Athens joins the Race for Best European Destination 2020

After another bright year in the spotlight, Athens has been named among the 20 trendiest places to visit in Europe for 2020 by the influential annual poll "European Best Destinations".

This also puts Athens in the running to be crowned as Europe’s Best Destination for 2020. What better way to celebrate the Greek capital’s remarkable rebirth - and the new decade - than by being Number One this year. 

You can help us get there!

European Best Destinations is a Brussels-based initiative promoting culture and sustainable tourism across Europe. Travelers from around the globe are invited to vote for their favourite choice for a holiday or city break; with the winner gathering the most on-line votes. Cities are shortlisted for having the biggest growth in visitor volume over the past year, as well as the most significant growths on social networks.

Athens is up against 19 other European hotspots: Madrid, Sibiu (Romania), Vienna, Colmar (France), Heviz (Hungary), Namur (Belgium), Cascais (Portugal), Rijeka (Croatia), Paris, Reykjavik, Rochefort (France), Prague, Menorca, Bydgoszcz (Poland) Berlin, Tbilisi (Georgia), Rotterdam and Rome. 

Since the high-profile popularity contest debuted in 2009, iconic Athens has rarely been out of the top ten. The city came second in 2016 and placed fourth in 2017.  

Athens has continued trending throughout 2019. Many esteemed international publications - from The Washington Post and The Guardian, to Condé Nast Traveller and Architectural Digest – have praised the historic destination for its year-round buzz, blooming gastronomy and electrifying arts scene.   

As the European Best Destinations website states:

Athens lives up to all the hype! Birthplace of philosophy, democracy and drama, the city of Athens is not only an open-air museum of world-class cultural heritage attractions but also a contemporary metropolis with an urban personality.

Voting starts on 15 January and extends for three weeks until 5 February. Last year’s Best European Destination showdown was a record event with over half a million votes from 178 countries, and Budapest finishing in top place.

 To cast your winning vote for Athens, click here and share with all your friends who love Athens too.