Dunedin, New Zealand

Dunedin is the Scottish city of New Zealand and the heritage is genuine rather than themed — the name is the Gaelic for Edinburgh, the university is one of the oldest in the country and dominates the town, and the Victorian and Edwardian architecture is the best-preserved in the southern hemisphere. The Octagon is the central plaza with the bars around it, Baldwin Street was long considered the steepest residential street in the world, and the Otago Peninsula is the wildlife destination with the albatross colony and the penguins.

The city's character is student-driven and genuinely cold by New Zealand standards — a fifth of the population are students, the scarf-and-jacket culture is real, and the student quarter has a reputation for hard drinking that is entirely deserved. The wildlife on the peninsula is exceptional and the Scottish inheritance shows in the place names and the sentiment.

Expect real student-city energy, genuine southern cold, and a city with the best student reputation in the country and completely comfortable with it.

Nearby: Christchurch Queenstown Nelson Wellington