This unlikely Dutch city is one of the top 10 trending travel destinations for 2024

Are you looking for an up-and-coming place to visit in 2024? Look no further, as Booking.com tells us we should kick back in Valkenburg, The Netherlands.

Valkenburg is among the top destinations that have risen in popularity over the last year, giving the town its credentials to be a trendy travel destination next year.

“This adorable city is famed for its marlstone caves, including the Velvet Cave that dates back to the Middle Ages and is made up of secret escape routes connected to Valkenburg Castle,” writes Booking.com.

“Today, the annual Christmas market is hosted in this maze of enchanting passageways where visitors can experience an underground wonderland with glittering fairy lights, miniature villages and stalls selling must-try waffles smothered in melted chocolate.”

Valkenburg is also the only Dutch town to make the top 10 this year.

The top 10

These are the trending travel spots for next year — did your city make the cut?

Getting touristy in the south

According to Anya Niewierra, managing director of Visit Zuid-Limburg, Valkenburg plays a huge part in tourism for the region.

READ MORE | 21 beautiful towns in the Netherlands that aren’t Amsterdam

Lots of daytrippers from the Netherlands come to visit, but they often see people from Belgium, France, Germany, and the UK visiting.

“Especially beloved by local Dutch travellers seeking a revitalizing escape, the unusually hilly landscape in the surrounding area makes for excellent hiking and biking in the summer months – and the city is only a short drive to the gourmet delights of Maastricht,” the announcement read.

Christmas is especially a popular time, hosting Christmas markets for most of December.

Have you visited Valkenburg before? Tell us about it in a comment below!