Coolest Little Capital

Wellington has been named the ‘Coolest Little Capital City’ in the world by Lonely Planet. The Lonely Planet Best In Travel 211 also named Wellington as the fourth best city in the world to visit. Best in Travel 211 writer, Catherine Le Nevez, described Wellington as “Cool-with-a-capital-C”. It was Wellington’s abundance of arts and cultural events, the culinary and film scene, it’s attitude to sport and proximity to nature that made Wellington stand out. The locals too helped win the title. “Wellingtonians are modest-as; they just figure if you’re going to do something, why not do it well?” Le Nevez writes. “Its compact size energises its sense of community. Locals love their city … and get a kick out of helping visitors fall in love with it too.” Prime Minister John Key, welcomed the tributes, saying Wellington gets a hard time for its windy weather but he believes it adds to the feel of the city. It is the first time New Zealand has been recognised in the annual collection of the world’s best trends, destinations, journeys and experiences. Lonely Planet’s Asia-Pacific Travel Editor, Shawn Low said Best in Travel 211 draws on the knowledge, passion and kilometres travelled by Lonely Planet’s staff, authors and online community. The top five best cities to travel to were New York City, USA; Tangier, Morocco; Tel Aviv, Israel; Wellington, New Zealand; and Valencia, Spain.