There’s a level of pride in visiting a city long before your friends consider traveling there. That emerging place has been Reykjavik at times, Lisbon at others—but we have a round of 16 places that we predict will gain popularity in the next few years. Ready to book a long weekend to Alabama before everyone realizes that Birmingham will soon break the ranks of America’s great food towns? This list is for you. Here, find the lesser-explored cities we think everyone should visit next.

Lagos, Nigeria

It's one of Africa's liveliest creative scenes, with ART X Lagos, October Fashion Week, and multiple Afrobeat stars. The Wheatbaker hotel hosts rotating art shows; try Nok for ramped-up street food.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

The light rail chugs by 19 breweries (including Falling Knife), while the Korean short-rib pizza at Young Joni is one reason Ann Kim snatched the James Beard Award for best Midwest chef this year.

San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Heard of it? Didn't think so. This former gold- and silver-mining capital is a hit with domestic visitors for its Baroque Templo de San Francisco de Asis.

Aalborg, Denmark

This former industrial hub in the sunny north is now at the forefront of urban sustainability, reviving its waterfront with architectural hits. Take the train from Copenhagen to avoid flygskam (flight shame).

Cuenca, Ecuador

It's an off-grid trifecta of what we all want now: a gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage Site, drop-the-phone-and-stare beauty in the surrounding El Cajas National Park, and wild rain forest hiking trails.

The Crossroads Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. Alyssa Broadus/Courtesy Crossroads Hotel

Kansas City, Missouri

This soulful locale just got its first designer hotel, Crossroads. But it's the Americana—BBQ, blues, denim (see Vogue favorite Baldwin)—that give it appeal when so many other U.S. towns have been hipsterfied.

Kiev, Ukraine

It's got that industrial-edge thing going on, like Berlin 20 years ago. Get a room at Bauhaus-style Bursa, do borscht and a beer at Kanapa by star chef Yaroslav Artyukh, and stroll past the street art.

Birmingham, Alabama

It's walkable, historical, and charming. And now, with three big-name foodie openings, including from Brooklyn cool kids Mile End, Birmingham might just be the next Charleston.

Ponta Delgada, Azores

The whitewashed capital of the neon-green volcanic archipelago is at the heart of a budding design- and eco-conscious local hotel movement, led by Sul Villas.