The scent of pine-flower pollen wafts on the wind all year round on this plateau where trees, birds and flowers of every hue fill lovers' minds with romance. Love, in this city of love, is all around.

Maybe it is the flowers that make Dalat such a haven of lovers. Situated halfway between heaven and earth on a plateau that separates it from more mortal places, this honeymooner's heaven nestles amid immense Pine forests and rolling hills. Its ancient villas, tinged a graceful yellow or somber ochre, are ringed with flamboyant violets, grand old cherry trees and lithe mimosa. Its streets are lined with tall trees and in street markets, people offer shrubs and bunch of flowers for sale.

Dalat is one of the few places in Vietnam where the temperature rarely exceeds 25 degrees Celsius, even in mid summer. In the winter it seldom drops below 10 degrees. This mild climate makes it ideal for flowers that fail to flourish in other parts of the country.

And so Dalat has become a heaven for horticulturist. It is home to over 40 different species of chrysanthemum, 15 species of rose, and an astonishing 300 varieties of orchid. Since the early 20th century, Lang Bian Plateau on which Dalat rests has lured amateur orchiddologists. They came from as far away as London and Paris to study the region's orchids. Many took clippings, which they carried home and nourished lovingly so that botanical gardens across Europe could later boast their own orchid gardens. They bought flowers with them too. Tupils, for example, traveled here from Holland.

When dusk falls, the people of Dalat empty in to the streets, gathering in markets and small shops to buy and talk about flowers. Their love of horticulture is legendary, part of the nature-loving character of this plateau city's residents.

But perhaps it is not just the flowers that make Dalat the scene of so many Vietnamese love songs. Perhaps the mournful poems that tug at the reader's heartstrings are inspired by something else? Maybe the myriad lakes and waterfalls that ring the town have something to do with it. After all, which star struck lover doesn't dream of a romantic stroll through majestic scenery, arm in arm with the object of his or her affection?

Tuyen Lam Lake is one spot where such a dream can come true. Its bluish green waters flow from the beautiful Tia Spring and from the Da Tam River, which flows down from Elephant Mountain. Its waters stretch over an immense 350 hectares and because of its various sources, Tuyen Lam is known as the lake where rivers, springs and forests meet.

Other waterfalls flow like shining walls of gems. Droplets the color of sapphires and emeralds spiral to their deaths, forming as they fall fine sprays and dews. Visitors to Dalat can walk the hazardous bridge below Prenn Waterfall and listen to its waters as they drum to the eternal rhythm of the forest. Those looking for adventure can climb the near-vertical path that winds its way to the top of the Datanla Waterfall. Each slab of stone is smooth and slippery, rubbed to a fine polish by the footsteps of fairies that, it is said, once walked these routes.

Cam Ly Waterfall is just three kilometers from the center of Dalat and has inspired many a poem. In one, the poet describes it as beautiful as in a dream. Charming amid the pine forest and fog.
Then there is Da Thien Lake. Its deep, mysterious waters draw visitors to the center of appropriately named Valtey D'amour, which was given that name by the French colonizers who first established Dalat. Far beyond the valley, often shrouded in an enticing mist, is Lang Bian Mountain. Lakes, mountains, mist. It would be difficult to find a more romantic combination.

Dalat's best-known lake is Xuan Huong Lake, which locals consider the gem at the center of their flower city. It is so beautiful that poet Han Mac Tu once uttered the words:

Don't talk. Maintain the silence
Listen to the water as it speaks from its depths
Listen to the trees as they whisper in the breeze
Listen to the words of love

Other scenic spots in and around Dalat have inspired lovers over the years. Although couples have come and gone, the places where they have loved (and sometimes lost) remain. Place with names like Crying Lake and Dreamy Hill each have a story to tell and a resident or neighbor happy to tell it.