5 Of Audrey Hepburn's Favorite Getaways To Visit In Europe, According To Historical Accounts

While Hollywood epitomized Audrey Hepburn as a glamorous icon of American cinema, her heart was European. Born in Brussels, Belgium, the star spent much of her childhood in England and the Netherlands, lived in a penthouse in Rome for much of her adult life, and spent her final days in a farmhouse in Switzerland. She filmed numerous movies in European destinations — "Roman Holiday" (1953) in Rome and "Funny Face" (1957) in Paris are just a couple of examples — and developed affinities for the locations' cafés and piazzas as a result. Cities all across Europe have since dedicated squares, gardens, and exhibitions in the screen legend's name, not to mention all the sites where Hepburn was filmed and photographed, which visitors today can make into a cinema lover's itinerary.

Hepburn's stints in Europe are well-documented, appearing in accounts relayed by her relatives, countless photographs of her strolling boulevards or riding a scooter through streets, and interviews with the actress herself. We browsed these sources to paint a personalized picture of the European destinations Hepburn was most fond of, places where she enthralled lovers, raised her family, or simply visited when she needed to unwind. You'll find a fuller explanation of how we assembled this ranking at the end of the article. Travelers can make these cities into a multi-week Europe trip, or they can focus on one to see a corner of Europe through Hepburn's eyes.

In "Roman Holiday," Audrey Hepburn's Princess Ann, when asked her favorite city, says, "Rome! By all means, Rome. I will cherish my visit here in memory as long as I live." The quote could just as well suit the star herself, who had a multi-decade connection to Rome that extended from films to marriages to raising her children in the Italian city. Although "Roman Holiday" set off Hepburn's on-screen stardom, it was at the end of her public life (and beginning of her family-oriented life) that Rome became Hepburn's home base. "She slowly withdrew from the spotlight, and her priorities began to change," Luca Dotti, Hepburn's son, shared in Vanity Fair. "Rome made it possible."

In 1969, Hepburn married Italian-born Andrea Dotti, and the pair settled into a home near the Castel Sant'Angelo, one of Rome's destinations made all the more romantic by its Hepburn lore. Later, after giving birth to Luca, the family moved to Rome's Parioli neighborhood. Hepburn self-identified as a "Roman housewife" during these years, as quoted in The American. She became a neighborhood fixture until eventually moving away in the 1980s.

One of the most famous Roman spots linked to Hepburn is the Spanish Steps, a baroque travertine staircase leading to the Trinità dei Monti church that was featured in one of the most recognizable scenes from "Roman Holiday." Just be aware that tourists get fined for sitting down on the famous steps. Beyond her movies, Hepburn is known to have dined at Corsetti in Rome's Trastevere neighborhood. The restaurant is still thriving and beloved by visitors today, having recently received a 2025 Traveler's Choice award from Tripadvisor. For a true Hepburn-style mode of exploring the city, you can rent a scooter to traverse around her home neighborhood of Parioli.

Audrey Hepburn was often seen donning Givenchy in her films and award ceremonies, including the iconic "little black dress" she wore in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961), and it all started in Paris. Hepburn met (at the time) up-and-coming designer Hubert de Givenchy in Paris while shooting her film "Sabrina" (1954). A Parisian sensibility took hold of Hepburn's style, from the fittings she was frequently attending in Givenchy's studio to her hairstyle (dubbed the "Paris Heart").

But Parisian fashion wasn't the only thing that drew Hepburn to the City of Light, and the "Sabrina" shoot was far from her only trip there. Hepburn's connection to Paris was detailed in a book, "Audrey Hepburn in Paris," which shares anecdotes about the actress taking ballet classes, perusing Parisian gardens, and sipping at cafés. Though she never resided in Paris, Hepburn had a recurring reservation at the same suite in the Hôtel Raphaël, and she also spent time in the city finding respite after her divorce from Mel Ferrer.

For a luxurious stay in Paris that echoes Hepburn's travels, you can book a room at the 5-star Hôtel Raphaël, which sits on Avenue Kléber, a short walk from the Arc de Triomphe. If a celebrity stay is outside of your budget, there are plenty of ways to trace Hepburn's footsteps in the city while saving on accommodations. Stop by Angelina, a decadent tea house near the Louvre, for a hot chocolate — it was one of Hepburn's frequented spots for thick chocolat chaud. Then, attend a performance (or just take a tour) at the Opéra Garnier, an often-overlooked Paris landmark whose gigantic staircase Hepburn famously swept down in "Funny Face."

Over the final 30 years of her life, Hepburn owned a villa in the Swiss village of Tolochenaz. Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, about a 20-minute drive beyond Lausanne, the village is where she chose to raise her sons. It offered the safety and tranquility that Hepburn sought, having grown up during World War II in the war-torn Netherlands. Hepburn's son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, told Film Talk, "[M]y mother was very happy there for two thirds of her life." Hepburn also died in the village, where she remains buried.

The villa that Hepburn and her family lived in is named La Paisible, meaning "peaceful place," and was first built in the 18th century as a farmhouse. The estate includes a rose garden that was gifted to Hepburn by Givenchy on her 60th birthday. Today, La Paisible has new owners and remains a private residence, so you won't be able to visit it.

Luckily, Tolochenaz has plenty of other publicly accessible Hepburn-related sites and memorials. The village even has an Audrey Hepburn-themed self-guided walking tour. The village's central square, named after the actress, is watched over by a bust of Hepburn that was donated by her sons. A three-minute walk from the square will take you to the Church of Tolochenaz, which is where Hepburn's funeral was held. The church may be closed when you visit, but you can borrow a key at the town hall in order to look inside. From the church, you can walk another seven minutes to reach the Audrey Hepburn Pavilion, which features a mural depicting the film star's eyes.

"I was born here in Brussels, and I am very happy about that," Audrey Hepburn once said. An unassuming townhouse marked with a plaque, her birthplace is located on Rue Keyenveld, in the Brussels subdivision Ixelles (also known as Elsene). Though Hepburn only spent the first four years of her childhood in Ixelles, she returned to Brussels throughout her life for film premieres and interviews. She also made a trip to the city in 1992, just a year before her death, for her work with UNICEF.

Though you won't be able to go inside Hepburn's birth home, there are plenty of other reasons to visit Brussels, a lively cultural crossroads with endless museums. Hepburn's childhood neighborhood, Ixelles, is pretty easy to reach from the Brussels city center; from Central Station, it's about 20 minutes to the house if you take the metro to Porte de Namur. In addition to being the icon's birthplace, Ixelles also happens to be one of Brussels' most charming districts, with lovely cafés, a highly rated art museum (the Museum van Elsene), and the medieval La Cambre Abbey.

If you stop by Hepburn's birthplace to snap a picture with its plaque, be sure to walk just three minutes further along Rue Keyenveld to the Audrey Hepburn Garden. The garden is home to a bust of the actress, which was commissioned by her son. While you're in Brussels, it's also essential to try some Belgian chocolate, too; Hepburn reminisced about the chocolate of her youth during her 1992 visit to the city. Neuhaus Chocolates is a well-rated option, with a shop that's less than a 10-minute walk from the garden.

Tolochenaz wasn't the only part of Switzerland that held significance for Audrey Hepburn. Before moving to La Plaisible, Hepburn and her family settled in central Switzerland, living for nine years on Lake Lucerne at the Bürgenstock Resort. "My mother spent the happiest time of her life here," Sean Hepburn Ferrer said in an interview with Schweizer Illustrierte. Photographs published in Vogue show the actress relaxing lakeside and playing golf at the resort with a smile.

Hepburn also married her first husband, Mel Ferrer, at a 13th-century chapel on the resort, framed by the Bürgenstock mountain in the distance. After they exchanged vows, the couple lived in the Villa Bethania behind the chapel, which is where their son Sean grew up. The chapel is still there, and it's possible to visit it, though you must remain outside.

Some other things you can do in the Bürgenstock area without necessarily being a hotel guest include dining at its restaurants and lounges (as long as you book a reservation), getting a treatment at the Alpine Spa (which offers day passes), and riding on the Bürgenstock catamaran and funicular. The catamaran will take you across the lake from Lucerne in about 25 minutes (Bürgenstock lies on the shore opposite Lucerne). According to the Switzerland Tourism site, the funicular, built in 1888, is the oldest electric funicular railway in Switzerland. At the top, there's a cliff path ("Felsenweg") that offers breathtaking views over Lake Lucerne; it's open from May through October.

To determine what was featured in this article, we selected five European destinations that were closely tied to Audrey Hepburn's life and that she adored. We sifted through archival photographs, magazine profiles, and interviews with her children to compile the most historically accurate assessment of Hepburn's relationship to each place. Further information about visiting the destinations and local landmarks tied to the Hollywood star was gathered from official tourism boards and travel bloggers, using Google Maps data to estimate traveling distances.