10 Most Exciting Cities in the World

7. Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is explicitly cool with an entirely layered scene. Gaudi’s masterpieces are magnificent, but the art scene goes far beyond them—artisans throughout the lively El Born district, Consell de Cent’s uptown galleries, and exhibitions throughout Eixample. Bohemian, carefree, and trendsetting, Barcelona’s diverse restaurants run the gamut from fashionable tapas bars to hole-in-the-wall food stalls and the bar scene is just as eclectic. Start on Las Ramblas, but move with the flow if you’re planning on seeing the sun come up—it’s the only way to keep up to locals. Wander the Gothic Quarter for hip and almost-hidden hotspots, get a taste sophistication in El Born, take in the edgier scene in Raval, or imbibe in the trendy barrio Poble Sec. And you’ve never witnessed a mob so pumped as when the city’s team has a match at home: total and utter exhilaration!

6. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Pair Rio de Janeiro’s happy-go-lucky locals with a coastal backdrop filled with the lilts of samba and you’ve got one incredibly appealing destination. Sharp granite pinnacles vault from the ocean amid long, sandy stretches; historic colonial buildings nestle in between modern skyscrapers; and dense emerald forests push their limits to the city’s edge—Rio seems to have it all. Central city adornments are overlooked by mountaintop Christ the Redeemer, an unmistakable and defining statue and skyline attribute.A large chunk of the coast, including the iconic statue, is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage designation.In Rio, there are three obsessions fueling Brazilians’ love for life: Carnival, the beach, and football, but if you’re looking to knock your heartbeat up, head to Rio’s Sao Conradodistrict, rent a hang glider, and dive from Pedra Bonita rock into stretches of sky featuring endless ocean below and lofty mountains around.

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