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National Geographic World's Best Cities - Celebrating 220 Great Destinations

The 21st century has been heralded as the "Century of the City" by the Rockefeller Foundation as, for the first time ever, the majority of people live in urban areas. In a glossy, lavish tribute to cosmopolitan life, National Geographic Travel will offer urban adventurers a stunning new book this fall: WORLD’S BEST CITIES: Celebrating 220 Great Destinations. Delving into the heart and soul of cities around the globe, WORLD’S BEST CITIES is an expansive travel guide that highlights 220 urban destinations, both well-known and emerging, with beautiful photo galleries, insightful text and insider tips and secrets.

The book showcases iconic cities like Paris, Rome, New York, London and Tokyo as well as up-and-coming cities such as Asheville, North Carolina; Denver; Nairobi; and Abu Dhabi. Each featured city is accompanied by gorgeous photos and vital stats, best local foods, oddities and more.

Annie Fitzsimmons, National Geographic Travel’s "Urban Insider," wrote the foreword to WORLD’S BEST CITIES and serves as spokesperson for the book. She is one of several experts who share their personal recollections of favorite urban destinations in the book. Other contributors include Los Angeles chef Roi Choi, who recommends the Greek Theater for music in Los Angeles; Cuban actress Iliam Suárez, who shares her passion for taking in the ocean air on a stroll along Havana’s Malecón (seawall); Montreal business owner Joel Giberovitch, who suggests browsing charming boutiques on classy Laurier Avenue; and award-winning fashion designer Maria Pinto, who recommends a walk through Lurie Garden in Millennium Park in Chicago.

The inspirational personal narratives, fun facts and local secrets shared in WORLD’S BEST CITIES reveal each city’s soul and daily rhythm for travelers seeking an urban adventure. For those looking to explore the world’s top urban destinations, the book offers boundless inspiration:

• Dine at one of Tokyo’s 3,653 restaurants that specialize in sushi.
• Visit Mexico City’s magnificent Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest church in Latin America.
• Shop for fine Argentinian leather goods in Buenos Aires’ Murillo Leather District.
• Stay at an Abu Dhabi hotel that leans 14 degrees more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• Explore Oslo’s 150 square miles of forest, covering an area larger than Washington, D.C.
• Ride the world’s most comprehensive subway system on New York City’s 230 miles of subway tracks.
• Enjoy spectacular views of Cape Town while drinking sundowners on top of Table Mountain.

WORLD’S BEST CITIES also includes 16 “The Best Cities" top-10 lists, profiling the best urban destinations for everything from happiest cities (including Kuala Lumpur; Gold Coast, Australia; and Madison, Wisconsin) to eco-friendly cities (such as Songdo, South Korea; Berkeley, California; and Vancouver, Canada) to foodie cities (including Cincinnati; Chennai; and Bologna, Italy).

"In cities we find ourselves right where we are meant to be, obsessed with a constant heartbeat of possibility, gifted with a greater license to take a leap of faith, have fun, and embrace irreverence in a place where the political, social, and cultural meet and often clash… Flipping through these pages, I feel like I’m having coffee with a friend dishing about their home, their city. Armed with recommendations, I set off to find my own path… And I can’t wait to see what happens next," writes Fitzsimmons in her foreword.

WORLD’S BEST CITIES is a must-have volume for on-the-go visitors and armchair travelers alike to accompany them on all of their urban adventures.

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