Shanghai is the shiniest gem in modern China’s jewel box. It’s a hip, contemporary city that charges into the future with all the energy of its famous Maglev train. At the same time, if you veer away from the sleek highways and glitzy shopping streets, you can still stumble upon a more traditional Shanghai, with all its character and flavour. In the tiny back streets, wet-market vendors peddle their wares — buckets of bright green vegetables, fish flapping in shallow plastic bowls, and heaps of crayfish crawling over each other.

As testified by epic movies like Shogun and Ran, Nagoya City is pure history, centred around Nagoya Castle. It was the Expo 2005 that put Nagoya on the world map. Post-Expo, Nagoya is positioning itself both as a centre for hi-tech industries and as a tourist gateway. Toyota Cars, old and new famed ceramics, Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, dolls and robots castles, feudal villas and farmhouses pearls, and a plethora of shopping and nightlife spots await you in this not-so-obvious choice of a Japanese destination.

Just 250 kilometres north of the polar circle, the summer sun shines for almost two months without going down, while the polar nights offer the most intense Northern Lights that can be seen. In Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, you can go slalom skiing until midsummer or spend the night in a magnificent hotel built from ice. The phrase "kingdom of contrasts" is overused, but Kiruna truly embodies it.

Valencia is one of the most vibrant cities in Europe. With a privileged location by the Mediterranean sea, it offers a perfect combination of beaches and culture, past and present. The birthplace of paella, it boasts a thriving food scene featuring Michelin-starred restaurants as well as quirky tapas bars. Its neighbourhoods come to life during traditional festivals like Las Fallas, and every night is lively in trendy districts like Ruzafa or El Carmen.

Milan is famous as one of the world’s most influential fashion capitals, so make some room in your wardrobe and get ready for a makeover. Milan is a major cultural centre in Italy, with world-class museums and galleries, the Duomo Cathedral, ancient churches, and impressive architecture of opulent Italian villas. After viewing da Vinci’s Last Supper, try Lombardi specials like ossobuco and risotto alla Milanese in one of the neighbourhood restaurants. Milan is the perfect starting point for exploring the prettiest landscapes of northern Italy.