The eastern German city of Chemnitz has nabbed itself a spot in Booking.com’s list of trending destinations for 2024, granted particular praise for its cultural scene and snowy, mountainous landscape.
Some of Booking.com’s trending destinations for 2024 have already been trending for a while (see Buenos Aires and Portland, Oregon), but credit where it's due for shining a light on little old Chemnitz. Nestled deep in former East Germany, the German city has been given a little hope for some international glory in the new year.
In no particular order, the eastern city was sandwiched among the Japanese city of Beppu, known for its “dramatic volcanic mountains” and hot springs, and “the jewel of the Balkans”, Albania’s Vlorë, where visitors can escape to beaches dotted with straw-topped beach umbrellas.
In fact, Chemnitz was one of the few places included in the list that can’t be classified as a beach holiday destination, with the palmy landscapes of Rotorua, New Zealand, known for its mud pools and southern shoreline, and the tropical “slice of paradise” island Panglao, The Philippines also taking spots.
Citing the city’s claim as European Capital of Culture for 2025, Booking.com named Chemnitz as an “under-the-radar” city to look out for in the coming years.
The third largest city in Saxony at an almost-equidistance between Dresden and Leipzig, Chemnitz is an excellent destination to visit in combination with Germany’s other eastern cities or Czechia. Known as Karl-Marx-Stadt from 1953 to 1990, a bust of the famous philosopher is one of the city’s main attractions, along with the opera house.
Sitting in the basin of the Ore Mountains, Chemnitz is also home to the Chemnitz petrified forest, a fossilised forest dating back millions of years, which today sits in the courtyard of the Tietz cultural centre.
Overall, here is the list of destinations that Booking.com wants you to get to before they’re too trending:
For more information about Trending Destinations 2024, check out the Booking.com website.
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