The top 10 cities to visit in 2018

The travel experts from Lonely Planet put Seville at the top of their recommendations list. The artistic city received a profile boost as the setting in numerous scenes in the cult television series Game of Thrones. Furthermore the metropolis which was once plagued by traffic congestion has in the past few years transformed into a city for cyclists.

After decades of neglect the former motor city Detroit is rolling again. Young creative types jump-started the scene when they began transforming the crazy-huge slew of abandoned buildings into distilleries, bike shops and galleries. And with the new inhabitants, tourists also arrived. According to travel guide publisher Lonely Planet, Detroit is particularly popular among backpackers.

It's said that if you visit Canberra you get to know the Australian soul. There is much to discover in the National Gallery, National Library and at the Australian War Memorial. The National Arboretum is also well worth a visit — the 250 hectare park with its a large network of hiking and cycling paths features 94 forests of rare, endangered and symbolic trees from around Australia and the world.

It isn't merely the new Elbphilharmonie concert hall that makes the northern German harbor city of Hamburg such an attractive travel destination. According to Lonely Planet, Hamburg also scored well with its open-mindedness as well as its nightlife that’s ranked among the best in Europe.

Taiwan's second largest city was the only Asian travel destination to make it onto the Lonely Planet top ten ranking. This port town is a modern urban landscape of traditional temples, airy cafes, wide streets, waterside parks, public transport, bicycle lanes and cultural venues that have embraced and re-imagined the city's manufacturing past.

A mix of classical elegance and modern cool ensured that Antwerp, once Europe's biggest city, was highly ranked. Next year, Flanders’ unofficial capital will be showing its cultural chops with a celebration of its Baroque heyday. "Antwerp Baroque 2018" will showcase everything from Rubens, the city’s most famous artist resident, to Antwerp's innovative design and architecture scene.

Snaking beneath the stony surface of this town is a labyrinth of cave dwellings, churches and monasteries that date back over 9000 years — making it one of the oldest living cities in the world. There’s a flurry of events planned ahead of its stint as a European Capital of Culture for 2019, so visit now before this underground destination emerges into the limelight.

San Juan is a place where old meets new, where the city’s colonial past meshes comfortably with an emerging modern urbanity. In September, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, becoming the biggest storm to impact the island in 89 years. While San Juan did not escape the wrath of the hurricane, there's no doubt that it will rebuild and remain the enchanting city it's always been.

The wealth produced by the local seams of silver created a visually stunning cityscape of ornate churches, pretty squares and colorful houses. This natural and man-made beauty caught the eye of Pixar producers who used Guanajuato as the real-life basis for their animated Land of the Dead in new movie Coco — which in turn will attract an influx of tourists next year.

Norway's capital is the fifth European city to make the top ten ranking. 2018 will be a year of events: Norway’s beloved king and queen will celebrate the 50th year of their marriage while Oslo’s landmark Opera House will be marking its 10th birthday with a celebratory season of concerts and performances. So you really couldn’t pick a better year to visit.