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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Travel
Milo Boyd

World's best travel destinations for 2023 revealed including a UK city

Brits planning UK holidays may want to consider the beautiful city of Bath, as it has just been named as one of the best places in the whole world to visit.

The historical Somerset city was one of the 35 places that National Geographic advises people to visit in 2023.

The publication heaped praise on the city, noting new attractions, such as the restored Cleveland Pools - Britain's oldest lido - and the Bath World Heritage Centre.

Bath is probably best known for its stunning architecture, which was primarily built during the 18th century Georgian period.

Bath has a long and stories history (Getty Images)

The Crescent is arguably the jewel in the city's architectural crown, using golden Bath stone and the Palladian revival style to turn terraced housing into an art form.

Visitors to the city can also take in a game of Premiership rugby in the city's stadium, which lies next to a river beneath fine examples of Georgian architecture.

Despite already being one of the most visited cities in the UK, National Geographic noted that Bath has continued to improve what it offers to visitors in recent years.

In 2011 the Roman Baths underwent a £5.5 million renovation and in 2021 the city became the UK's only double-inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Another factor that helped the hotspot make the list was the £20 million Bath Abbey Footprint project, which saw the medieval abbey church restored.

Bath MP Wera Hobhouse said: "Bath is a wonderful place to come and visit and I am glad respected institutions such as the National Geographic recognise this too.

"It is a lively and beautiful city and is the perfect place to come and take a break with such a vast range of exciting activities to enjoy.

The city has many fine examples of Georgian architecture (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"Our status as the only double world heritage site in the UK is something we should all be exceptionally proud of and it is great to know that others see the brilliance in our city as well.

"Not only do we attract tourism but as the National Geographic recognises it is tourism that gives back to our city.

"The Council and the residents of Bath's tireless efforts to reopen Cleveland Pools can also be further celebrated.

"The National Geographic highlighted the Pools reopening as part of the reason they put Bath on the list. I am exceptionally proud of our city and it is fantastic to see other people can see its brilliance too."

Two other parts of the UK were highlighted on the National Geographic list.

Manchester was recognised for its burgeoning cultural scene and for being a "mecca of football".

The Roman Baths are a must visit (Getty Images)

There is plenty going on in the city in 2023, with Factory International, a new £186 million downtown cultural space designed by Rem Koolhaas’s architectural firm, due to open.

It will become a permanent home of the Manchester International Festival.

The Scottish highlands were also named as a travel to place for 2023.

"The windswept Scottish Highlands are celebrated for their austere beauty, but the sheep-scoured landscapes are in fact the result of human interference," National Geographic writes.

"In ancient times, Scotland’s glens and hills were covered by the great Caledonian Forest.

"But centuries of logging and overgrazing devastated the ecosystem. Now a move to return the Highlands to its original woodlands, by reintroducing former flora and fauna in a process called ‘rewilding’, is gathering steam — with major strides to come in 2023."

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