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.

Impressive architecture and hip restaurants meet a sunny Spanish climate and beautiful beaches. This has transformed Barcelona, in just a few decades, from a rough port city into one of Europe's, if not the world's, premier destinations. Stroll along La Rambla and Passeig de Gràcia, admire Gaudí's masterpieces, lose yourself in the Gothic Quarter, bask in the sun at Barceloneta beach, and discover some of the city's vibrant late-night haunts while you're at it.

The Tricity area consists of three different urban bodies linked by their unique location on Gdańsk Bay (Zatoka Gdańska) and separated from the rest of the world by post-glacial moraines. Gdańsk is a thousand years old, and is the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship with high architectural and cultural values, joined with Sopot, the most famous health resort and spa, which is located next to Gdynia, a modernistic, cutting-edge city.

Aarhus lives up to its "smallest big city" motto. It’s petite enough to conquer in a weekend, yet buzzing with enough energy to rival Copenhagen. This is where Danish hygge meets youthful innovation: think Michelin-starred dining alongside quirky food markets, avant-garde architecture framing half-timbered houses, and world-class museums (don’t miss the rainbow panorama at ARoS). By night, craft cocktail bars and live music venues prove size doesn’t dictate ambition.