Latvia

Latvia is the Baltic country for architecture lovers. Riga has one of the finest collections of Art Nouveau buildings in the world, set beside a medieval old town of guild halls and church spires. Beyond the capital, the Gauja valley has castles and sandstone cliffs, the Rundāle Palace is a baroque showpiece, and the Baltic coast has kilometres of pale sand and pine forest. Add a lively food market in old Zeppelin hangars, a thriving craft beer scene and good-value prices, and you have a country worth much more than a stopover.

Talking points

• Riga has one of the world's richest collections of Art Nouveau architecture.
• The Central Market is housed in huge former Zeppelin hangars.
• Gauja National Park offers castles, caves and sandstone cliffs within easy reach of the capital.
• Rundāle Palace is often described as Latvia's Versailles.
• The coast has long white-sand beaches, from the resort of Jūrmala to the wild Cape Kolka.