Adelaide Named the Most Beautiful City in the World 

Adelaide’s exceptional charm and architectural grandeur have distinguished it on the global stage, making it the only Australian city to be highlighted in Architectural Digest’s esteemed list of the world’s 20 most beautiful cities.

South Australia’s capital city, Adelaide, has secured a place in Architectural Digest’s list of the 20 most beautiful cities in the world, with the design publication highlighting the region’s surf, sand dunes, Art Deco architecture, vineyards and wildlife.

“Beyond the beach, Adelaide has rolling hills lush with high-quality grapes, making it the country’s wine capital,” the magazine, published by Condé Nast, wrote. “When not sipping an Australian [cabernet], nature lovers can spot koalas and kangaroos on a hike in the Adelaide Hills.”

Architectural Digest based its list of beautiful cities on factors such as architecture, cultural treasures, historical significance and natural beauty, noting that “the best cities provide something unique that cannot be found elsewhere.”

In second spot was Tallinn in Estonia, renowned for its UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town.

“Tallinn is one of the most well-preserved medieval cities in the world,” said Architectural Digest. “It’s not just a church or two that are still intact, but an extraordinary portion of Tallinn’s centuries-old layout, including building plots, winding cobblestone streets, defense towers and large sections of the wall that encircles this architecturally rich city.”

Portsmouth, the second-largest town on the Caribbean island of Dominica, secured third place, while San Miguel de Allende in Mexico followed, with Architectural Digest highlighting its art festivals, galleries and exceptional food scene.

The list included four Asian cities: “marvelously modern” Singapore; Chiang Mai in Thailand (with its waterfalls, tropical forests and botanical gardens); Japan’s cultural capital Kyoto; and Jaipur, known as the Pink City, in northern India.

Five European cities made the cut: Paris, famed for the Eiffel Tower and grand boulevards; Barcelona, renowned for must-see architecture; Istanbul, known for Byzantine churches, mosques and spice markets; Florence, celebrated for art and architecture; and Amsterdam, known for its distinctive canals.

Also included were the charming, cobbled streets of Antigua in Guatemala, the picturesque mountain town of Chefchaouen in northern Morocco and Luxor, located on the east bank of the Nile River in Egypt and renowned as the world’s greatest open-air museum.

Cape Town in South Africa made the list, as did Rio de Janeiro, Djenné in Mali and New York City.

Need more inspiration? Read The Best 5-Star Hotels in Australia