Canberra. Australian Capital Territory

Imagined and planned by visionary Walter Burley Griffin, Canberra features liberal open sapces, aesthetics derived from the 19th century arts and crafts movement and a seamless blend of natural and designed environments. It's Australia's capital, surrounded by forest, farms and nature preserves, and has earned its nickname of the 'Bush Capital'. Canberra's social center is Lake Burley Griffin, almost perennially full of sailboats and kayaks. Its lakeshore features the massive, ultra-modern Parliament House, as well as a host of museums such as the National Gallery well known for its indigenous art collections.