You won't believe which city is a top holiday destination for 2016

Picturesque Kotor, trendy Rotterdam and scenic Quito have been joined by the UK's very own Manchester as the top cities in the world to visit in 2016.

Manchester was named the 8th best city in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016, a collection of the hottest trends, destinations and experiences on the planet for the year ahead.

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The city earned its place as a must-see destination for 2016 thanks to it finding "a new groove for the 21st century as a dynamo of culture and the arts." The government has even committed £78m to build The Factory, a new multi-purpose arts space that will include a 2200-seat theatre and will be the permanent home of the Manchester International Festival.

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The book highlights one of Britain's most important art galleries, the Whitworth, which opened in 2015, and the opening of HOME, a multi-artform centre with ambitions to produce the UK's best theatre, film and visual art, as well as the reopening of Britain's second largest public library, the Central Library, in 2014 as a "living room space" for the city.

Kotor in Montenegro took the top spot thanks to its offering a "picture-perfect visage from virtually every angle". Dublin also featured in the top ten list, coming in at number three, for being "a truly cosmopolitan capital, with an influx of people, energy and ideas infusing the ever-beguiling, multi-layered city with fresh flavours and kaleidoscopic colours".

James Smart, Lonely Planet's Destination Editor for the UK and Ireland, said: "We included Manchester in this year's top ten cities list because it deserves to be recognised as one of the UK's most important destinations for travellers.

"Manchester has been transformed in recent years, with inspirational new openings, the reinvention of existing spaces and vast investment. Whatever experience travellers are after – culture, sport, shopping, nightlife – they won't come away from Manchester disappointed. The city has something to offer everyone."

Will you be visiting Manchester or one of the other must-visit cities for 2016? Browse Lonely Planet's top ten city breaks in the gallery below.