So I've been wondering what the cities are and what's happened to the others in Skyrim. Some of it may be speculation but we gotta do something until the game comes out. From I can tell from the videos and trailer the cities are Solitude, Windhelm, Markarth, Whiterun and Riften. Solitude I'm guessing is the one in the trailer with the big rock formation arching over the water. And Markarth seems to be the one with the old ruin tower from one of the common screenshots you see around. Riften seems to have a lot of water area, like docks and such. Not sure about the others, although in some videos there's a Rohan Edoras (lord of the rings) looking place that may be Whiterun.

So the question is whats happened to Falkreath, Dawnstar and Winter Hold? I heard Winter Hold is supposed to be big and a rival of Solitude? So either they've been destroyed during the oblivion crisis or other means like the in civil war or they have been made into smaller towns.

Sorry, didn't realise another thread pretty much had this stuff

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1175312-can-we-visit-solitude/page__st__20

OK.