Taking place in February, the Sapporo Snow Festival is an impressive event. Huge snow sculptures, one more fascinating than the next, dot Odori Park; some require a staggering 500 trucks filled with snow to be built.

The Långe Jan lighthouse — 'Tall John' — first cast its light over the Baltic waves on November 1, 1785. Rising from the craftsmanship of, perhaps, Russian prisoners of war, it stands as a beacon of history and maritime safety on Öland's southernmost point. Initially measuring a soaring 36 meters and requiring a 197-step ascent, it now proudly stretches to 41.6 meters, claiming the title of Sweden's loftiest lighthouse. Once cradling an open flame against the Nordic sky, Långe Jan has seen transformations from bare stone, borrowed from a bygone chapel, to a whitewashed pillar with a distinguishing black band. Surrounded by the thriving Ottenby bird station, Långe Jan's legacy is as enduring as the coastal winds, welcoming visitors each summer to scale its heights and embrace a panoramic sweep of sea and sky.

In the heart of the austere and monumental Victorian grandeur of Adelaide's official buildings, you will find the Art Gallery of South Australia. It houses nearly 45,000 works of art spanning 2000 years. From paintings, prints and drawings, photographs and videos to sculpture, textiles, ceramics, jewellery and furniture. It's a vast collection, which covers Aboriginal art, colonial and modern Australian, European art, and much more.

This beautiful villa, built in neoclassical style between 1893 and 1896, is open to the public via guided tours. It houses different exhibitions and from its location on the edge of a cliff, it offers breathtaking views of the bay from its peaceful terrace.