1 of 25

Mostar, Bosnia and HerzegovinaWhy go now: Mark 25 years of peace What to know: Partially destroyed during the Bosnian War (1992–1995), history-rich Mostar still bears scars of the past. Numerous buildings in the Old City, developed as a 15th-century Ottoman frontier town, have been rebuilt or restored in the 25 years since the Dayton Peace Accords established relative calm in the western Balkans. Wander around and you’ll pass newly renovated apartments next to buildings riddled with bullet holes. Local and international artists regularly decorate the abandoned structures with colorful murals. Mostar’s most tangible image of peace is the 16th-century Stari Most (Old Bridge), rebuilt in 2004. It connects the city’s predominantly Christian Croat west side with the mainly Muslim Bosniak east. —Barbera Bosma, managing editor, Nat Geo Travel Netherlands When to go: May How to go: Visit Mostar as part of a 12-day National Geographic Journeys “Discover the Balkans” trip, offered in partnership with G Adventures.

Photograph by Andrew Compton, Alamy Stock Photo

Here are the best trips to take in 2020

Where to go, what to know, and how to see the world right now.

ByNational Geographic Staff

December 2, 2019

2 min read

The world awaits. Where will you go next? Our editors and explorers pick the planet’s 25 most exciting destinations for the year ahead. To create our annual Best Trips list we collaborated with the editorial teams of National Geographic Traveler’s 17 international editions and with our own globe-trotting experts to report on the essential and sustainable sites to see in 2020. Grab your bags and go!

Reported and written by Maryellen Kennedy Duckett, with contributions by Traveler’s 17 international editorial teams. Additional reporting by Don George, Jennifer Hayes, Sarah Reid, Johnna Rizzo, and Bruce Schoenfeld.

This article has been adapted for a variety of platforms and apps. You can find a richer digital experience of this story here.