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Denver Makes Lonely Planet's List Of Top 10 Cities To Visit In 2020

(CBS4/CNN) - Lonely Planet editors asked its staffers and hundreds of contributors from around the world for nominations for their new list of top cities to visit in 2020, and the Mile High City made the Top 10. (Denver and Washington were the only American cities to land there.) Lonely Planet's top 10 cities to visit next year are as follows:

1. Salzburg, Austria
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Cairo, Egypt
4. Galway, Ireland
5. Bonn, Germany
6. La Paz, Bolivia
7. Kochi, India
8. Vancouver, Canada
9. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
10. Denver

This year's top 10 travel list, like its predecessors, is a happy mix of well-known spots and hidden gems: popular cities already getting attention for their attractions and events; lesser known towns worthy of your attention or a second look; and wonderful places to visit that need our help.

"These are the places to experience in 2020," says Tom Hall, Lonely Planet's vice president of experience. "This year our Best in Travel list puts particular emphasis on the best sustainable experiences around the world, ensuring travelers will have a positive impact wherever they choose to go."

denver city skyline generic
(credit: CBS)

Lonely Planet editors described Denver as "one of the USA's most charming boomtowns." They gave the city high marks for its food scene and mentioned food halls such as Milk Market, which CBS4 profiled in February.

milk market
(credit: CBS)

They also praised Denver for its "creative energy" and used the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art and Meow Wolf's Kaleidoscape ride at Elitch Gardens as examples.

Meow Wolf's Kaleidoscape
(credit: CBS)

No. 1 Salzburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was picked in part because next year it's the centennial anniversary of the world-famous Salzburg Festival, an annual summer celebration with music, theater and cultural events taking place across the city.

To learn more about Lonely Planet's picks for 2020, go to lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN contributed to this report.)

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