Adelaide named world's most beautiful city in 2024 by US international design authority the 'Architectural Digest'
South Australia's capital Adelaide greets the news of being named as the world's most beautiful in 2024 by American monthly magazine Architectural Digest, the “the international design authority”.
Adelaide was named the world’s most beautiful city in a ranking of the top 20 in 2024 by American monthly magazine Architectural Digest.
South Australia's capital was the only Australian city to make the prestigious list, joining top global destinations including New York, Paris, Singapore, Florence, Barcelona and Amsterdam. Launched in 1920 and published by Condé Nast, Architectural Digest was called “the international design authority”, aimed at an “affluent and style-conscious readership”.
Releasing its top 20 list in 2024, Architectural Digest said that compiling a “definitive list of the most beautiful cities in the world” was difficult but it had chosen “some supremely spectacular places”. Starting with “What makes a city beautiful?”, the magazine weighed “architecture, cultural treasures, historical relevance as well as natural appeal”. It found that Adelaide’s natural beauty stood out, highlighting its “beaches, vineyards and plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife”.
Architectural Digest said the best cities offered something that couldn’t be found anywhere else: “Destinations from all over the globe made the list, some for possessing all of the above in a single place.” The magazine found “surf, sand dunes, and Art Deco architecture” in Adelaide: “In fact, you can experience all three, as well as Victorian architecture at Semaphore Beach, just 9 miles from the city centre. 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.”
The full list of cities in the top 20 were: Adelaide, Tallinn in Estonia, Portsmouth in Dominica, San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, Antigua in Guatemala, New York City, Amsterdam, Paris, Istanbul, Kyoto, Barcelona, Cape Town, Singapore, Rio de Janeiro, Florence, Jaipur in India, Chefchaouen in Morocco, Djenné in Mali, Chiang Mai in Thailand and Luxor in Egypt.
