This 38-room, stone Scandinavian mansion on the edge of Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay is just as beautiful as the world-famous scenery it inhabits. On the National Register of Historic Places, this mansion was built in 1929 by Lora Josephine Knight, who also had a tea house built for her on an island in the middle of Emerald Bay. Parts of Vikingsholm were built with construction techniques so old that there are no nails, pegs or spikes. Inspiration for the structure and its furnishings was drawn from the 11th, 18th and 19th centuries as well as architectural styles like American Craftsman. Best of all, since it's now a public park, you can hike down and take a guided tour.

In one of the most stunning settings in ski country sits the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise on the edge of Lake Louise in Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 550-room chateau started as a log cabin but went through years of construction, fires and reconstruction to grow into something that resembles the current luxury hotel. Generations of mountaineers and celebrities have passed through the chateau, and thanks to a 1982 renovation, the originally summer-only resort is now a year-round destination.

Designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood in 1935, Sun Valley Lodge is an excellent representation of rustic style in ski country. The property underwent a major renovation and opens this season with luxurious new guest rooms.

This is an iconic ski town institution at its Wild West best. The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar has a long history in Jackson, with the building existing since the town's earliest years and the bar getting "Cowboy Bar" moniker in 1937. The bar's Cowboy motif comes along with a collection of Western memorabilia and a giant neon sign that calls you in.

Telluride's New Sheridan Hotel has been around for more than 100 years. The original wood structure burned after only a few years and was replaced with the current three-story brick building. The historic hotel reflects the wealth of Telluride's early mining days and has managed to retain a lot of the feel and details of that era while modernizing. The Historic Bar at street level is one of the most popular and iconic watering holes in all of ski country.

The Wheeler Opera House opened in 1889 even as the brick building was constructed through the 1890s. After a fire, it fell into decades of disuse but opened again in 1950 and now hosts all kinds of shows, events and festivals. It was also Aspen's first building to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

There still isn't a ton of lodging at the base of Taos Ski Valley, but Hotel St. Bernard was one of the first, luring visitors with the tradition of the ski week. The hotel was founded in 1960 by French-born Jean Mayer, who settled in the U.S. after working with the 10th Mountain Division in World War II. The hotel has been a constant through the growth of TSV, and even if a ski week is out of reach, the deck is a popular après spot that should be experienced.

This New England colonial church building was completed in 1863 as a home for the Universalists but became one of the nation's first non-denominational churches when Stowe's congregations decided to merge. The spire of building's steeple poking above the foliage has become an iconic view of Stowe.