(CNN)It might be in New Zealand, but the resort town of Queenstown feels as much like Aspen or Chamonix as it does Dunedin, its largest urban neighbor. Along with abundant adventure-travel offerings, the onetime gold rush hub is big on beauty: the aptly named Remarkables mountain range forms a dramatic backdrop to serene Lake Wakatipu, which shimmers on a sunny day with countless tiny glacial motes suspended in its waters. Queenstown neighbors Arrowtown and Lake Hayes add gold-mining heritage and nature exploration into the mix. The extraordinary setting and an international outlook have made this little corner of New Zealand's South Island a trans-seasonal center for cool-climate pinot noir, adventurous gastronomy and quirky design, galleries and hotels.
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Queenstown has an international resort vibe with natural beauty
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The Remarkables mountains deserve their name
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Gold mining heritage and lakes add to regional mix
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Adventurous cuisine -- muttonbird, anyone? -- and arthouse cinema are further finds
The schist-walled stone building in the center of Arrowtown's historic precinct (15 minutes' drive from central @placeholder) has a roaring fire in winter, a courtyard for outdoor eating and range of local wines.