Smart spending
Five things to do
1. Stroll: The medieval old town of Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, is a compact neighbourhood of colourful gabled houses, courtyards and beautiful churches all within a mostly intact city wall is an enchanting experience and easy to see on foot. Visit the viewing platforms at Toompea Castle and St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the upper town. It’s a bit of a climb but well worth it.
2. Lunch: Picnic in one of Riga’s beautiful parks after a visit to the Central Market Halls, housed in four disused German zeppelin hangers, for supplies. In the afternoon take a lazy canal ride for fabulous views of the old town from the water. Finish the day with cocktails at the Skyline Bar on the 26th floor of Radisson Blu Hotel, and also enjoy the magnificent views over the Latvian capital.
3. Visit: The World Heritage-listed Curonian Spit National Park in Lithuania is a peninsula that offer a spectacular landscape of beaches, sand dunes and forested areas. Walk through Witches Hill, in the small village of Juodkrante, a fairytale forest of pagan carvings.
4. Trip: Catch a bus tour to Trakai, about 40 minutes from Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where the main attraction is the Trakai Island Castle, a 14th-century fortress in the middle of a lake. Once home to Lithuania’s grand dukes, it now houses archaeological objects, coins and crafts. You can also take a boat ride on the lake, hire a paddleboat or take the plunge and have a swim.
5. Stay: Spend a night or two in Lithuania’s Aukstaitija National Park, one of the most beautiful national parks in the Baltic states, with 126 lakes. Take a guided kayak ride through the lakes and rivers past villages and through forests. We stayed in the homely Hotel Labanoras, which served up tasty local food, including mushrooms and berries from the forests and fish from the lakes.