Cork Named One of National Geographic’s Best Places to Visit in 2025
Cork, Ireland, has been named as one of National Geographic’s 25 best places in the world to visit in 2025. The vibrant Irish city is the only Irish entry on the prestigious list, which includes diverse destinations like Stockholm Archipelago in Sweden, Brasov in Romania, Guadalajara in Mexico, and Murray River in Australia.
National Geographic highlights Cork’s ambitious development plan, set to transform the city by 2028. This includes redeveloping the port and docklands, refurbishing the Crawford Art Gallery, and enhancing the Cork Event Centre to host major concerts, festivals, and exhibitions.
A City of Culture and Music
The magazine also shines a light on Sounds from a Safe Harbour, a biennial festival of music, dance, and conversation co-founded by Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy, a native of Cork.
National Geographic’s editor-in-chief, Nathan Lump, praised Cork’s vibrant culture and welcoming residents. While Corkonians will undoubtedly celebrate their city’s inclusion on the prestigious list, they might raise an eyebrow at the mention of the delayed Cork Event Centre. Despite a 2016 sod-turning ceremony, concrete progress has been slow.
Lump emphasizes that National Geographic’s Best in the World list showcases both emerging destinations and timeless locations offering exciting experiences.
“I like to think of Best of the World as National Geographic’s annual invitation to get out and explore for yourself the incredible diversity of places and experiences around the worlds. This year, at a time of uncertainty and difficult challenges, that feels more important than ever,” Lump stated.
Other destinations featured on the 2025 list include Abu Dhabi, UAE, Boise, Idaho in the US, Northland, New Zealand, and the Suru Valley in India.
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