Lonely Planet's top 10 cities for 2020

So often overshadowed by nearby Vienna and Munich, Salzburg is described by Lonely Planet as a "heart-stealer of an Alpine city." The chief reason to go next year, the travel guide firm says, is the centenary of Salzburg Festival. Special exhibitions and events are planned throughout the city's historic center. Nearby, you can take a tour of "Sound of Music" country.

Washington next year celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment – the law that granted women the right to vote. There'll be lots of events linked to that in 2020 — alongside the small matter of a US presidential election. It's not all about politics. The city also boasts a revitalized waterfront and a vibrant, growing food scene.

Cairo's Grand Egyptian Museum is set to throw open its doors to visitors next year, becoming a permanent home to the burial treasures of King Tutankhamun. It'll also become easier to visit the city and its nearby pyramids from other destinations within Egypt, with the planned opening of the new Sphinx Airport dedicated to domestic flights.

Described by Lonely Planet as "brilliantly bohemian" and famed for its rich pub scene, Galway in the west of Ireland has long been a favorite of tourists visiting the country. In 2020, it'll be a European Capital of Culture, with a whole year of "arty party" events planned.

Bonn disappeared from the radar of many people around the world when it stopped being the capital of West Germany. The city is back in the limelight next year, as it marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Bonn's Ludwig van Beethoven. Visitors can take a tour of the great composer's birth house, and enjoy a pleasant stroll along the banks of the Rhine.

Already boasting the world's largest cable car system, La Paz has a newfound ambition. There's a new sense of pride in Bolivia's indigenous roots and an increasing number of tourists visiting the city. It's the governmental capital of Bolivia, but not the constitutional one. That honor goes to the city of Sucre.

This relaxed city in southern India is a real mix of new and old. Kochi has championed green technology — something that has earned the city a Champions of the Earth award — but it's also managed to preserve the past. Once called the "Queen of the Arabian Sea," Kochi was an important spice center, occupied by various European powers — the British, Dutch and Portuguese — over the years.

Squeezed between sea and mountains, Vancouver has some solid credentials as a city that takes environmental concerns seriously. It's the birthplace of Greenpeace, and now has a vastly expanded cycling and walking network. Next year sees the benefits of Vancouver's Greenest City 2020 Action Plan come to fruition, after big investments in public transport and tree planting.

Futuristic Dubai has the launch of several big projects on the horizon for 2020. Top billing goes to the six-month-long World Expo 2020 event where some 190 nations go head-to-head to showcase models of sustainability and mobility. Meanwhile, two miles offshore, a Europe-themed fantasy resort on an artificial archipelago called "The World" is set to open its doors.

Known as the "Mile High City," Denver is something of a boom town. As well as being a gateway to the Rockies, Denver is very much a cultural destination in its own right. A young and thriving city, it has a rich cultural offering and a booming microbrewery scene. For a US city, it's also quite compact.