Paris Is the Most Beautiful in the Rain: The Appeal of Exploring Rainy Europe

In the closing moments of 2011’s Midnight in Paris, Owen Wilson’s nebbish writer, Gil, crosses a Parisian bridge at night and bumps into a beautiful French woman, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux). They strike up a conversation and it begins to rain. Gabrielle smiles and tells Gil it’s not a problem: “Actually, Paris is the most beautiful in the rain.” He agrees and they walk off together into the wet Parisian night. The movie promises the start of a beautiful romance in its closing moments. It also captures what is true of Paris and so many European cities: they are beautiful in the rain. 

Rain is unavoidable in many European cities throughout the year, and with the additional impact of the climate crisis, it’s also unpredictable. While South America and Asia receive more rainfall on average, European cities such as London and Paris experience rain about a third of the year. In Europe, the rain is drizzly and light, rather than the deluges that you get in the tropics. My first time in Paris as a teenager, I saw the sun for a mere two hours on a chilly weekday morning. But the wet did little to dispel the city’s magical appeal. In fact, it added to its romantic atmosphere, fulfilling the image of the city that had grown in my mind from Hemingway stories and classic movies. 

Whether you’re in Paris or London, Budapest or Stockholm, you’re bound to experience rainy days. Don't think of these days as wasted, but rather opportunities to experience the beauty of the cities channeled through the mist. For one, Europe simply looks better in the rain. The Gothic towers and gargoyles of Notre Dame Cathedral or the Neo-Romanesque turrets of Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest seem made for rainy days. Also, rain makes for better photos than sunlight. Overcast skies provide soft light, which is flattering and reduces contrast. Rain also creates reflections, which are gorgeous on camera. Again, movies give us clues as to the visual value of rain: when filming in a city, crews will wet the roads and sidewalks so that they get gorgeous reflections of street and car lights in the backgrounds of scenes. 

There’s also the practical appeal: most people avoid the rain, so there will be fewer crowds to contend with at landmarks, from the Tower of London to the Eiffel Tower to the Leaning Tower of Pisa (Europeans really love their towers). Much of the appeal of Europe is indoors: the museums, the historic monuments, the restaurants. If you’re going to spend half a day looking at artistic masterworks in the Louvre, who cares whether it’s raining outside? You’ll be so absorbed in the meticulous craft of the paintings that you won’t notice the drip, drop of the rain on the skylights. 

So, my advice: embrace the rain. It’s as Parisian as baguette, as English as Earl Grey. Make it a part of the experience, rather than a distraction, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that sometimes, the movies are right: Paris can be the most beautiful in the rain.