Beautiful cities

BEAUTIFUL CITIES
We seek beauty in many forms—through art and architecture; water views and mountain vistas; history and culture—and some places make that search extremely easy. This list of absolutely stunning locales circles the globe, covering the cities and towns that made us fall in love at first sight with their futuristic skylines, tree-lined canals, and colorful historic buildings (among many other things). From Amsterdam to Cusco, here are the 50 most beautiful cities in the world.

• 
  You know Amsterdam's oh-so-famous central canal, rightly dubbed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. Add to that swathes of green spaces, storied red-brick facades, and museums filled with Van Gogh paintings, and you have yourself one of Europe's most gorgeous cultural epicenters. You can't talk about Barcelona without mentioning Antoni Gaudí, the Catalan architect who left his mark all over the city. A walk around town leads you through his undulating stonework and ironwork, which include Park Güell and culminate in his unfinished masterpiece La Sagrada Família. It's not just about colorful mosaics, though: From the mountains to the beach, the historic to the contemporary, sunny Barcelona pretty much has it all. Beijing gives visitors a lot to take in—the streets seem that much wider than elsewhere, the population that much denser, at first glance. Even its UNESCO-listed cultural sites sound daunting: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall. That's why we love it though—it's a true feast for the eyes (it also has some of the best dumplings you’ll ever eat). Beirut's seaside glamour rivals that of any European riviera, with posh beach clubs and rooftop bars, palm tree-lined promenades, and hidden courtyards filled with bougainvillea. But here, glossy high-rises are juxtaposed against centuries-old mosques and souks, giving the city a timeless appeal you won't find anywhere else.
  

No trip to Norway is complete without a stop in Bergen, the country's second-most populated city. The postcard-perfect town has all the makings of an idyllic Nordic village: ascenic harbor, colorful rows of wooden houses, and sweeping views of the surrounding fjords and mountain group (known as the Seven Mountains). With its cobblestone streets and peaceful, tree-lined canals, it's not hard to see Bruges as one big fairytale setting come to life. Much of the city's charm lies in its immaculately preserved old city, built between the 12th and 15th centuries; grab a seat at a cafe near the Markt (the historic center square), and plan to linger for the better part of a day. With some of the best Art Nouveau architecture in Europe, Budapest has no bad angles. Case in point: The city's famous thermal baths, or the gilded, slightly ostentatious Café Gerbeaud. For the very best angle, though, walk the Széchenyi Chain Bridge at night for unforgettable views of the Hungarian Parliament shining over the Danube River. Buenos Aires is often called the "Paris of South America," but we think this city is in a class all its own. Design lovers should plan at least one visit to Recoleta Cemetery, then explore the wildly varied architectural styles around every corner—from neoclassical mansions to the brightly painted buildings in La Boca. And let's face it: Everything seems more beautiful to a soundtrack of sizzling asado and flowing Malbec. Mountains, coastlines, beaches filled with penguins: Cape Town pretty much has it all. Each day in the Mother City will make you fall in love with some new sight, be it the king protea-filled Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens or the rainbow-bright row houses of Bo-Kaap. In fact, you can start sightseeing before your plane even lands: That first glimpse of Table Mountain from the sky makes quite the impression. This immaculately preserved 16th-century city on the Caribbean coast should be on any Colombian itinerary. Make sure to visit the impossibly pretty, UNESCO-listed Old Town, complete with cobbled streets and colonial architecture, as well as the high-rise-heavy neighborhood of Bocagrande, and street art haven of Getsemaní. Tucked high in Morocco’s Rif Mountains, this 15th-century, famously blue fortress town remains a popular draw for tourists. Pick any spot in Chefchaouen’s medina, and you're bound to find a jaw-dropping view of its dreamy sky blue buildings (which get a new coat of paint every year) or the surrounding mountains. For a view over the whole town, make the 20-minute hike up to the Grande Mosquée. Long the cultural redoubt for Bangkok-based expats and art enthusiasts, Chiang Mai has evolved into a must-do on the Southeast Asia circuit. There is the proliferation of amazing hotels; the rich aesthetics of trading-outpost history mix with the scents of espresso and super-hot curries along the lanes of Wat Gate; and the 30-minute hike through the forest to the Wat Palad temple complex is an absolute must, with its lush foliage, bejeweled buddhas—and an amazing view of the city below. Despite its reputation for churning out cutting-edge restaurants and hotels, Copenhagen has an ageless charm that makes you want to keep going back. The whimsical, 1800s-era Tivoli Gardens puts all other amusement parks to shame, while the bohemian commune of Christiania is a hazy, verdant dreamland. And in case you were wondering, yes: The waterfront houses of Nyhavn really are that pretty. Typically used as a home base for trekking to Machu Picchu, Cusco has a beauty all its own. From the airport, head straight to the Plaza de Armas—the scenic and cultural heart of town. The 15 minute cab ride will take you past lively avenues, buzzing with frenzied foot traffic and artisan street vendors. Get yourself acclimated to the valley's 10,000 foot elevation by slowly making your way to the iconic Cristo Blanco statue overlooking the town. The 30 minute climb is gentle, and offers a sweeping view across the horizon. If Dubai is too much for you to handle, then Doha may be more your cup of tea. Founded on a turquoise bay in the 1820s, this former fishing village is lined with Emerald City-esque skyscrapers, the colorful Souq Waqif, and the I. M. Pei–designed Museum of Islamic Art. (Get ready to see more of the city as Qatar gears up to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.) There are few places that better capture the grand soul of maritime Old Europe than Dubrovnik. The city played King's Landing in Game of Thrones, and was formerly the capital of the Maritime Republic of Ragusa, rival to Italy's Venice and Amalfi. Dubrovnik's crown jewel is the lovely old town of Stari Grad, whose convents, palaces, and fountains were cut from the same lightly colored stone. Beloved for its endless green hills and fascinating history, Edinburgh looks great in all seasons. Aside from its beautiful Gothic buildings, cobblestoned Royal Mile, and 12th-century castle keeping watch on a hilltop, it also happens to have an extinct volcano within its parameters. Italy has no shortage of beautiful cities, but Florence remains unrivaled in history, art, and architecture. You'll find traces of Renaissance aesthetics all over town, like the striking Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo) and Basilica of Santa Maria Novella. Meanwhile, Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi remain essential photo backdrops. Cuba has been one of our favorite travel destinations for the past few years, and its capital is back on our radars, thanks to Virgin Voyages' announcement that Havana would be the first stop on its maiden voyage. From the pastel architecture of Old Havana to the rich green moss of Metropolitan Park, the city is as colorful as it is energetic. Hanoi is a perfect microcosm for the region of Southeast Asia—timeless, graceful, and unfathomably delicious, all in a compact and (relatively) manageable city. Hanoi’s embrace of the past has endeared it to Western visitors, who tend to favor it among Asian capital cities, thanks to its incense-shrouded temples, traditional shop houses, and elegant French Quarter villas. Even as it grows increasingly sleek and luxe, it remains the most romantic city in the Far East—one every traveler needs to visit. Hong Kong is impressive from many angles—beneath the towering skyscrapers, or from a ferry crossing Victoria Harbour—but you can see its finest side from the air. As your flight approaches the city, it feels like the mist parts and reveals a modern paradise, where hilly islands surround a concrete jungle. We'd argue, it's one of the best skylines out there. Istanbul continues to draw us in, whether it's through the frenetic opulence of the Grand Bazaar or the old-meets-new aesthetic of Karaköy. But the architecture still shines brightest here, with the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia featuring prominent displays of both Byzantine and Ottoman styles: Think massive domes, colored mosaics, minarets, and Islamic calligraphy. Rajasthan's capital, a.k.a. the Pink City, isn't the kind of place to hide its true colors. The city’s maharaja, Sawai Ram Singh II, ordered the buildings to be painted an orangey-pink color in 1876 for a royal visit from Prince Albert and Queen Victoria; many buildings in the city’s old town remain painted this color today. Long a place of religious pilgrimage, Jerusalem is now drawing a different sort of pilgrim: the global traveler. The city's monuments of faith—like the Western Wall or the Dome of the Rock—are still spectacular, of course; but the influx of design hotels and buzzy restaurants in open-air markets are reinventing Jerusalem from the ground up. It's amazing how a city that dates to the fourth millennium B.C. still manages to surprise us.