If you’re planning on doing some travelling next year, you might want to take into account Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2020.

The list was compiled with the input of Lonely Planet’s staffers and hundreds of contributors from around the world.

They then picked 10 cities, all of which share one thing in common – they provide a sustainable experience which means that visitors will have a minimal environmental impact when they go there.

Over to CNN with a breakdown of the top 10, with some insight from Tom Hall, Lonely Planet’s vice president of experience.

1. Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg, Austria, has just been named Lonely Planet’s top city to visit in 2020.

An example of an ecclesiastical city-state, the city’s historic center was ideally located between Northern and Southern Europe.

The result is an intact Baroque town where the mixing of Italian and German cultures is evident on a stroll through this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. Washington, D.C., United States

The spotlight will be on Washington, D.C., in a presidential election year and with the centennial anniversary of the US Constitution’s 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote.

(Mostly white women benefited from the amendment until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.)
Washington could be on this list every year, says Hall, because of the sheer volume of free activities, including all Smithsonian museums in the city, and the constant trend of reinvention.

3. Cairo, Egypt

Cairo, which is so enormous and chaotic and noisy, is worth exploring, says Hall. “It’s so in your face that you can’t miss the feeling of excitement of being there,” he says.

In this city with a UNESCO-endorsed historic center, Hall loves exploring the thriving food scene in Cairo, as well as the Museum of Islamic Art, Coptic Christian sites and the Tentmakers Bazaar (Souk Al Khayamiya).

4. Galway, Ireland

A European Capital of Culture for 2020, Galway is Hall’s choice as Ireland’s most engaging city. While other Irish cities will argue with him, he says its live music, energy and residents’ general enjoyment of life stands out.

The new year will bring a wonderful arts program to celebrate its designation, and “Galway will put on a great show,” says Hall.

5. Bonn, Germany

The capital of West Germany before German reunification in 1990, Bonn slipped off the radar a bit when it wasn’t the capital anymore.

But Bonn always been the birthplace of favorite son Ludwig van Beethoven, and his 250th birthday will be celebrated all year long in 2020.

Now a city packed with craft beer, cafes and galleries, Bonn will be filled with a year’s worth of concerts as local musicians open their doors to the public and the city celebrates the arts.

The rest of the list looks like this:

6. La Paz, Bolivia

7. Kochi, India

8. Vancouver, Canada

9. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

10. Denver, United States

Happy travels!

[source:cnn]