The fifth Places Rated survey, conducted by the National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations, had 280 travel experts score places they know on how well those spots have withstood the pressures of mass tourism and time. Top-ranked was Austria's Wachau Valley, cited for "excellent preservation of both landscape and structures." Ontario's Rideau Canal corridor and the historic center of Ghent, Belgium, were Nos. 2 and 3.
The top-ranked U.S. city, Columbus, Ind., at No. 11, was cited for its midcentury modern architecture.
The world's worst city according to that list is Central City, Colorado: Central City's uncontrolled casino growth is the reason for its number one slot.
Quote:For this year's survey, conducted by the Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations, we chose more than a hundred historic places around the world. We then asked an international panel of 280 experts to evaluate the destinations based on our six criteria (see About the Survey). This being a destination survey, we skipped living museums and stand-alone sites and chose only populated communities possessing a historic character, district, or dominant site. The score for each place is the average of the panelists' ratings, accompanied by a sample of comments they posted in the course of the survey. We also skipped some destinations we'd rated in previous surveys.
Austria's Wachau Valley and Welk Abbey got top honors with a score of 88 for excellent preservation of both landscape and structures. Surprising to some might be one of the best U.S. ratings: a 78 for Columbus, Indiana, renowned for its modern architecture.
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2008 DESTINATIONS RATED
Historic Places Rated: The List
1. Austria: Wachau/Melk Abbey (score: 88)
2. Ontario: Rideau Canal corridor (score: 84)
3. Belgium: Historic Center of Ghent (score: 81)
4. Japan: Nikko historic areas (score: 81)
5. Austria: Graz (score: 80)
6. France: Aix-en-Provence (score: 80)
7. France: Dijon and Bourgogne region (score: 80)
8. Germany: Potsdam historic areas (score: 80)
9. Sweden: Stockholm's Gamla Stan (score: 80)
10. Argentina: Mendoza wine estancias (score: 79)
11. Indiana: Columbus (score: 78)
12. Japan: Ancient Nara (score: 78)
13. Mexico: Querétaro City & Sierra Gordo (score: 78)
14. France: Lyon historic areas (score: 77)
15. South Carolina: Charleston (score: 77)
16. Brazil: ParatÃ, RJ (score: 76)
17. Czech Republic: Medieval Cesky Krumlov (score: 76)
18. Scotland: Edinburgh historic areas (score: 76)
19. Australia: Sydney Harbor (score: 75)
20. England: York (score: 75)
21. Italy: San Gimignano (score: 75)
22. Oregon: Ashland (score: 75)
23. Croatia: Korcula (score: 74)
24. Japan: Kamakura (score: 74)
25. Minnesota: Red Wing (score: 74)
National Geographic: Historical Places Rated
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