Lonely Planet Has Named Canberra as the Third Best City to Visit in 2018

Canberra might once have been described as 'the ruination of a good sheep paddock', but tables have turned. Global travel publisher Lonely Planet has ranked the Australian capital third on its 2018 Best in Travel: Top Cities list.

That's the highest position ever achieved by an Australian city — Melbourne and Sydney included. What's more, Canberra's the only of our metropolises to have made the top ten for next year. The guide describes Canberra as packing "a big punch" for a small city, noting its abundance of "national treasures", "boutique precincts" and "gastronomic highlights". Next year the capital will also host its first test cricket match and the 100th anniversary of the WWI Armistice.

"These are the cities our travel experts say you should experience in 2018," Alex Howard, managing editor of Lonely Planet magazine US, told CNN. "Whether they've been overlooked, are celebrating milestones next year or have crept up on our radar lately, they all offer compelling reasons to go soon."

Topping the list is Seville, a city in southern Spain that featured in Game of Thrones, but is probably better known for its tapas and flamenco. Seville is currently preparing to host the 31st European Film Awards next year. In second position is Detroit, also known as the Motor City, which took a hit when the US motor industry collapsed, but has since developed a thriving arts scene.

If you're keen to take up Lonely Planet's recommendation, our weekender's guide might come in handy.