This contemporary home is at the western end of the desirable enclave of Juniper Ridge in the south of the province of Alberta. It provides the perfect country escape while being just an hour from the cosmopolitan city of Calgary. 

This villa is in a quiet residential area with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, stretching from Lake Mondsee to the mountains around Mozart’s birthplace of Salzburg. It was built in 2005 but has a traditional feel.

This unique home was restored in 1994. Its elevated position gives it privacy as well as breathtaking mountain views across Lake Como. It’s just a 25-minute drive from the Swiss city of Lugano and the beautiful villages of Varenna and Bellagio are nearby.

The leafy garden has an outdoor dining area with enough room for 12 people. There’s a barbecue and indoor kitchen above the pool – perfect for alfresco entertaining. As well as the guest house, there is also a two-bedroom caretaker’s house. See more incredible homes on the world's most beautiful lakes.

This spacious penthouse in Mountain Village in south-west Colorado has unrivalled views of the Wilson Range and Telluride ski resort. There are vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows that fully show off the spectacular vistas.

Take in the views on a summer evening sipping a cocktail on the wraparound veranda. The penthouse has a garage with space for one car and, if you choose to have it managed by the nearby Peaks Resort and Spa, you and your guests can use its amenities. Love this? Check out these perfect penthouses for sale. 

This fairytale house sits in a peaceful location on the east side of Lake Annecy, 50 minutes from Geneva. It has six bedrooms, six bathrooms, extensive gardens, a terrace and a pontoon for mooring boats. 

You can easily seat 10 in this dining room, which is accessible from both the kitchen and lounge. The parquet floors continue from the lounge and it too opens onto the terrace and commands mountain views. See more amazing fairytale homes people actually live in.

This impressive restored and expanded farmhouse called Burgundy Bourgogne is in the historic town of Franschhoek in the Cape Winelands, 50 miles from Cape Town. It has a dramatic mountain backdrop and comes with a guest house and swimming pool.

You can relax with friends and family in this comfortable lounge, snuggling up in front of the fire on chilly evenings. This historic house offers luxurious elegance as well as the opportunity to create your own fine wine and food. If this has whet your appetite, check out these moreish vineyard homes for sale. 

This award-winning custom-built home is in Castle Creek Valley, just minutes from the ski resort of Aspen in the Rocky Mountains. It has five bedrooms and sits on six private acres of land, with spectacular mountain, forest and river views.

There’s an expansive terrace so you can take in the amazing scenery that surrounds this extraordinary house. There’s room for two cars in the garage for when you want to take a spin on the mountain roads or venture further afield. See more ski resort homes that'll blow your mind.