To paraphrase “Pride and Prejudice,” “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that any person in possession of good fortune, must be in want of a trip to celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday.”
OK, maybe the beloved book doesn’t open quite like that, but an Austen celebration is a big deal for lovers of literature as well as Lizzie-Darcy shippers. And festivities will be breaking out in Hampshire this year, with fairs, balls and a Grand Regency Costumed Promenade. No wonder the New York Times put Jane Austen’s England atop its “52 Places to Go in 2025.”
Jane Austen’s home, Chawton, in Hampshire, England. (Getty Images)
The list is a varied wonder, with celebratory nods to New York City — which is turning the big 4-0-0 but doesn’t look a day over 399 — Amsterdam (750!) and France’sAix-en-Provence which has declared 2025 “The Year of Cezanne.”
There are hip beach towns in Kenya, remote Norwegian islands, a European SXSW festival and more. Check out the full 52 and all the reasons why those destinations made the list at www.nytimes.com/travel. Meanwhile, here’s just a peek at the top spots on the list.
Top 10 Places to Go in 2025
1 Jane Austen’s England
2 Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
3 New York City’s museums
4 Assam, India
5 “White Lotus” Thailand
6 Greenland
7 Aix-en-Provence, France
8 Sun Valley, Idaho
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