DuckAbroad 2025: A Year of Discovery

2025 was a year of steady exploration at DuckAbroad. Every week brought new destinations, and by year's end, we'd added 57 new points of interest to the app, each one chosen to spark curiosity and help families plan adventures beyond the usual tourist circuits.

The Numbers

57 additions across 6 continents 377 total destinations now live in the app 21 museums joined the collection, with a strong focus on WWII and military history 5 new cities opened up for exploration 23 destinations spanning ancient fortresses to national parks 6 airports added to help families navigate their journeys 2 lighthouses marking coastal adventures

What We Built This Year

Ancient Fortresses & Lost Cities

We kicked off December with Kuélap, Peru's 1,500-year-old Cloud Warrior fortress—a site that predates Machu Picchu by 900 years and still sees almost no crowds. Earlier in the year, we explored Pella (a fortified city in Jordan), Chand Baori (India's deepest stepwell), and the Thingstätte amphitheater in Heidelberg.

National Parks

Canada got serious attention with six stunning additions: Cape Breton Highlands, Yoho, Mont-Tremblant, Gaspésie, Waterton Lakes, and Bruce Peninsula. Each offers the kind of outdoor adventure that doesn't require fighting crowds at Banff or Jasper.

Theaters & Ancient Entertainment

From the Aspendos Theatre in Turkey to the Théâtre Antique in Orange, France, we traced how Romans and Greeks gathered for entertainment. Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome brought military architecture and papal history together in one dramatic fortress.

Scotland's Landmarks

Edinburgh claimed multiple entries this year: Scott Monument, Holyrood Palace, St Giles' Cathedral, and the Writer's Museum. Each tells a different part of the city's layered story.

Museums That Matter

We added 21 museums in 2025, with heavy emphasis on WWII history. The Bastogne War Museum and 101st Airborne Museum in Belgium, the Airborne Museum in Normandy, and Singapore's Changi Chapel and Museum all made the cut. We also welcomed art heavyweights like the Prado, the Met, Musée d'Orsay, Rijksmuseum, and Tate Modern.

Asia-Pacific War History

February and June saw focused additions on the Pacific theater: Hiroshima Peace Park, Fort Siloso, Changi Chapel and Museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu, Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum, and Singapore's Battlebox. These sites tell stories often overshadowed by European WWII narratives.

Mexico's Colonial Cities

Three stunning Mexican colonial cities joined the roster in January: Morelia, Guanajuato, and Campeche...each a UNESCO World Heritage site with colorful architecture and deep history.

Gaudí's Barcelona

Casa Vicens, Gaudí's first major work, rounded out our Barcelona collection in April showing the architect before he became the architect.

Lighthouses & Ski Resorts

From Arnel Lighthouse in Scotland to Neil's Harbour in Nova Scotia, we continued documenting these navigation markers that double as perfect family stops. Killington joined the ski resort collection in November.

Strategic Airports

Six airports made the list this year—not for their terminals, but for the trips they unlock. Telluride Regional opens up Colorado skiing without Denver. EuroAirport serves three countries at once. Lyon–Saint-Exupéry and Marseille Provence unlock southern France.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

The goal remains the same: give families tools to explore confidently. Whether it's a 6th-century fortress in Peru, a lighthouse in Cape Breton, or a war museum in Singapore, every entry exists to answer the question: "Should we go there?"

377 destinations down. The list keeps growing.

What's next for 2026?  More hidden gems, more practical family advice, and more reasons to look beyond the guidebook's first page.

Ready to start planning? Open the DuckAbroad app and explore what's waiting for you.