem bicycle, ask for your partner's hand while gazing over beautiful panoramic views from the top of Cabot Tower, declare your love at Lovers Leap in Blaise Castle Estate, or head east to lovely Troopers Hill Nature Reserve.

Read more:

Related

Camera Obscura and Museum
Observatory/Planetarium
Clifton Observatory

William West's Camera Obscura is now 1 of only 3 working Camera Obscuras in the UK. This marvellous piece of Victorian engineering has sat on ton of Clifton Observatory’s tower since 1828.

Virgin Balloon Flights
Aircraft/Ballooning
Virgin Balloon Flights

With Virgin Balloon Flights, you're unlikely to get a better perspective of the Clifton Suspension Bridge than when taking off from Ashton Court Mansion and floating gently away to reveal a panoramic view of the bridge spanning the beautiful Avon Gorge.

Bristol Tandem Hire
Cycle
Tandem by Clifton Suspension Bridge

Couples, friends, families, groups … Bristol Tandem Hire has great tandem bikes for you to rent. Easy booking, bespoke service. A fun way to explore the best of Bristol/Bath/ Somerset.

Brunel's SS Great Britain
Historic Ship
SS Great Britain Hero Image

Voyage back in time at Brunel’s SS Great Britain, the world’s first great ocean liner.

Cabot Tower and Brandon Hill
Garden
Cabot Tower and Brandon Hill Bristol

Cabot Tower is a century-old 105ft tower, set in the gorgeous parkland of Brandon Hill near Park Street in the West End.

Cabot Circus
Shop/Shopping Centre
Cabot Circus

Under cover award winning shopping centre in Bristol, offering all well known high street stores, boutiques, cafes, restaurants and Cinema de Lux, split over 4 levels. Open from 10.00am until 8.00pm Monday to Saturday and 11.00am until 5.00pm on Sun

Troopers Hill Nature Reserve
Country Park/Nature Reserve
Troopers Hill Nature Reserve (c) Visit Bristol

An award-winning local nature reserve and former mine in east Bristol that overlooks the River Avon.