The first official day of summer is on Friday (for the northern half of the world, at least), so we thought we’d kick it off right: with a special edition of I Heart My City. (By the by, for those of you who live in hot climes and want to get away, it’s a great time to visit the Southern Hemisphere.)
Here are 20 summer must-dos from I Heart contributors in 20 cities around the world:
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Get your feet wet at one of Copenhagen’s harbour baths. (Photograph by Steven Vance, Flickr)
Berit’s Copenhagen (Denmark): Go swimming in the harbour baths with the locals.
Tranh’s Hanoi (Vietnam): Jog around West Lake, enjoy Vietnamese noodles and seafood, savor ice cream at Trang Tien, and feel the night breeze as you whisk through Hanoi on a motorbike.
Nat Geo’s Washington D.C. (USA): Take in some free outdoor jazz at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden (Fridays from 5:00-8:30 p.m.), take a dip in the Capitol Skyline pool, wander in and out of the many free (and air-conditioned) museums, or see D.C.’s last remaining wetlands (and blue herons) at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens.
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The Macnas Parade at the 2010 Galway Arts Festival. (Photograph by Barnacles Budget Accommodation, Flickr)
Daniel’s London (England): Go to a BBC Prom in the early evening and then finish off your day at the Global Gathering for an all-night rave.
Adrian’s Bucharest (Romania): Check out the water slides and pools and football, volleyball, and tennis pitches in Otopeni Waterpark.
Bruce’s Cambridge (USA): Walk around Fresh Pond, a glacially formed lake that’s part of the city’s water supply.
Katherine’s Athens (Greece): Make the hike to PiuVERDE, a café located in Papagou Park. You’ll be surrounded by foliage and get to taste modern Mediterranean fusion cuisine in the process.
Mehnaz’s Vancouver (Canada): Relax on the beaches at English Bay and Spanish Banks, go the Chinatown Night Market, and check out one of the many outdoor movies around the city.
Sofia’s Gothenburg (Sweden): Take the tram and ferry to the nearby islands to sunbathe and jump off the rocks.
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Head to Coney Island and check out the Mermaid Parade. (Photograph by Axel Taferner, Flickr)
Jasmine’s Mumbai (India): Wear lots of sunscreen and eat anything flavored with fresh mango.
Molly’s Galway (Ireland): Go swimming in Salthill. And don’t miss the Galway Arts Festival, where internationally renowned acts mingle with up-and-comers in a variety of venues.
Liz’s Bilbao (Spain): Attend BBK Live, and outdoor music festival that hosts the best bands in the world.
Annie Fitzsimmons’s New York City (USA): Ride a bike from Central Park to Coney Island. Just outside Prospect Park in Brooklyn, you pick up Ocean Parkway, America’s oldest bike path, which will take you there.
Ewelina’s Krakow (Poland): Drink a beer outside Drukarnia on Podgórze and take in the great view of the sunset or check out the Coke Live Music Festival in August.
Larissa and Michael’s Philadelphia (USA): Take in a Phillies baseball game. We love our Fightin’ Phils, and have set records for the most continuous sellout crowds. The ballpark is beautiful, the food good, and the atmosphere electric. I’d recommend going to one of the night games around Independence Day (July 4) when there are fireworks after the game.
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Grill out on the Isar River in Munich. (Photograph by Mike Haller, Flickr)
Shelly’s Oxford (England): Bicycle through Port Meadow to The Perch to drink Pimms and enjoy their outdoor barbecue.
Clayton’s Albuquerque (USA): Enjoy the concert series at the Bio Park or at the Albuquerque Museum.
Megan and Natalie’s Seoul (South Korea): Take a dip in one of the many outdoor pools that run along the River Han for some much needed relief from the sweltering heat.
Shannon Switzer’s San Diego (USA): Check out the grunion run along any of San Diego’s beaches or go to one of the many open-air theaters like Moonlight Amphitheater in Vista.