January 19, 2025, 6:18 am | Read time: 5 minutes
New year, new destinations recommended by the New York Times. To mark the start of 2025, the renowned daily newspaper has published its annual list of “Places to Go”, which, as usual, comprises 52 locations. One of them is a German city, and at the very top of the list, it is definitely picturesque. Find out more at TRAVELBOOK.
In January, travel enthusiasts traditionally receive inspiration curated by experts. This time it is an anniversary edition: The “52 Places to Go” list of the New York Times has been published for the 20th time. The paper is celebrating this with a special animated edition, which also looks at the extreme developments in the travel industry. And keyword (political) development: “Sometimes the absence of a destination like China, which last made it onto the list in 2020, or Russia, which last appeared in 2019, is just as revealing as what made it onto the list,” explains author Tariro Mzezewa in the publication. Against this backdrop, the recommendations can be accepted without hesitation for the most part. And one of them is this year’s German representative in the New York Times’ listing: the Hanseatic city of Hamburg.
Overview
The New York Times Recommends Hamburg as a Travel Destination
“Hamburg is home to contemporary architectural landmarks,” explains the New York Times. The elegant Elbphilharmonie concert hall is cited as an example of this. Hamburg is also an innovative city, which is underlined not least by the recent restoration of the “St. Pauli Bunker”. This refers to the Green Bunker, a former anti-aircraft bunker from the Second World War in Hamburg’s famous St. Pauli district. For some years now, it has also been known as the “media bunker”, as various publishing houses and media institutions had offices there. The imposing concrete building now has a hotel and has already brought Hamburg some fame and honors in the recent past, including a particularly big one with its inclusion in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most impressive places in the world.
According to the New York Times, other highlights in Hamburg due to open in 2025 include the teamLab Borderless museum—the largest digital art museum in Europe—and the Conrad Hamburg Hotel. The latter will house a historic shopping center dating back to 1912.
Overall, the selected “52 Places to Go in 2025” are characterized by noteworthy cultural institutions and events. As you may have guessed, the number was not chosen at random. The list was originally intended as a source of inspiration for each week of the calendar year. It is not a ranking but a collection of recommended destinations—except for the first place.
The Best Travel Destination for 2025, According to the New York Times
The paper did not put a city at the top of the list, but “Jane Austen’s England”. This refers to places where the British writer lived and worked. She was born 250 years ago—to mark the occasion, numerous celebrations are being held in the area she left her mark on. According to the New York Times, exhibitions and themed festivals are not only planned for Austen’s former cottage, which has been home to a museum for many years.
Austen spent the rest of her life in Winchester. She is buried in the cathedral there—a major attraction in the English city. In honor of the author of “Pride and Prejudice” and “Emma”, readings are held at various locations, and guided tours of Winchester are also offered. A good reason for a visit! It should be worth it anyway, as Winchester is considered one of the most beautiful medieval towns in the country.
Notes on the Listing
The first place shows: Not only cities, towns, or regions are listed. You can find more detailed information on the individual travel tips with detailed arguments here. The list includes a wide variety of “travel destinations”, from individual attractions to entire countries. The New York Times has also included the “Museums of New York”. The metropolis is celebrating its 400th birthday in 2025, it explains, and is using this special occasion to give itself a “gift”—namely to art lovers. Four major museum (re)openings are scheduled this year. The filming location for the hit series “The White Lotus” in Thailand is also listed. In the third season, this was a luxury resort on the popular island of Koh Samui.
It’s fair to say that Hamburg is in glamorous company as one of the “52 Places to Go in 2025”. But see for yourself.
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An Overview of All 52 Best Travel Destinations, According to the New York Times
- 1st place: “Jane Austen’s England”
- Hamburg, Germany
- Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
- The museums of New York, USA
- Assam, India
- The White Lotus, Thailand
- Greenland
- Aix-en-Provence, France
- Sun Valley, USA
- Lumbini, Nepal
- Sydney, Australia
- Coimbra, Portugal
- Angola, Central Africa
- Nicaragua, Central America
- Dolomites, Italy
- Asheville, USA
- Río Magdalena, Colombia
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Alishan, Taiwan
- Flow Country, Scotland
- Kristiansand, Norway
- Buxoro, Uzbekistan
- Lexington and Concord (Massachusetts), USA
- Canfranc, Spain
- Benin City, Nigeria
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- New Orleans, USA
- Raja Ampat, Indonesia
- Delphi, Greece
- Toyama, Japan
- Basque Country, France
- Kilifi County, Kenya
- British Virgin Islands
- Lofoten, Norway
- London’s eastern districts
- Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden
- Kutaisi, Georgia
- Osaka, Japan
- Detroit, USA
- Trent-Severn Waterway, Canada
- Montserrat, Spain
- Western Australia, Australia
- Washington D.C., USA
- Nangma Valley, Pakistan
- Sicily Divide Cycle Route, Italy
- Ollantaytambo, Peru
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Huangshan, China
- Milan, Italy
- Bulgaria
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Montserrat, British Overseas Territory