With its gondolas, canals, amazing restaurants, and unforgettable romantic ambiance, Venice is definitely a city for one's bucket list. Waterfront palazzos, palaces, and churches make drifting down the Grand Canal feel like cruising through a painting. To really experience Venice you must go to the opera or to a classical music performance, nibble fresh pasta and pastries, and linger in the exhibit halls of an art gallery. Label lovers will drool over the high-end shopping in Piazza San Marco.

Heaven isn’t too far away from Obergurgl. Maybe because, at 6000 feet elevation, it’s the highest church parish in Austria. Or maybe it’s just the skiing. Take a guided tour with an expert mountaineer, explore the wintery dreamscape off-piste or get exclusive “early bird” slope access that ends with oysters and champagne. Or ditch the skis and go for a winter hike or thrilling toboggan ride. Ski huts and rest stops range from rustic to futuristic, all with panoramic views.

One visit to the Yorkshire Dales and it’s easy to understand why the unspoiled countryside is the setting of so many novels. Must-see sights among the land’s lush woodlands and expansive moors include Hardraw Force (the longest single-drop waterfall in the North), Gordale Scar, and well-known hill range, the Three Peaks. Less adventurous visitors can rest easy, walking through the manicured lawns of Parcevall Hall Gardens or appreciating Skipton Castle’s medieval architecture. Although some prefer to take in the land’s wild beauty by foot or horse, the most popular way is via one of the park’s famed cycling routes.

Classic whitewashed buildings line the labyrinthine streets of Mykonos, the largest town on the Greek island of the same name. Matoyianni Street is particularly charming. Iconic 16th-century windmills keep watch over the village from the hills above, and the fully functional Boni Mill is part of the Mykonos Agricultural Museum. The Aegean Maritime Museum and the Folklore Museum will give you a proper introduction to the area’s rich cultural and economic history.

Sitting on the edge of the Baltic, the modern, cosmopolitan city of Helsinki is the World Design Capital for 2012. The beauty of the surrounding nature blends seamlessly with high-tech achievements and contemporary trends. Walking tours of the city centre show layers of history, while modern architecture and cutting-edge style stake the city's claim to the future. Choose Helsinki during its endless summer days or get adventurous on crisp, snowy winter nights.

Russia’s warmest region, South Russia covers a large area roughly bordered by the steppes in the north, the Caucasus Mountains in the south, Ukraine and the Black Sea in the west, and Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea in the east. Long the blend of many cultures, the region is home to many interesting cities (like Volgograd, Derbent, Rostov-On-Don and Elista), several resort towns (like Sochi and Krasnaya Polyana), gorgeous outdoor areas (like Teberdinsky Nature Reserve), and a few national parks.

The sun-drenched Canary Islands lie close to North Africa and have an exotic flavour of their own. Hundreds of volcanoes, rolling sand dunes, rich forests and rugged cliffs dapple these seven Atlantic gems. Catch a ferry to Lanzarote. Ride a camel through volcanic Timanfaya National Park. Take on Tenerife, home of Mount Teide, Spain's tallest peak. Romp Grand Canary's beaches or hike La Gomera's Garajonay National Park. More adventures await on tiny El Hierro, verdant La Palma and peaceful Fuerteventura.

The first time you go to New York, go ahead and be a sight-seer—everyone should visit the Statue of Liberty, the Met, Times Square, etc. But on a return trip, pick a neighbourhood and go deep. You’ll find hole-in-the-wall bars, great delis, quirky shops… exploring the non-touristy side of New York is an incredibly rewarding experience for a traveller.