Apple opened its first retail store in 2001. Since then the number of brick-and-mortar Apple stores has soared to more than 320 worldwide.

In fact, there’s even a Web site, ifoAppleStore that exists for the sole purpose of reporting Apple store news. A recent report from the site suggest that Apple will soon further expand its sphere of retail influence when it adds a store in Moscow. The rumored shop would be located in the historic Hotel Moskva at the north end of the Red Square, just a stone’s throw from the Kremlin. In fact, the façade of the hotel is the same image printed on the label of Stolichnaya Vodka. It’s a high-trafficked, must-see area for Moscow visitors, and it would no doubt be a slick location for an Apple retail store.

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Apple has not confirmed that it’s setting up shop in Moscow, but if it did, it would be the company’s easternmost European location, both the first in a former Soviet republic and the first in a former communist state.

Apple hasn’t expanded to a new region since 2007, when it opened a store in Rome. It also lacks a presence in Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.

Shopping in an Apple Store is a unique retail experience. Customers can spend hands-on time with a product and seek advice from knowledgeable Apple Geniuses. Beyond that, the stores themselves are often inspired examples of modern design.

Among the hundreds of existing Apple stores, there are some very unique locations, and Apple has even won architectural awards for some of them. In 2003, its store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood won a BusinessWeek/Architectural Record Award.

If you’re traveling, there are some cities where the Apple store is definitely worth adding to your sightseeing list. Here are the top six.