Vilnius

Somehow, Lithuania's capital remains almost entirely unnoticed by the West, and has yet to make much of a mark on the tourist trail.

Which is a nifty nugget of news for the inquisitive traveller, because the city - despite a bumpy past in which it was yanked around between the Poles, Germans and Russians like a favourite toy - holds a host of compelling reasons for a visit.

Its Old Town is one of the largest in Europe, and a fantastic place to explore, abundant in architectural sights, yet sparse in sightseers.

Climb the western tower of the 15th-century Higher Castle for a sweeping cityscape, then stroll down Castle Street, the medieval main thoroughfare thickly populated with museums, galleries, palaces and beautiful churches.

Much as you'll be tempted just to soak up the scenery, must-stops are the Gates of Dawn, the Cathedral, and the Applied Art Museum's exhibition of glittering religious articles.

Then there's Vilnius's eccentric side. Cafés and restaurants are dotted all over the show and the bars tend to be trendy, energetic and unusual all at once.

The vast beer tents are nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, much loved and much frequented by the locals.

Vilnius is also the only place in the world that can lay claim to having legendary composer Frank Zappa's head immortalised on a pole.

You might like to visit the 'miracle tile', from where a two-million-strong, 650km-long human chain of protestors against Soviet occupation stretched to Tallinn in 1989. Or, if you have the stomach for it, the KGB Museum, home to all things fascinatingly macabre...