The Baltic States

The Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - have much in common, and yet are also distinct and different. For centuries this was where east met west; Teutonic knights and wild pagans fighting in its endless forests. The three states were given independence in 1919, lost it to the USSR in 1940 and since restoration in 1990 they have become prosperous, popular tourist destinations and European Union members.

Estonia

Estonia has in many ways more in common with Scandinavia than its Baltic neighbours. The Estonian language is related to Finnish and its blonde, musical people are certainly more Nordic than Slavic. Hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in 2002 gave Estonia a huge tourism boost and the country has never looked back, becoming easily the most successful and prosperous of the three states.

Tallinn - The Estonian capital boasts a dramatic medieval city that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, and much more to see and do including the old KGB headquarters and some excellent shopping, restaurants and bars.

Latvia

If Estonia feels Scandinavian, then much of Latvia has a certain Germanic air about it - from great Crusader castles built by the Teutonic Knights to handsome brick houses built by the merchants of the Hanseatic League. Latvia is also known for the high quality baltic amber that has been found along its shores throughout history and for the unique wooden architecture and folk traditions that mark its more rural areas.

Riga - One of the richest and most powerful trading cities of the Baltic during the middle ages, Riga has a handsome city centre of 19th and early 20th century buildings in the German Empire style as well as one of Europe's finest collections of Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) buildings.

Lithuania

Lithuania is probably the least well-known of the three Baltic states, but it is the most well-established as an independent state, with a grand history dating back to the 11th century. The pagan Lithuanians fought the Teutonic Knights, before converting to Christianity and uniting with Poland to form one of the largest and most culturally advanced states of the middle ages. Modern Lithuania is largely rural and the least economically developed of the Baltic states, but its fine capital, Vilnius, is increasingly becoming a popular tourist destination.

Vilnius - This city, until the Second World War dominated by a huge Jewish population, has one of the largest old towns in Europe, a UNESCO world heritage site and a great place for shopping and sampling local delicacies.