The world’s top 20 cities for “culture” have been revealed – but shockingly, only one UK city has made the list. At this time of year, thousands of Brits will be thinking about where to go on holiday either during Easter or over the summer.
One of the most popular types of holiday is a city break, an opportunity to visit some of the major cultural centres in the world.
A recent poll of 21,000 people who live in cities by TimeOut has narrowed down the world’s cities into a list of the top 20 best locations for art and culture.
The list, which covers the entire world, surprisingly features just one city from the UK.
Edinburgh has been named the sixth best city for art and culture in the world. Known for its annual Festival Fringe, the city also hosts the National Museum of Scotland and four National Galleries of Scotland.
Speaking about the city features editor for TimeOut UK Chiara Wilkinson said: “Edinburgh’s cultural scene has suffered a series of knocks in the last few years – first with the Modern Two art gallery temporarily closing and then the Filmhouse cinema shutting after going into administration.
“I take comfort knowing that locals have been taking matters into their own hands. There are all sorts of DIY projects keeping culture alive in the city: my go-to’s are grassroots radio station EH-FM and hole-in-the-wall venue Sneaky Pete’s, both platforms to discover the best new music coming out of the city.”
Edinburgh was narrowly beaten to the title of the best city for arts and culture by Athens in fifth, Buenos Aires in fourth, Cape Town in third, Prague in second, and Mexico City in first place.
Mexico’s capital was praised highly by its locals for the quality and quantity of its arts and cultural scene. Furthermore, street parades and theatres also had their praises sung along with Aztec artefacts and local folk art.
Mexico City is also now for the Dia de Muertos street parade, the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Kurimanzutto, and the Museo Soumaya.
As well as receiving praise from TimeOut, TripAdvisor also recommends the Museo Nacional de Athropologia, the Frida Kahlo Museum, the Palacio de Bellas Artes, and the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Xochimilco Floating Gardens’ canals run for around 100 miles with gardens constructed by Aztecs. They’re traversed by trajinera boats.
Visitor Kevin C said on TripAdvisor: “Xochimilco is still within Mexico City but about an hour from La Condesa by car. It is well worth the drive. It’s a wonderful boating experience on canals. You can buy food, flowers, drinks, and more from floating vendors and the whole experience actually feels very authentic. “
Full list of Top 20 cities for culture
- Mexico City
- Prague
- Cape Town
- Buenos Aires
- Athens
- Edinburgh
- Vienna
- Madrid
- Florence
- Melbourne
- Paris
- Montreal
- Marrakech
- Sao Paulo
- New York City
- Tokyo
- Abu Dhabi
- Mumbai
- Amsterdam
- Seoul
