Time To Travel

Lonely Planet released a new list of their top European destinations for 2018 and here are the top ten results:

10. Tirana, Albania
A city that is experiencing a revival in the vigorous metropolis, offering boutiques in the Blloku neighborhood and gorgeous views from the city’s peak, Mount Dajti.

9. Vipava Valley, Slovenia
This is a wine-lovers destination with enough vineyards and grapevines to have a traveler feel like their in Tuscany. Travelers are recommended to bike through the valley of vineyards and can stop to take a sip of wine from the many boutique wineries the area has to offer.

8. Vilnius, Lithuania
This Baltic state boasts a new neighborhood for artists’ creative spaces, Užupis, giving travelers a chance to see contemporary and street artwork. New Nordic-inspired restaurants provide craft beer from the area. This year marks the centenary of Lithuania’s Act of Independence and will be celebrating for the next year, including a song festival throughout July.

7. Small Cyclades, Greece
This hidden gem is the best for European beach holidays, with many slow-paced beaches to truly relax. For a bit of speed you can tour the coastlines of Greece in a speed ferry, offering a nice tour while transporting at high speed. There are also a whitewashed main street lined with relaxed cafes and restaurants.

6. Dundee, Scotland
This is a paradise for lovers of design and architecture, with Scotland’s first design museum and opens in September 2018. The new museum is an angular structure by Kengo Kuma, drawing inspiration from the Scottish cliff face and will display over 300 years of design innovation. The country has undergone redevelopment in the River Tay waterfront for to create an innovative city, drawing designers and architects.

5. Provence, France
This city offers one of the most relaxing experiences in the world, with their large lavender fields that visitors can tour and relax. The popular high-speed train, Eurostar, is reopening a route from London St Pancras International to Avignon and Marseille, offering a more efficient transit option. There are also olive groves and fresh, pure olive oil. Marseille also offer chic street bars, along with Michelin-starred restaurants for an elevated dining experience. They also offer a contemporary arts scene with the opening a new exhibition space, Foundation Carmignac in Île de Porquerolles.

4. Kosovo
In the Balkans, this country is celebrating 10 years of independence this year. The Via Dinarica offers good hiking trails. There is also a wine region in Rahovec offering dozens of vineyards to tour and explore.

3. Friesland, The Netherlands
The city capital of Leeuwarden offering cafes and ecelctic shopping. There are also canals lined with historic homes and serves as the European Capital of Culture in 2018. In celebration there will be art installations, feativals and events to celebrate. The Fries Museum will offer an exhibition on former resident artist, MC Escher. To relax away from the city there are escapes through the tidal flats and long beaches on the Wadden Sea.

2. Cantabria, Spain
This city offers surroundings in the mountains or the local beaches, along with some European historic cave art. The port of Santander has revitalized, with the opening of the modernist cultural center, Centro Botín. They also offer ferries from Ireland now, boasting more tourists. This year the Picos de Europa national park will be celebrating the centennial in the summer, along with celebratory events.

1. Emilia-Romagna, Italy:
This region of Italy is known as a culinary hot-spot, with one of the world’s most acclaimed restaurant, Osteria Francescana. The restaurant boasts a three-star rating from Michelin and is ranked as the second-best restaurant in the world. In Bologana there is the world’s largest culinary theme park, FICO Eataly World, offering free entry with endless available food for guests.