The 7 Best Places to Be Alone This Valentine’s Day

There are plenty of love-themed museums across the globe, but you’ll only find one in the world dedicated to break ups. (Well, two if you count the LA outpost.) Located in the historic center of Croatia’s capital, the Museum of Broken Relationships explores romantic conclusions through eclectic objects such as a wedding dress, boots, and even belly button lint.

Catapulted to fame by Elizabeth Gilbert’s seminal Eat, Pray, Love memoir, Ubud in Bali is the ultimate place to come for some spiritual self reflection. Emerald-green rice paddies and Hindu temples promote a sense of calm, heightened by the ever-present scent of incense and an abundance of trendy cafés serving plant-based offerings.

Related: How to Get Off The Beaten Path on Bali

Swap the fire of love for the Land of Fire and Ice on a visit to Iceland, where spectacular frozen landscapes provide the perfect distraction from single self-doubt. Trek over glaciers, watch geysers explode, hear the roar of waterfalls, and cozy up from the cold in Reykjavik, a capital renowned for its nightlife.

The Dutch capital is a mecca for solo travelers—not only can you lose yourself among the UNESCO-listed canal ring and grand architecture, Amsterdam’s counter-culture (comprised of “coffee” shops and some of Europe’s best nightlife) makes it the ideal place to kick back and make some new friends.

Japan has the highest population of single people in the world, so you’re far less likely to encounter any couples in the weird-and-wonderful capital city of Tokyo. The city is made for exploring solo—slurp rich broth at an individual booth in a ramen bar, soak up the neon lights of Golden Gai, and head to the top of Tokyo Skytree for panoramic views that sometimes reach as far as Mt. Fuji.

Year after year, Costa Rica ranks high on the list of the world’s happiest countries, so there’s no better place to kick back solo than here, where rain forests, golden sand beaches, and volcanoes abound. The Central American country has also become a hub for digital nomads in recents years, so it’s a great place to consider if you’re looking to up sticks.

The Gothic castles, forest-smothered mountains, and solemn skies of Transylvania couldn’t be farther removed from the brightly-colored cliches of Valentine’s Day. Spend a few days exploring castles that inspired seminal Gothic novels such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula and go hiking in the stunning Carpathian Mountains.