What do Greece, Seychelles and Lexington have in common? They made a must-visit 2025 list
The new year will be a big one for Lexington as the city celebrates its 250th birthday with a lineup of events and celebrations stretching throughout the year.
Mayor Linda Gorton has described the celebration as a year-long party, one that will include bourbon and jazz festivals, special concerts and theater productions, along with the premier of Lexington’s own documentary.
Bloomberg recently picked up on all the buzz, and the city got a nod in the business publication’s list of the 25 best places in the world to visit in 2025.
“Lexington is getting a lot of notice this year as a travel destination, and we’re ready to welcome visitors to our exciting city,” Mayor Gorton told the Herald-Leader in an emailed comment Monday. “2025 is our city’s 250th anniversary, and we’re planning a year-long celebration with something for everyone. Come join us!”
As to be expected, Lexington got praise for its familiar bourbon distilleries and Keeneland meets, but Bloomberg also urged travelers to explore Lexington’s vibrant Black history.
“Four newly updated African American Heritage walking tours offer highlights of the city’s past, including little-known stories of Black horse jockeys and the historic alleyways once used by enslaved people and domestic servants to get to and from work unnoticed. Fresh Bourbon, one of the state’s first Black-owned distilleries, recently added mixology classes and whiskey tastings with food pairings. And in June, a 10-day SoulFeast Week will showcase Black-owned restaurants with hip-hop brunches and farm-to-table dinners at Coleman Crest, Kentucky’s first Black-owned organic farm.”
Bloomberg also called Lexington an up-and-coming challenger to Nashville, Tenn., with its bustling and more accessible music scene.
“The Manchester, the city’s first boutique hotel, is just blocks away from Manchester Music Hall and the Burl, where the band Uncle Lucius, Bayker Blankenship and other emerging country stars are set to play in 2025,” the Bloomberg piece states.
Lexington’s charm also recently drew recognition from Southern Living, with the magazine’s editors calling it a can’t miss travel spot. In October, Condé Nast Traveler included it among a list of America’s best small cities.
Bloomberg’s 25 best places in the world to visit in 2025
Bloomberg’s globe-trotter list of the 25 best places to explore in 2025 includes:
Algeria
Seychelles
Los Angeles
Portillo, Chile
Scania, Sweden
Costa Palmas, Mexico
Japan
Canary Islands
Out Islands, Bahamas
Egypt
Lexington, Ky.
Rotterdam, Netherlands
San Diego
Cap Ferret, France
Antigua and Barbuda
Rome
Bangkok
The Colombian Amazon
Jaipur, India
Seville, Spain
Sao Tome and Principe
London’s Elizabeth Line
Paros and Antiparos, Greece
Greenland
Upper East Side, New York City
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This story was originally published December 16, 2024 at 11:36 AM.