Riga

Riga carries the finest Art Nouveau in the world down whole streets of writhing stone faces, gargoyles and impossible facades.

The Hanseatic core is tight and walkable, but stroll a few blocks north and the buildings begin to dream. The widest river in the Baltics slides past a skyline still marked by a Soviet-era tower and Latvia's long memory of occupation.

Nights run late and loud, then the whole city escapes in summer to the pine-and-sand beaches of Jūrmala.

Try grey peas with bacon and brace for a shot of Black Balsam, a herbal liquor that tastes like medicine and history at once.