For travellers, the best thing about Latvia is that it is so compact. Its 500 km of sandy beaches are easily reached from historical towns, where medieval hanseatic foundations support baroque and art nouveau buildings, that become venues for cultural festivals during the summer. Families of storks happily give their seal of approval to the unspoilt nature, fresh air and clean water around them. In addition to Riga, its spectacular gateway, there are 6 other UNESCO world heritage listed sites. A

Russian banya At first glance, the Russian banya looks like an extreme sport. Friends and strangers beat each other with branches from birch trees in a devilishly hot atmosphere. When this is finished, they  run for the exit to jump into an icy-cold pool. If you're alone, you can always hire an attendant to give you a beating. It is not only a wondrous feeling (trust me), but unbelievably good for you. You get a special burst of energy after taking a steam in a Russian bathhouse, because all

The hotel has two synergic components – a granary from the 18th century, restored with great attention to detail, and the Yachting part, whose modern decorating themes infuse the interiors with a sea-inspired look. Located on top floor of the Yachting part in Gdańsk Hotel, this 450m2 spa is one of the most hi-tech and new-fashioned spas in Poland. It features sauna complex, a Finnish sauna with colour therapy, and a steam sauna with a sky full of stars. Hotel Gdansk Restaurant is famous for

This art depository was inaugurated in 1979, to become Russia’s first and only Amber Museum. Located in the center of Kaliningrad on the Verkhneye Lake shore, it is housed in a fortress tower "Dona" dating from the mid-nineteenth century. The tower was built in 1853 in the Neo-Gothic style as a part of the city defense system – its construction was supervised by Ernst Ludwig von Aster, commander of the Engineering Corps and the person, who had engineered Konigsberg’s mighty