Cities are nothing if not creative. Across Europe, you’ll see disused buildings reborn as cultural spaces, landmarks taken over by art installations and urban parks transformed into summer festivals.
The annual Creative Tourism Awards exist to celebrate the ingenuity of our cities, and this year, a Slavic city has taken the crown as the ‘best creative city destination’ for 2026.
Organised by the non-profit Creative Tourism Network, 223 candidates from 28 different countries were judged by an international jury, and the Slovenian capital Ljubljana was crowned champion.
The city was handed the accolade for ‘integrating creativity into its identity, tourism strategy, and long-term urban development’, as well as for its programme of creative events and its work with local creators, according to euronews.
Ljubljana has a handful of cultural quarters – head to Soteska in the summer months for the Open Resilience Festival or Šiška for a mooch in some sweet little galleries, museums and local ateliers.
A couple of our favourites? The Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova is housed inside former military barracks and has a collection of art from the 1960s up to the present day, while the House of Illusions is a fun, family-friendly attraction full of holograms, exhibitions and of course, optical illusions.
There’s also the LUV Festival, a brilliant programme of opera performances, dance, workshops, as well as more exhibitions and concerts. Plenty going on, right?
Recommended: The world’s 20 best cities for culture, according to
What else is there to do in Ljubljana?
The city is under an hour’s drive from Lake Bled, which we named as the most beautiful place in Europe.
Headed here? ’s former Head of Commercial Rose Johnstone says: ‘Look up and you’ll spot the terracotta-coloured rooftop of Bled Castle, built in the sixteenth century. Its terrace café alone makes it worth a visit, especially if you order their speciality, a slice of Bled cake – a light cream cake topped with flaky pastry.’
Did you see that these are officially Europe’s best cities in 2026?
Plus: The world’s happiest country is offering a free lakeside trip this summer – here’s how to apply.
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