Wallachia
This prominent statue of former Wallachian prince Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave), who was born near Craiova in 1558, dominates the city's central…
Must-see attractions in Eastern Europe
Cres Island
Around the headland to the northwest of the village, you'll find a lovely pebble beach bordered by pines. It's much quieter than the beach just east of…
Saranda
This one-room museum houses a well-preserved 3rd-century mosaic floor and has a display about the nearby ruins at Butrint. It's one block behind the…
Petrovac
Dedicated to the Old Testament prophet Elijah, this Orthodox church dates from the 14th or 15th century. It's often open, revealing some beautiful old…
Lithuania
The white-walled St John's, built in neo-classical and Baroque styles in the 19th century, is the second-most imposing building in Biržai, after the…
Varna
The pretty Sveti Nikolai Church, right in the city centre, is worth a visit for its saintly murals. It’s always busy, and is a popular venue for weddings.
Berat
The small chapel of St Mary Blachernae, which dates from the 13th century and contains some 16th-century wall murals, is unfortunately normally kept…
Transylvania
Just east of Bran Castle, this museum displays original items found in the castle, with open-air displays of traditional architectural styles of the…
Western Siberia
Guarded by two statues of Soviet workers, wielding a hammer and a plasterer’s board, the one-time cement workers’ club is now used as a cultural centre.
Dr Jono Šliūpas Memorial House
Lithuania
Fascinating black-and-white photos of old Palanga fill this house, the former home of the town’s first mayor. Closed on Sunday between September and May.
Tryavna Museum School of Painting
Bulgaria
Housed in the restored Staroto Shkolo (the town’s old school, built in 1836), the Tryavna Museum School of Painting has exemplary works by local artists.
Kaunas
Gardeners from Vytautas Magnus University tend 65 hectares of rare and wonderful plants. Around 2km south of the Old Town; bus 20 or 35 will get you there.
Zadar
Climb up the tower belonging to St Anastasia's Cathedral for worth-the-effort views across the city and out to sea.
Split
Less built up than nearby Bačvice, this little horseshoe cove has a slimline sandy beach with a bar down one end.
Varna
The beautiful Sveti Atanas Church overlooks the Roman Thermae. Dating from 1838, it features numerous icons and an intricately carved bishop’s throne.
Belarus
This museum near the entrance to Belavezhskaya Pushcha National Park gives a great introduction to the myriad plant and animal species living in the park.
Makarska
Makarska's long, pebbly town beach stretches from the Sveti Petar park northwest along the bay. It's lined with hotels, ice-cream shops and beachy stalls.
Ulcinj
Just inside the Old Town walls, this small museum houses Roman and Ottoman artefacts and a relief map of the town.
Vilnius
Once one of the world's largest and most important collections of rabbinical and other Judaic writing, the Strashun was looted and destroyed by the Nazis.
Vilnius
This revamped 17th-century fortification houses a rich collection of weaponry and armour through the ages and the atmospheric tunnels are a joy to wander.
Sarajevo
This ornamental drinking fountain, looking more like an enclosed oriental gazebo, dates from 1891 and marks the centre of Baščaršija's central square.
Ulcinj
Set back slightly from the road, the 1728 Mezjah Mosque is Ulcinj’s main Islamic place of worship. Inside there's a sloping floor and wooden mezzanine.
Ulcinj
Lamit Mosque dates from 1689 but was substantially rebuilt after the 1979 earthquake. The ceiling has interesting green-painted geometric wood panelling.
Lviv
The Yanivske Cemetery, northwest of the city centre, has a large Jewish section accessible from vul Yeroshenka (a side street off vul Tarasa Shevchenka).
Latvia
Stately and stolid, this 1875 structure was home to Kuldīga’s Jewish community until the Holocaust. It now houses the town's library and arts centre.
Transylvania
Within this 1900-built hall, the union between Romania and Transylvania was signed and sealed on 1 December 1918. The National Union Museum is opposite.
Trogir
The treasury of this Benedictine convent is home to a dazzling 3rd-century relief of Kairos, the Greek god of opportunity, carved out of orange marble.
Lviv
Around a kilometre's walk west of the Yanivske cemetery are a plaque and a billboard marking the spot of the Janowska concentration camp, now a prison.
Saranda
This excellent gallery overlooking the seafront has high-quality temporary exhibits, with many works coming down from the National Gallery in Tirana.
Tivat
North of the centre, this park is a leafy, peaceful retreat, originally laid out in 1892. It's a serene antidote to the excesses of Porto Montenegro.
Korčula Island
This tower was built in 1449 to protect the port and the Governor’s Palace, which used to stand next to the town hall. It's not open to the public.
Black Sea Coast
Overlooking the harbour to the south, this earthquake-battered building is set on a cliff and provides a picturesque setting for summertime concerts.
Bulgaria
Kazanlâk’s pazar (open market) is a dusty, all-purpose place selling food, electronics and clothing on most weekdays. Watch your wallet.
Bulgaria
With its weeping willows, sculptures and pond, this small park just north of the train station is a pleasant place to linger while awaiting a train.
Bulgaria
The 3rd-century-AD Forum Augusta Trayana is well preserved and hosts summertime concerts. Just north of the park, it can be freely explored on foot.
Latvia
Dating to 1283, St Simon's shelters medieval burial tombs, an altarpiece, The Temptation (1842), a pulpit from 1739 and an 1886 pipe organ.
Constanţa
This large and impressive collection features folk costumes, implements, household items and interiors of traditional homes from around Romania.
Sofia
A sombre monument, in the middle of a busy road, dates from 1895 and marks the spot where Bulgarian national hero Vasil Levski was hanged in 1873.
Veliko Târnovo
Up in Varosha, the Church of Sveti Nikolai was built in 1879, and time hasn't been kind to the weather-beaten church. Opening times are irregular.
Transylvania
Archaeologists unearthed the largest fort in Roman Dacia at this site, and you can admire the old walls and old hypocaust (heating system) within.
