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Lonely Planet included Moscow as #9 in its Top 10 list of best cities to visit in 2017.

The city will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2017 Confederations Cup. 

"The race is on to bring an inkling of the ultra-modern to a metropolis renowned for bombastic architecture,” the guide says.

Lonely Planet highlighted Polytechnic Museum and the Moscow State University as “blockbuster attractions.”

Moscow is now undergoing the biggest public infrastructure reform since the 1980 Olympic Games. This year alone, the Russian capital got about a dozen new subway stations, aside from the gigantic Moscow Central Ring with high-speed trains.

France's Bordeaux topped Lonely Planet's list. Cape Town, Los Angeles and Seoul are among other Top-10 destinations.