Lithuania

Cosmopolitan Vilnius may be the most underrated capital in the Baltics, and arguably the most beautiful. Despite developments and renovations, its cobbled streets still ooze time-warped charm. Amid the dazzling parade of Baroque architecture, the red brick Gediminas Tower and the spidery pinnacles of St. Anne's church are particularly impressive.

Don't miss one of the city's more unusual monuments: a tribute to the late, great Frank Zappa.

The five national parks of Lithuania reflect the intensity and diversity of the landscape; the lake district of eastern Aukstaitija; the rustling forests and rushing rivers of Dzukija; the hilly woodlands of Zemaitija descending into vast open plains; and the most spectacular of all, Neringa, set on a spit of land covered in rolling sand dunes and pine forests.

German literary giant, Thomas Mann, spent his summers at the fishing village of Nida, whose thatched roofs overlook this surreal desert landscape.

At Trakai, the country's ancient lakeside capital, visitors can cross the moat and drawbridge to the medieval island castle or take to the water and explore the shoreline by boat.