Lonely Planet names Croatia’s Kvarner in TOP 10 regions to visit in 2020

Rab

23 October 2019 – Croatia’s Kvarner Gulf has been named among the world’s best tourist regions to visit in 2020 by leading guide book Lonely Planet. 

The list of the top 10 regions, featured in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020 book, was compiled based on topicality, unique experiences and wow factor. 

“The best destinations around the world for next year have finally been revealed in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020. They are the best of the best. They are destinations overlooked by most travellers or familiar hotspots offering new reasons to return. They are Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel for 2020,” the guide said in its introduction. 

Lonely Planet consulted everyone from writers and editors to their online family of social media influencers to have their panel of travel experts whittle down to the best 10 countries, 10 regions, 10 cities and 10 best value destinations. 

In number 9 spot on the best 10 regions list was Kvarner. The area includes the islands of Cres, Krk, Pag, Rab and Lošinj, as well as the port city of Rijeka. 

Pag

Sandwiched between the tourist hotspots of Dalmatia and Istria, this less heralded part of the Croatian coast has been quietly building up its credentials in the culinary and environmental-protection spheres over the last decade. Now the Kvarner Gulf is well and truly ready for its close up, with its principal settlement, the gritty port city of Rijeka, embracing the role of European Capital of Culture in 2020. Shiny new set pieces include architecturally repurposed spaces for museums and cultural centres. In supporting roles but ready to steal the show are the gulf islands, with their ageless beauty, historic walled towns replete with Venetian-era architecture, numerous beaches and considerable charm – writes Lonely Planet. 

Lonely Planet’s Top 10 regions for 2020

10. Brazilian Amazon
9. Kvarner Gulf, Croatia
8. Northeast Argentina
7. Cádiz Province, Spain
6. Guizhou Province, China
5. Lord Howe Island, Australia
4. Maine, USA
3. Tōhoku, Japan
2. Le Marche, Italy
1. Central Asian Silk Road