Every year features some tourist destinations that are particularly worth visiting. Cities that otherwise may not seem like an obvious choice, get promoted to the rank of hottest attractions thanks to international festivals, museums, newly restored monuments and blooming summer landscapes. Take a look at our list of six top summer hotspots of 2016 and start planning your business- and leisure trips today.
Boston – The city of great history and summer festivals
Boston is a city with a special historical significance for America because it was scenery of many important events of the American Revolution. The easiest way to track back the city’s rich history is to follow Boston’s Freedom Trail. If you are more of a sports fan, hop on a mini speed boat and make a sightseeing tour around Boston Harbor by your own rules. Art lovers will be delighted by Museum of Fine Arts where an entire day could be spent admiring ancient and modern works. For refreshments, we recommend Faneuil Hall Marketplace where you can choose from menus of 50 shops, 14 restaurants, and 40 food stalls, and watch street performers who entertain the visitors from the sidewalks. In the evening, try to catch a game at Fenway Park, one of America’s most beloved baseball stadiums, opened in 1912. Across the Charles River, in Cambridge, two of the most prominent universities in the U.S. are located – Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Students, Boston citizens and tourists alike are attracted by the rich offer of local restaurants, shops and stunning architecture. Boston is a lively city where a lot of cultural events take place every month. If you visit the city in April, don’t miss Boston International Film Festival, whereas the highlight of May is Boston Calling Music festival. Foodies will be happy to discover Bostonians’ love for food – Boston Sea Festival or Boston Local Food Festival in September attract hundreds of people. Stay in Boston with our partner Furnished Quarters.
Glasgow celebrates the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design
Over the last decade, the city’s economy rose like a phoenix from the ashes. 2016 is Scotland’s self-proclaimed Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, and Glasgow plays an important role in the celebrations as the host of The Turner Prize, Britain’s most recognized contemporary art exhibition and award. Visitors to Glasgow will be surprised how many attractions the city has to offer. The breathtaking Glasgow cathedral, built in the 12th century, is a major monument of the Gothic architecture, whereas The Riverside Museum of Transport and Travel exhibits over 3000 items from the Glasgow’s past, including the world’s finest cars, locomotives, bicycles or even prams. Guests who like to give in to some retail therapy will find joy in the luxurious boutiques at the Buchanan Street, whereas whiskey gourmets must visit Glengoyne Distillery continuously in operation since its founding in 1833. Visitors to Glasgow can take a breath of fresh air in one of 90 gardens and parks, including Victoria Park, where fossilized remnants of a 330-million-year-old swamp forest can be admired. Stay in Glasgow with our partner Dreamhouse Apartments.
Folk celebrations of nature in Helsinki
Lately the capital of Finland started to gain more and more recognition for its entrepreneurial spirit and appetite for innovation. Apart from the blooming start-up scene, the city can boast several major art galleries and soon the offer will be enriched by the new outpost of the Guggenheim museum. Although Helsinki is the third largest Nordic city after Stockholm and Oslo, it seems to be small and friendly. It will take visitors only 40 min to walk from one side of the city to the other. As you stroll around the city, take a rest in the spaceship-like Temppeliaukio Church, carved out of the stone and nicknamed the Rock Church. Another distinctive landmark is the Helsinki Cathedral with its tall, green dome towering above the cityscape. Helsinki is also a city close to nature which offers many opportunities, especially in the summer. The city’s coastline is dotted with numerous islands you can admire from the sea on a sightseeing cruise, or use as great spots for sunbathing and swimming. Every year, islands host Midsummer celebrations with dancing, folk music and lighting of bonfires. Moreover, the summer season features many music festivals including Visio (electronic music) and Tuska (metal music). Both citizens and visitors are looking forward to the opening of the public design sauna Löyly in spring 2016. The modern complex will house a restaurant and a large terrace that will stretch out over the sea. Stay in Helsinki with our partner Apartment Hotel Aallonkoti.
Rome opens the gates of the Colosseum
Rome doesn’t need an introduction. Renowned for its ancient architecture, charming narrow streets and great cuisine, the capital of Italy oozes inimitable charisma. 2016 is the perfect year to choose Rome as your travel destination because the Colosseum’s huge-scale restoration is finally complete. Visitors will have the opportunity to admire the largest ancient amphitheater ever built in its full glory. Another symbol that has recently undergone renovation is the Trevi Fountain. Fendi donated over € 2 million for the biggest cleaning of the Baroque masterpiece that has ever been undertaken. Maybe it would have been a better idea for the city authorities to simply collect the coins from the fountain’s bed, as an estimated amount of € 3’000 is thrown into the fountain every day to ensure good fortune and fast return to the Eternal City. Stay in Rome with our partner Halldis.
Wroclaw – The European Capital of Culture 2016
The history of Wroclaw, the biggest city of Lower Silesia in Poland, dates back to the 10th century. Today visitors can still admire the medieval architecture as they stroll around the Market Square. You can step into one of many restaurants to try the regional cuisine or locally brewed beers. Art lovers will be astonished by the 114 meter long and 15 meter tall painting ‘Panorama Raclawicka’, the Gallery of Contemporary Art, as well as post-industrial exhibition space and former brewery ‘Browar Mieszczanski’. The city’s anti-communist tradition is commemorated by the little figurines of dwarfs you can meet all around the city. They symbolize the Orange Alternative movement that used satire to fight communism. 2016 is the special year for Wroclaw as it was honored with a title of the European Capital of Culture 2016. On this occasion, the city has prepared a rich offer of cultural events, featuring numerous art exhibitions, concerts, literature festivals and a performance by famous movie composer Ennio Morricone. You can find the detailed line-up of the events here. Stay in Wroclaw with our partner Sky Tower.
Festivals and modern art in Zurich
Zurich is renowned for its artistic history and as one of the most livable cities in the world. However, in 2016 the Swiss metropolis has even more to offer. Art lovers will visit the city for the 100 year jubilee of the Dada art movement which was founded at the famous night club ‘Cabaret Voltaire’, where a series of events will take place this summer. This year Zurich will also host The European Biennial of Contemporary Art Manifesta 11, offering numerous seminars and exhibitions. Entertainment seekers shouldn’t miss the ‘Züri Fäscht’ – a big festival that takes place only every three years! From 1st to 3th July the city is covered in firework shows, 60 stages with different concerts and performances and over 300 food stands. If you don’t feel like participating in any of these events you can simply stroll through the medieval Old Town, go shopping at luxurious boutiques or relax at the beautiful lake with a glass of local wine or Swiss chocolate. Stay in Zurich with VISIONAPARTMENTS.