Edinburgh voted top destination (but not as good as Luang Prabang)

The other is Scotland's bustling capital, which shivered yesterday as it was buffeted by snow, wind and rain.

Yet Edinburgh and Luang Prabang in Laos have more in common than being designated official World Heritage Sites.

Both have been named among the top ten cities in the world – and Luang Prabang is the one Edinburgh, currently lying tenth, will have to topple if it is to gain top spot.

As commuters struggled to work via gridlocked and snowy roads yesterday, it may have seemed hard to draw parallels between Edinburgh and Luang Prabang, where just about everywhere can be reached on foot.

But according to a poll conducted by a leading travel magazine, Edinburgh is now rubbing shoulders with the likes of Venice, San Francisco, Sydney and Hong Kong.

And showpiece events such as the Fringe appear to be boosting the city's status after its summer festivals also outshone Glastonbury, the Venice Carnival and Mali's celebrated Festival in the Desert.

Edinburgh is the first UK city to make it into the top ten in Wanderlust magazine's poll. More than 3,000 readers took part in the online survey.

Lyn Hughes, the editor of Wanderlust, which is widely seen as a "bible" for independent travellers, admitted it had been a "pleasant surprise" to see Edinburgh named among the world's top ten cities.

She said: "Edinburgh has done very well in a lot of polls over the years, but it was still a thrill to see it come out so well and be named in the top ten.

"You only have to look at the rest of the list to see how incredibly well-travelled our readers are, and it says a lot for Edinburgh that it is in there along with Sydney, Dubrovnik and Venice.

"It proves we don't have to travel far to experience an exciting, world-class city that's rich in history and offers the very best in culture, food, architecture and entertainment."

Both New York and Seville slipped out of the top ten this year, while Boston and Tokyo were also pipped by Edinburgh.

The Rio Carnival was named the world's best event in the survey, just ahead of Womad, the world music festival held in cities around the globe.

The "Edinburgh Festival" was named third-best event, although the Fringe was also in sixth place. Ms Hughes said: "Perhaps next year we will have to be more specific, although we have had a look at the figures and even if you add up those who voted for the Edinburgh Festival with the Fringe, they still wouldn't quite have beaten the Rio Carnival."

Among Edinburgh's recent honours was being named the best place to live and work in the UK by the popular Channel Four TV show Location, Location, Location. And readers of the Rough Guide books last year voted the "Edinburgh Festival" the No1 tourist experience in the UK.

Jenny Dawe, Edinburgh City Council leader, said: "This is fantastic news and once again proves that Edinburgh is a world-class city of growing international significance."

Ben Carter, VisitScotland's area director for Edinburgh, said: "This is yet another great accolade for Scotland's capital city and, being placed among other great cities like Venice, Hong Kong and Sydney, it demonstrates that Edinburgh is competing with the best to become well known as a top-quality, city-break destination."

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

THE capital – of course – of Scotland, with a population of around 448,624, is currently the second most visited tourist destination in the UK after London, attracting about 13 million visitors a year.

An annual highlight is the summer festivals season, which includes the Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe and Military Tattoo. Other highlights are the Beltane Fire Festival and the Hogmanay celebrations. Must-see attractions include Edinburgh Castle, Princes Street Gardens and Arthur's Seat. The Old Town and New Town districts were listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1995.

Although Edinburgh has a lower annual rainfall than most UK cities, summer temperatures average around only 18C.

LUANG PRABANG

THE city is in north-central Laos, on the Mekong River, and the capital of the Louangphrabang Province. It has a population of about 22,000, boasts dozens of temples and is surrounded by mountains.

Among the main attractions are Wat Xieng Thong, a stunning temple dating back to 1560, which is richly decorated with coloured glass and gold, and the former royal palace, Haw Kham. Visitors also flock to the nearby Kuang Si Falls, a spectacular multi-stage waterfall just outside the city. Luang Prabang is officially designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The area has a long rainy season from June to October, but temperatures remain between 25C-30C.