Saint Petersburg was Russia's imperial capital from 1713 to 1918, founded by Peter the Great, with the State Hermitage Museum (one of the world's largest), the Winter Palace, and the canals that earned it the nickname 'Venice of the North'.
San Francisco is one of the most culturally distinctive US cities, on a peninsula with the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the cable-car streets of Nob Hill, and the tech-driven economy of nearby Silicon Valley.
Sao Paulo is the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere, the financial capital of Brazil, a sprawling helicopter-skyline metropolis with Sao Paulo Museum of Art, the Avenida Paulista business strip, and a vast Italian and Japanese diaspora.
Seoul is the capital of South Korea, sitting on the Han River, with the Joseon-dynasty Gyeongbokgung Palace, the futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza, and a tech-saturated retail scene in Myeongdong.
Shanghai is China's most populous city, a global financial hub on the East China Sea, dominated by the futuristic Pudong skyline (including the 632-metre Shanghai Tower) and the Bund's colonial-era riverside.
Singapore is a city-state and global financial hub, transformed since independence in 1965 from a British trading port into one of the world's wealthiest cities, with Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and Changi Airport.
Stockholm is Sweden's capital, built on 14 islands connected by 57 bridges, with the medieval Gamla Stan old town, the ABBA museum, and the annual hosting of the Nobel Prize ceremonies.
Suva is the capital of Fiji and the largest city in the South Pacific (excluding Hawaii and New Zealand), set on the south-east coast of Viti Levu, with colonial-era architecture and a vibrant Indo-Fijian community.
Sydney is Australia's largest city, on a spectacular natural harbour, with the iconic Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and the historic Rocks district.