10 of the world's most eye-catching urban sculptures

This towering figure – Britain's largest sculpture – became a symbol of the cultural resurgence of former mining city Newcastle-Gateshead. The 220-ton weathered steel Angel, masculine-looking from some angles and feminine from others, has a 54-metre wingspan similar to that of a jumbo jet. It's surely one of the world's most viewed sculptures, seen from 33 million cars annually from the nearby A1 motorway. See newcastlegateshead.com

MAMAN, TOKYO, JAPAN

The giant bronze spider that sits outside Mori Art Museum is purportedly a tribute to artist Louise Bourgeois' silk-weaver mother, but looks more like a nightmare monster from the Godzilla school of the imagination. Stand underneath and you'll see a cluster of marble eggs attached to the spider's abdomen. There are sister spiders in Ottawa, Doha, Seoul and Bilbao, with the original in London's Tate Modern. See gotokyo.org

OPENING TO THE WORLD, LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND

Set on three pointy ends, this sculpture of 36 diamond-shaped panels created by 1960s pop-artist Ángel Duarte looks as if it's about to roll into Lake Geneva. Whether it's a fallen star, snowflake or simple geometric shape is up to the viewer. What sets the sculpture apart is that, like a giant children's climbing frame, passers-by are free to clamber over it. See lausanne-tourisme.ch

GREAT ELEPHANT STANDING, BARCELONA, SPAIN

This striking elephant stands not on four legs but balances upright on its trunk, an impossible circus trick brought to life. Miquel Barcelo, one of Spain's best-known contemporary artists, hopes to evoke a free and joyful feeling in viewers, but also calls this a self-portrait of the artist in difficult times. The seven-meter bronze sculpture stands outside the CaixaForum contemporary art museum. See barcelonaturisme.com

THE KELPIES, FALKIRK, SCOTLAND

These 30-metre-high horse heads, which lay claim to being the world's largest equine statue, mark the entrance to the Forth & Clyde Canal, and represent mythical Scottish water horses or kelpies. Though made of many small, angular metal plates studded with gaps, the sculptures have a glorious sense of curved movement. One horse's muzzle is raised to the sky as if rearing towards the clouds. See visitfalkirk.com

CRYSTAL CLOUD, INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA

Crystal Cloud features over 800,000 crystals mounted onto wire netting atop steel poles. The sculpture mimics real clouds that pass overhead against a backdrop of Alps, and is reflected in a black pool below, on which other crystals sit atop slender poles to mimic fireflies. The installation was created by acclaimed American-French design duet Andy Cao and Xavier Perrot, and sits outside crystal-manufacturer Swarovski's headquarters. See innsbruck.info

DIGITAL ORCA, VANCOUVER, CANADA

A giant killer whale leaping out of the pavement is striking enough, but this steel-and-aluminium sculpture is put together from black and white cubes to create a digital or pixilated effect. It looks as if it might be made from Lego, or else escaped from a 1980s computer game. The whale seems joyful and, backed by harbour and mountains, provides a popular Instagram background. See destinationvancouver.com

MOTHERLAND MONUMENT, KIEV, UKRAINE

It might be a while before we can visit this colossal statue again, lit at night with Ukraine's national colours. It celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany by the Soviet Union and stands atop the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. The female warrior figure weighs 560 tonnes, has 30 kilometres of welding seams, and rises 102 metres; the sword is 16 metres long. See warmuseum.kyiv.ua

Brian Johnston has travelled courtesy of has travelled as a guest of numerous tourism offices and at his own expense.