The Victoria Baths complex was designed by Manchester's first City Architect Henry Price, and opened in 1906. No expense was spared — the façade has multicoloured brickwork and terracotta decoration, the interior spaces are clad in glazed tiles and most of the windows have decorative stained glass. At the opening ceremony, the Lord Mayor described Victoria Baths as “a water palace of which every citizen of Manchester is proud”. For 86 years the baths provided both essential and leisure facilities. Private baths and a laundry were housed there alongside three swimming pools and Turkish Baths. In 1952 the first public Aeratone (Jacuzzi) was installed. Even though the baths were closed in 1993, the Grade II listed building is remarkably intact with most of the stained glass and original tiling remaining. Victoria Baths opens from March/April to October/November each year for weekly guided tours, public open days and special events.

Formerly a coal port, the city's central park has developed into locals' favourite outdoor spot since the 1980s, proudly holding a Landscape Architecture Prize for the design by Peter Latz. It has a photographable open-air stage, a pond, skate park, and plenty of paths for a stroll along the Saar river. It neighbours on the movie theatre CineStar, among other attractions.

The Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon after his win at Austerlitz in 1806, took about 30 years to finish and was finally opened in 1836. Standing 50 metres tall, it sits at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, right at the western end of the famous Champs-Élysées. You’ll probably find yourself there at some point, as most visitors wander down this iconic avenue. The monument honours those who fought and died for France during the Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Beneath it rests the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

St Peter's Church, a beautiful church located in the heart of Bournemouth, was designed by Victorian architect George Edmund Street. This church is one of Bournemouth's landmarks and has a 62-metre tower and gorgeous stained glass windows. What also makes this church special is that the author Mary Shelley, famous for her novel Frankenstein, is buried here with her family.