Dubrovnik in Croatia is known as the ‘pearl of the Adriatic’ and when you visit you will see why. The outer perimetres are guarded by a castle boundary, which juts out into the gorgeous turquoise blue Adriatic Sea. From the castle ramparts you can look over hundreds of pretty red bricked roof tops as well out to the many neighboring islands. The name of the city derived originally from Slavic word ‘dubrava’ which means ‘forest’ in English.

The modern day Dubrovnik still retains much of its old character. The Old Town itself offers a plethora of cobbled streets, courtyards, shops, churches and cafes to explore. There is always something new and personal to discover and with every new turn, there will be another breath taking view. It is said the more you discover this city the more you discover yourself.

The beautiful Old Town is a major sightseeing and holiday attraction but it isn’t the sole reason for the thousands of people from around the globe who set their sights on coming to Croatia for a holiday. You can go hiking through the surrounding pine forests, explore charming villages, visit vineyards and discover private coves on an isolated beach. The annual Dubrovnik Summer Festival is a cultural event when keys of the city are given to artists who enterain Dubrovnik’s population and their guests for entire months with live plays, concerts, and games. The climate along the Dubrovnik region is a typical Mediterranean one, with mild, rainy winters and hot and dry summers. The air temperatures can slightly vary, depending on the area or region. Summer temperatures in July rise till 34°C in the northern part, while in the southern part they usually rise to 38°C.

The picturesque old town of Tallinn, Estonia, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Since independence in 1991, Tallinn has become easily accessible to tourists. Estonia has made rapid economic progress since independence and this is reflected in local prices. Although not extortionate, neither are prices as cheap as in other former Eastern Bloc countries. Most of Europe hadn’t heard of Tallinn before the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest. However, since the Estonian capital hosted the competition it has fast become one of Europe’s most talked about city break destinations. Tallinn’s got all the right ingredients for city break success and is more than capable of standing up to its reputation as a ‘pocket-sized Prague’.

Tallinn’s medieval core is extremely well preserved and has plenty to offer to satisfy cultured appetites. It’s a very attractive capital with its pastel coloured buildings, lovely city walls, little cobbled streets leading off to little courtyards, churches with towering spires and lush parks. The old town of Tallinn has two distinct parts, one part built on a hill called Toompea which was home to the gentry, and the other part Lower Town, once an autonomous town, at the base of Toompea on the flat. A climb up Toompea Hill is rewarded with glorious views across the Bay of Tallinn. To see this wonderful vista climb one of the most picturesque streets in Tallinn, the cobbled hill of Pikk Jalg, as old-fashioned street lamps guide you up a steep hill. After dark the city really hots up and it’s the nightlife that has really put it on the map as the cobbled streets fill with neon-lit revellers!