Architectural Digest names ‘the 20 most beautiful cities in the world’ and Adelaide tops the list

Prestigious US magazine Architectural Digest has released a list of “the 20 most beautiful cities in the world” and an unexpected Australian city has stolen the crown.

The Adelaide underdogs came out on top of “cities which offer something that can’t be found anywhere else”.

The humble Aussie city edged out several global icons including New York, Paris and Barcelona.

“Find surf, sand dunes, and Art Deco architecture in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia” the article read.

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

Despite no other Australian city managing to get a guernsey there remained a stellar list of contenders including second place Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, followed by the Caribbean island city of Portsmouth.

The art buffs were on the hunt for cities that ticked all four boxes — architecture, cultural treasures, historical relevance and natural appeal.

Architectural Digest did mention the list “is by no means definitive” and that capping it at 20 cities “is far too few to sum up all the world’s beauty,”

“We have taken a stab at highlighting some supremely spectacular places, from the remote beaches of the Caribbean to the cultural capital of Japan”.

20 most beautiful cities in the world:

Adelaide, Australia

Tallinn, Estonia

Portsmouth, Dominica

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Antigua, Guatemala

Singapore

Paris, France

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Luxor, Egypt

Istanbul, Turkey

Kyoto, Japan

Barcelona, Spain

Cape Town, South Africa

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Florence, Italy

Djenné, Mali

New York City, USA

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Jaipur, India