GETTING THERE

era apparatchiks by escaping to the much-loved Baltic Sea resort of Jurmala. The sands stretch out for nearly 20 miles (32km) and are backed by pine trees and big skies. Citizens of Riga retreat to their wooden villas here at weekends, while you can take refuge in one of the slick new spas (perhaps Amber Sea Hotel & Spa), or atmospheric old Soviet-era sanatoriums such as Belorusija Sanatorium. A sprinkling of cafés, bars and restaurants, handily tucked over the dunes, tempt visitors while leaving the beaches pristine. The pick of the bunch is The Light House, with floor-to-ceiling windows and seafood dishes starring. Afterwards, The Jurmala City Museum is on hand if you want to delve into a resort that has been attracting spa devotees since the 19th century.

moliceiro). da Beira-Mar, the heart of Aveiro’s old town. Stop for a nose around the lively Jose Estevao fish market (closes at 2pm), and when hunger strikes stop in Cais do Pescado for lunch. Don’t leave town without visiting the Santa Joana Museum, home to a permanent collection of fascinating sacred art. If time allows, hire a bike and ride out to Barra or Costa Nova, the city’s two main beaches, famous for their stripy fisherman cottages.

A 70-minute train ride from the majestically tiled Sao Bento station. Your grape expectations will be amply fulfilled in St-Émilion

Forty minutes from Bordeaux, St-Émilion is perhaps France’s most attractive wine town. Built into its hillside, as if an amphitheatre, the monumental centre goes from medieval through Renaissance. Sett