Under the Radar Cultural Capitals

Thanks to Swiss-born art collector and philanthropist Maja Hoffman, the Provençal city that inspired Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin has emerged as a major cultural hub. Every summer the city plays hosts to Les Recontres d’Arles, arguably the world’s most prestigious photography festival. When completed in 2019, Luma Arles, Hoffman’s multi-million-dollar project anchored by a Frank Gehry-designed tower, will act as an experimental contemporary art center made up of studios, workshops, galleries, and restaurants.

Kazakhstan is better known for its expansive steppes than its culture, but the country’s former capital, Almaty is attracting intrepid travelers with its experimental art and theater scene. Architecture buffs shouldn’t miss seeing the pastel-hued Cathedral of the Holy Ascension, one of the largest wooden structures in the world built without a single nail. Straddling the crossroads between Asia and Europe, Kazakhstan’s multi-cultural flavors can be sampled at the Green Bazaar as well as restaurants like Gosti and El Mirador.

Slovenia’s capital is straight out of a fairytale with its dragon-flanked bridge and towering castle, which today hosts art exhibitions and open-air film screenings. A melting pot of Germanic, Mediterranean, and Slavic cultures is on display in the city’s Art Nouveau architecture, avant-garde restaurants, and line-free museums including the City Museum of Ljubljana and the Contemporary History Museum in Tivoli Park. Ljubljana’s current of cool runs deep in venues like Metelkova Mesto, an experimental complex of galleries, clubs, and studios.

Hobart’s location on an isolated island off of the south east coast of mainland Australia means it’s often snubbed for cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. But there are plenty of reasons to hop a flight (less than two hours from Sydney), most notably MONA MONA, the Museum of Old & New Art, which has been called this generation’s Opera House. Spots like the Bett Gallery, the Salamanca Arts Centre, and Contemporary Art Tasmania are hubs of creativity. And each January the city hosts, MONA FOMA, an annual music and arts festival curated by Violent Femmes member Brian Ritchie.

Once known as the “shame of Italy” due to its disease and squalor, Matera hasn’t just cleaned up, it’s undergone a cultural rebirth. The UNESCO city’s prehistoric caves, whose residents were evacuated in the 1950s, have been reimagined as elegant boutique hotels and restaurants with menus featuring refined takes on cucina povera. Matera’s designation as 2019’s European Capital of Culture will put a spotlight on its ancient frescoed, cave churches.

After the 1994 genocide, residents of Rwanda turned to art as a way to heal. That art therapy has given rise to a thriving creative scene in the capital, Kigali. At pioneering Ivuka Arts Center, visitors can chat with resident artists or attend poetry slams and dance performances. Alissa and John Ruxin, America-expat owners of the Retreat, a new 11-room boutique lodge, recently introduced tours that go behind the scenes of the city’s edgiest art galleries and music venues.

Buenos Aires steals the spotlight with its tango culture, but Salta’s rich tradition of folk music and dance is just as captivating. Experience it first hand in the city’s lively peñas or folk music clubs. Leafy Plaza 9 de Julio showcases Salta’s diverse architecture with is mix of Spanish colonial, baroque and neo-classical buildings. Of its dozens of museums, don’t miss the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology, where you can view the mummies of the region’s famous Llullaillaco Children who are believed to have been intentionally sacrificed to the gods.

The soaring mountains and nature-filled wilderness of British Columbia often distracts travelers from the cultural gems of the province’s capital. Just a short ferry ride from Seattle, the island city is home to leading cultural institutions including the Victoria Symphony, Pacific Opera Victoria, and the Ballet Victoria, as well as smaller, indie galleries and music venues. Each June, the three-day Indigenous Cultural Festival showcases the dance, art, and music of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.

One of Mexico’s oldest and most beautiful colonial city’s, Morelia is known for its pink-hued stone buildings and ornate cathedrals. The capital city of the state of Michoacán has undergone a revival in recent years, fueled by the opening of hip restaurants, cafes and bookstores. And as Mexican filmmakers continue to dominate the Oscars, the city’s International Film Festival, held each October, has become a hotspot for spotting up-and-coming talent.

It’s easy to dismiss Taipei as a center for mass production. But the city has become a hotbed of artisans and their work, from mochi making to ribbon weaving, is on display at over 100 “tourism factories” as well as independent boutiques and intimate galleries. The recent completion of the 1.5-million-square foot National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts gives the city bragging rights for the world’s largest performing arts center under one roof. Fall is festival season; don’t miss the Jazz Festival, which hosts outdoor concerts at lovely Daan Forest Park throughout October.