Historic English city named world’s best place to visit in 2025 – and it's not London
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A historic UK city has been crowned the world’s best place to travel this year – and surprisingly, it isn’t London. According to The New York Times’ annual ‘52 Places to Travel 2025’, Bath has nabbed the number one spot, thanks to a special anniversary being celebrated by the city this year. Explaining their destination behind the choice, the NYT said: "Each year, the central question is, Why now? Why should a destination be included this year? Is there an exciting event? A big anniversary? New infrastructure, new flights, a new atmosphere?".
This year, Bath will celebrate the 250th birthday of its famed author, Jane Austen, who lived in the city from 1801 to 1806 and wrote many of her best-sellings novels there. Austen, who was born in Steventon, North Hampshire, used Bath – a popular spa resort at the time – as inspiration for her work, with both 'Persuasion' and 'Northanger Abbey' partly set in the ancient city.
The NYT says: "Jane Austen fans have a good reason to explore the southwest of England this year: It’s the 250th anniversary of her birth, and celebrations abound. Hampshire was both Austen’s birthplace and a source of inspiration; as a novelist, she was most prolific in this bucolic setting.".
The city will host a number of events this year to mark the special occassion, including the Jane Austen Country Fair in July. Die hard fans of the novelist can also head to Jane Austen's House for more themed events, as well as a Grand Regency Costumed Promenade at the Jane Austen Center.
