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‘Bohemian paradise’ only Aussie city on must-see list

The cafes and bar scene are a big part of Freo life. Photo: AAP

The cafes and bar scene are a big part of Freo life. Photo: AAP

Australia’s biggest, brightest and brashest cities have been snubbed by one of the most popular annual tourism guides.

For those planning holidays next year, Lonely Planet overlooked NSW, VIC, QLD and SA, suggesting instead that travellers turn their gaze to the west.

The only Aussie city to make the travel publisher’s top 10 cities for 2016 was … Fremantle, which ranked higher than the Eternal City of Rome. We sense your scepticism.

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Fremantle has seriously revamped in recent years. Photo: Alan Deveaux

Lonely Planet justified the inclusion of this “raffish harbour town” in seventh spot by pointing to its culture and vibe. ‘Excitement’ and ‘x-factor’ were key criteria, a spokesman told The New Daily.

“Fremantle thrums with live-music rooms, hipster bars, boutique hotels, left-field bookshops, craft-beer breweries, Indian Ocean seafood shacks, buskers, beaches and students on the run from the books,” the travel guide said.

The locals buzz with “global zeitgest” and the vibe is “liberated” and “free-wheeling”, Lonely Planet said.

Apparently all of this is code for hippies, hipsters and bohemians, according to a proud Perthian and diehard Dockers fan.

“It’s a very unique town. It’s got its own feel. It really works at its own pace. A lot of people congregate there … the more bohemian types,” Curtin University marketing lecturer Luke Butcher told The New Daily.

The fishing harbour, with its historic prison and heritage-listed sandstone architecture, is reportedly populated with “oddballs” and “cool” 20-somethings.

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The cafes and bar scene are a big part of Freo life. Photo: AAP

“Freo has this unique feel similar to Brunswick Street in Melbourne or Newport in Sydney,” Mr Butcher said.

“It’s not a money town. It’s not a city where there’s a big CBD and all the big businesses. People there live and work at their own pace.

“It’s more the hippie side of things, and the bohemian types and hipsters.

“If you take a look at Tame Impala, that’s the typical young person walking down the street – long hair, out-there clothing. It does have a very cool feel.”

As Lonely Planet noted, Fremantle hosted the America’s Cup yacht race in 1987 and then reinvented itself with investment in the arts, the establishment of Notre Dame University and the consolidation of the city’s waterfront.

“In 2016, Freo is bearing the fruits of this process, with thriving urban culture and a string of awesome arts events celebrating the city’s essence,” the travel guide said.

The list was drawn from submissions by Lonely Planet staff, authors and an extended community of travellers, bloggers and tweeters, before being refined by a panel of in-house travel experts.

If something further afield, or less hippie, is more your style, then Lonely Planet has nine more city suggestions for 2016.

1. Kotor, Montenegro

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“In July and August people pour into Kotor and the yachts of the super-rich fill the marina, but this town never gets quite as Euro-trashy as some other parts of the coast – this sheltered arm of the bay just isn’t as appealing for swimming. But anyone with a heart for romance, living history and architecture will find Kotor a highlight of their Montenegrin travels.” Read more at Lonely Planet.

2. Quito, Ecuador

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“The city’s crown jewel is its ‘Old Town’, a Unesco World Heritage Site packed with colonial monuments and architectural treasures. No sterile museum mile, everyday life pulses along its handsomely restored blocks with 17th-century facades, picturesque plazas and magnificent art-filled churches.” Read more at Lonely Planet.

3. Dublin, Ireland

dublin ireland shutterstock“Georgian elegance aside, Dublin mightn’t seem as sexy or as sultry as other European capitals, but Dubliners will tell you that pretty things are as easy to like as they are to forget. Their beloved capital, about which they can be brutally unsentimental, has personality, which is much more important and lasts far longer.” Read more at Lonely Planet.

4. George Town, Malaysia

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“Combine three distinct and ancient cultures, indigenous and colonial architecture, shake for a few centuries, garnish with a burgeoning tourism scene, and you’ve got the tasty urban cocktail that is George Town.” Read more at Lonely Planet.

5. Rotterdam, Netherlands

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“Bold new initiatives, myriad urban regeneration projects, and electrifying dining and nightlife all make Rotterdam one of the most happening cities in Europe right now.” Read more at Lonely Planet.

6. Mumbai, India

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“Mumbai is big. It’s full of dreamers and hard-labourers, starlets and gangsters, stray dogs and exotic birds, artists and servants and fisherfolk and crorepatis (millionaires) and lots and lots of people.” Read more at Lonely Planet.

8. Manchester, UK

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“Even accounting for northern bluster, the uncrowned capital of the north is well deserving of the title. It has a rich history and culture, easily explored in its myriad museums and galleries.” Read more at Lonely Planet.

9. Nashville, USA

nashville usa shutterstock“For country-music fans and wannabe songwriters all over the world, a trip to Nashville is the ultimate pilgrimage.” Read more at Lonely Planet.

10. Rome, Italy

rome italy shutterstock“A heady mix of haunting sights, awe-inspiring art and vibrant street life, Italy’s Eternal City is one of the world’s most beautiful and inspiring capitals.” Read more at Lonely Planet.

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