I step out into the sunshine and step back in time. The ancient city walls welcome me in and the winding cobblestone paths lead me gently from flower market to medieval church, merchant house to monastery ruins.
I am wandering one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities. One minute I am rubbing shoulders with the ghost of Tsar Peter the Great at the impressive Kadriorg palace, the next boarding a submarine from a seafront that was once home to Tsarist, Russia’s most important submarine factory. I watch craftsmen at work in a trendy artisan shopping area, and sun myself in the manicured parklands.
Tallinn, Estonia’s capital and Europe’s 2023 Green Capital effortlessly connects the historic and cultural dots of the Baltic region but it’s the restaurants which deliver the most surprising ‘wow’.
Estonia was the first Baltic nation to get the Michelin Guide attention with 30+ restaurants listed. All those I try serve fresh ingredients creatively combined by innovative chefs and perhaps ‘38’ best sums up the city on a plate. History echoes through its Old Town buildings now reworked for a cool, fashionable vibe. Each dish is surprising, fresh and very photogenic and, just like the city itself, combines local elements with global influences to serve up a dish full of unexpected twists.
Market shifts
The recent rise in protests across Europe by local residents living in some of the world’s most popular destinations may well bring unexpected benefits for lesser-known city break destinations.
The protests raised awareness of how over-tourism can impact local people and while they were more an attack on the city bosses than the tourists, they have given travellers a new inclination to consider lesser-known destinations.
Such cities are standing by to shine, pushing themselves forward as undiscovered treasures and often offered with a far more competitive price-tag whether accessed by rail or air. Accommodation and living costs are broadly cheaper too.
This shift comes just as the short breaks market is bouncing back. Mintel research shows that while the cost of living crisis led many to prioritise summer holidays, 2024 has seen a return to more normal pre-pandemic bookings with short breaks firmly in demand. Here’s a few to consider…
Vilnius, Lithuania
Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, celebrated its 700th anniversary last year and the resulting publicity is pushing it up the popularity charts. It is steeped in history and the medieval Old Town makes a picturesque base with baroque architecture, grand cathedral, castle and imposing Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania.
But the city also packs a punch when it comes to off-beat and quirky things to do. It has a vibrant contemporary scene and districts with a distinctly alternative vibe. Naujamestis, a new town area, has been listed among the coolest neighbourhoods in the world by Time Out magazine. And the Stotis District demands attention for large-scale graffiti, concept bars, glass palace music venue and contemporary MO Museum. Across the river, the bohemian, creative district, Užupis, describes itself as an unofficial ‘republic’ having declared independence on April’s Fool day in 1997. Here a thriving counter-culture sees galleries and art installations at every turn.
Some 60% of the city is parks and gardens so exploring on foot or bike is easy.
Top tip: Vilnius International Airport is easily connected to the centre by bus and train or there are rail links with Krakow, Warsaw, Riga and Tallinn for twin-centre combinations. Baltic Travel Company offers three-night, four-star packages from £555pp. baltictravelcompany.com
Gdańsk, Poland
Poland is not short on capital cities. Warsaw is its administrative capital; Krakow, is its former capital, known for its cultural and historical heritage, but lesser-known Gdańsk is the maritime capital, a vibrant port set on the Baltic coast.
Gdańsk is famously the place where World War II started as well as being the birthplace of the Solidarity Movement that brought an end to Communism in Poland. The city has been at the heart of world events and has incredible stories to tell.
A small, walkable city with dozens of bars and restaurants, Gdańsk has plenty of spires, cobbles and gothic architecture but also has green and wild places such as the Oliwa Park and the Sobieszewo district where the wide, sandy beach and seaside vibe can be combined with numerous nature trails.
City life is cheap especially with the Tourist Card for half-price attraction tickets. As part of an easily combined ‘tri-city’ with nearby Sopot and Gdynia it offers a hat-trick of city breaks in one.
Sell it: Gdańsk offers numerous Christmas markets in December. Jet2holidays packages three nights from Manchester or Birmingham priced from £301 in a three-star central hotel. Jet2holidays.com
Lille, France
When Eurostar first launched its rail services between the UK and France 30 years ago, it was easy access to Paris that stole all the headlines but lesser-known Lille was also on that early departure board and remains something of an underdog well worthy of more attention today.
Less than an hour and a half away (by train) in the north of France, it combines French and Flemish heritage with a good mix of museums and art galleries, shopping at independent boutiques and markets, microbreweries, and restaurants piled with waffles or serving piping bowls of moules frites and tasty local stews.
The Grand Place and Old Town provide instant impact with distinctive red brick buildings, gothic churches, belfry viewing tower and historic grandeur, from where quieter districts beyond can be quickly discovered on foot.
The large shopping centre close to the Lille Europe station is a mecca for those stocking up on French goodies but wandering the city on a bargain hunt can also be rewarding whether in the trendy concept stores, stylish boutiques or covered food market, Les Halles de Wazemmes, which is crammed with smoked garlic, cheeses and regional sausages. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays this market is extended into the streets and its atmosphere is ramped up with live music and dancing, vintage stalls and street food galore.
Sell it: Add a little luxury with three-nights at the historic Hermitage Gantois spa hotel in a rail package from Kirker Holidays priced from £798pp kirkerholidays.com. Eurostar fares from £39 each way Eurostar.com
Rotterdam, Netherlands
While Amsterdam gets the star billing when it comes to Dutch city breaks, the Netherlands’ second city, Rotterdam, has much to recommend it as an alternative. Just as accessible, visitors can be pulling into its iconic station in three and a half hours from London on the Eurostar (30 minutes quicker than Amsterdam), and step out into a very different vibe.
The city is not much smaller than Amsterdam but has a much younger look and feel, having been rebuilt after heavy bombing during WWII. Its urban skyline is hallmarked with skyscrapers, the Erasmus suspension bridge and modern architecture, all set around an impressive harbour. A trip up the Euromast observation tower is a popular way to see it in its context at the heart of one of the largest ports in the world, and a boat tour around the harbour or an overnight on the tiny houseboats moored here makes for a unique stay.
A university city, there is a buzzing social scene in the Witte de Withstraat area and increasingly in Nieuwe Binnenweg, a fast developing trendy part of town. For something different the Fenix Food Factory is a food hall with its own craft brewery alongside many foodie stalls, or for something quirky suggest a visit to the Cube Houses and the Pinball Museum.
Sell it: easyjet Holidays packages three nights, in a three-star hotel out of Luton for £195pp departing December. easyjet.com Eurostar fares from £39 each way. Eurostar.com
