Are you looking for the city trip of your dreams? Our experts deliver the destinations that you absolutely must not miss in the coming months! Unforgettable experiences, new trends, renewal for some…, discover the 10 cities of our Best of 2022.
1. Auckland, New Zealand
In the top 10 cities to absolutely (re)discover this year, Auckland comes first thanks to its natural assets such as its volcanoes, its islands, its beaches… But also thanks to its dynamism. Unlike other major cities in the world, Auckland has had the effect of holding its own in the game of the pandemic due to an anti-Covid 19 policy carried out early and strongly. Restaurants, museums, stadiums and other concert halls have not closed and Auckland has become one of the world’s largest and most vibrant cities.. It is also the city with the largest Polynesian population on the planet and whose culture and gastronomy are strongly impregnated, like Homeland, an establishment that is both a restaurant, a cooking school and a showcase for producers of sustainable foods from Aotearoa – the Maori name for New Zealand -.
2. Taipei, Taiwan
To explore Taipei is to live a concentrate of cultural, gastronomic, outdoor and relaxation experiences, and to celebrate diversity . A diversity that can be found in the different religious beliefs, in the urban landscapes and architecture, in the richness of the famous Taiwanese cuisine, in the markets, parties and festivals. Added to this diversity is a great open-mindedness, for example with regard to LGBT+ communities. The capital of Taiwan is also full of beautiful nature walks to do, in the middle of the dormant volcanoes of the Yangmingshan National Parkin the heart of Taipei, or on the outskirts, the Taiwanese territory being covered with two thirds of mountains, countless peaks exceeding 3,000 m and very pleasant and soothing natural hot springs.
3. Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Beyond the postcard old town with its cathedral, its gargoyles, its cobbled streets, its squares lined with cafés and its gabled houses, Friborg is renowned for its relaxed, student, open-minded and above all pioneering character in terms of environment. With an intelligent public transport network, twice as many bicycles as cars, omnipresent green spaces, a “zero waste” town hall – the only one on the planet -, positive energy buildings, etc., the capital of the Forest Noire is an ecological example to explore and follow. A commitment that is found and lived within the forest, itself designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2017.
4. Atlanta, USA
Atlanta deserves its nickname of “Hotlanta”. It refers not only to its hot climate in summer but also, and above all, to its overflowing energy in recent years. On the creative and cultural levels, the capital of Georgia, birthplace of Ray Charles, Gladys Knight or even Usher, is indeed experiencing a real renaissance with the installation of film and television studios, the arrival of actors , journalists, artists and young innovative companies. Hometown of Martin Luther King, Atlanta also has a political history focused on the defense of human rights that it continues to cultivate through its institutions such as the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. It is also renowned for its welcoming of marginalized communities and its commitment to them. It is also a green city, surprisingly 48% wooded.
5. Lagos, Nigeria
From a Yoruba fishing village settled on a lagoon, Lagos – Lakes in Portuguese – has become a megalopolis of 22 million inhabitants and the third largest city in Africa . For a good decade, its effervescence, which earned it a bad reputation for a time, has been transformed into a positive creative energy – through its famous Fashion Week, its contemporary art fairs and its festivals – which makes you want to venture there. In “Las Gidi”, as it is nicknamed in Nigeria, the exploration begins on the island of Lagos, the original heart of the citywith its markets and old colonial houses. It continues in the more residential district of Ikeja where we find the famous Afrika Shrine, concert hall of the inventor of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti, then on Victoria Island, for its art galleries, its chic restaurants and glamorous beaches where the parties last until the end of the night.
6. Nicosia, Cyprus
The only world capital divided in two , Nicosia fascinates. Especially since the Covid-19 pandemic has not widened the gap between the Greek and Turkish communities, on the contrary, but has, on the contrary, brought them closer. Because despite the “Green Line” – a UN buffer zone and sinister “no man’s land” cutting Nicosia in two since the Turkish invasion of 1974 – the two communities feel Cypriots first and foremost and are more determined than ever to put in light of their common heritage. The city and the European Union have indeed invested in monument restoration projects– public fountains, historic churches and mosques… – involving bi-community teams of archaeologists, engineers and architects. Other inter-community initiatives around music, for example, are also emerging and encourage people to want to discover this capital with its two facets that finally mix, especially around a glass of iced ouzo and traditional mezze plates on the terrace. of a coffee!
7. Dublin, Ireland
Just as Leopold Bloom, the main character in James Joyce’s famous novel Ulysses , did more than a century ago, Dublin can be explored on foot. On his steps, the traveler finds the atmospheres and the key places of the novel: from traditional pubs to Georgian squares passing by the “institutions” of the Southside – southern district – such as Trinity College, the commercial artery of Grafton Street or Guinness Storehouse, where the famous dark beer has been brewed since 1759. On the other side of the River Liffey, in the Northside, Leopold would be a little more lost in front of the multitude of microbreweries and innovative restaurantsopened recently, but he would have loved the young and cosmopolitan side of Dublin’s current population, while rediscovering its legendary hospitality . These days, he would no doubt have borrowed a bike – the little queen is indeed gaining ground in town and half of the self-service park is electric – to ride along the nearby coastline along Sandymount Beach.
8. Merida, Mexico
To explore Mérida, capital of the Yucatan region , is to discover the Maya world from the heart of a colonial city over 500 years old. The one that is nicknamed the “white city” is indeed home to the prestigious Gran Museo del Mundo Maya where there are a thousand remarkably preserved archaeological pieces. Resolutely determined to renew its image as a sleepy city, Mérida encourages the use of bicycles, an excellent way to visit the city and explore the surrounding Mayan sites such as Chichen Itza or Uxmal as well as the famous cenotes , swimming pools natural formed in limestone sinkholes. The city is also experiencing a gastronomic revivaloffering exquisite regional cuisine drawing on Mayan, Caribbean, European and Middle Eastern influences.
9. Florence, Italy
Cradle of the Renaissance, Florence is full of art and architectural treasures that the whole world came to admire, from Ponte Vecchio to the breathtaking Uffizi Gallery. The very small centro storico – historic center – suffered from mass tourism before the pandemic changed the situation and forced the città d’arte to re-imagine its tourist future by decentralizing it from its historic center , turning it towards d other neighborhoods and to the inhabitants of the Tuscan capital. Thus, new circuits offer walks to discover street artor in the hills of Bellosguardo to an old convent where craftsmen and artists share their know-how and creativity. And projects such as that of converting a former tobacco factory with Italian rationalist architecture from the 1930s into an artistic and cultural hub are an even greater incentive to (re)discover Florence in a different way.
10. Gyeongju, South Korea
Gyeongju is the ideal city to travel back in time , get away from it all and marvel at the archaeological and architectural gems. Capital of the Silla dynasty which ruled eastern and southern Korea for a whole millennium, from 57 BC. J.-C. to 935, it was also the last stage of the maritime route of the Silk and keeps many traces of this link with distant empires. It is also nicknamed the “museum without walls” because the rock carvings, pagodas and other Buddhist relicsconnected by paths can be admired in situ and are scattered over more than 1,323 km2. A vast area that houses a surprising park, that of the tumuli, in the shape of pyramids, where discovering the tombs of the Silla kings gives a feeling of wonder. Also looking to the future, Gyeongju wants to be more and more accessible thanks to a rapidly evolving rail network and is developing sustainable tourism actions , particularly in terms of local agriculture and gastronomy.
