TM
What makes a city beautiful? A high-flying skyline, ample parkland, a decided-upon devotion to a single hue? Is it a place where you can spend days exploring ancient wonders, world-class museums, or surrounding mountains? Or simply somewhere with an indescribable spark — somewhere with heaps of bright juicy oranges at the street market, live music playing in the square, and young lovers lost in their own private world. Surely, the answer is different for everyone.
Sydney, Australia. Sydney practically sparkles with its plied-by-yachts harbor, golden beaches, spectacular headland views, lush parks and gardens, abundance of sunshine, and overall cleanliness. Take a ferry or boat tour to see the unmistakable Sydney Opera House — a symbol of Australia’s oldest and biggest city, and of the continent itself — and Harbour Bridge from the water. Explore the city’s wealth of picturesque coastal walks and truly great beaches; beloved Queenscliff Beach has a wide stretch of clean sand, pro-surfer-approved waves, a rock pool, and a lagoon.
Paris, France. We can’t talk about the world’s most beautiful cities without mentioning Paris. In the City of Light, there’s something to make the heart go aflutter around every corner, be it an iconic monument, a cozy sidewalk cafe tightly packed with chic Parisians, or a proud boulevard lined with creamy stone Haussmann-era mansions. And the window display of a patisserie or boulangerie may be just as delightful to behold as the city’s splendid art and architecture.
Istanbul, Turkey. If you’ve already been to Rome, Paris, and Barcelona, consider flying eastward to Istanbul. The city is an intoxicating jumble of domed and intricately mosaicked mosques, Ottoman-era palaces, maze-like markets, and hilly cobblestoned streets where you might run into a bar party spilling out the door and down the block. The food scene stretches way beyond the ubiquitous kebab; the mezze and grilled seafood are out of this world, and the city’s coffeehouse culture goes into the wee hours of the morning.
Palermo, Italy. Sicily’s dynamic, decadent, sun-soaked capital is a dream for architecture buffs, foodies, and all lovers of life. You might think Italy’s biggest opera house would be in Rome or Milan, but it’s here. Teatro Massimo’s copper dome hulks some 250 feet above the historic piazza it stands on. Palermo’s striking gold-stone cathedral is one of the city’s many Arab-Norman structures that date to sometime around the turn of the last millennia. Head to its rooftop to see the ancient city’s terra-cotta skyline tumbling down toward the Tyrrhenian Sea.
But it’s the pulse of life that truly makes the city a beautiful place: whirring mopeds, swaying palms, Italian twosomes strolling arm in arm down centuries-old streets. Don’t miss the souk-like maze of the Ballarò street market, where Palermitani buy almonds, olives, spices, and tomatoes the color of rubies by the bagful. As afternoon turns to early evening, settle in for an Aperol spritz or earthy nero d’Avola on the bohemian Piazza Caracciolo and watch the night unfold.
Rejep REJEPOV,
The I year student of
the Faculty of the International Relations of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan
