In the city of Innsbruck, capital of the Bundesland Tirol, western Austria

 Andreas Hofer became a legendary figure to both Germans and Austrians. An early symbol of Austrian patriotism and German nationalism, his family was later granted noble status by the Austrian Emperors after Napoleon's downfall. A large statue of him stands in Innsbruck, and there is an annual dramatic presentation of his life and death in the Alps every year. The song "Zu Mantua in Banden," Tyrol's state anthem, is about Hofer; it contains his famous quote "I will not trade my life for a lie."

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(in the Eastern Alps of western Austria) The city of Innsbruck, capital of the Bundesland (federal state) Tirol, is found on the Inn River at the mouth of the Sill. First mentioned in 1180 as a small market town belonging to the Bavarian counts of Andech, it developed rapidly because of its strategic position at the junction of the great trade routes from Italy to Germany, via the Brenner Pass and from Switzerland and western Europe. The bridge (Brücke) over the Inn originally carried this traffic and gave the city its name. Innsbruck was chartered in 1239, passed to the Habsburgs in 1363, and in 1420 became the capital of Tirol and the ducal residence under Frederick, the duke “of the empty pockets.” Napoleon gave the city to the kingdom of Bavaria in 1806, and during the War of Liberation (1809) four battles were fought around Berg Isel, a hill immediately to the south, by Tirolian patriots led by Andreas Hofer against the Bavarians and the French.

+ Innsbruck's Old Town, with its beautiful doorways, narrow house fronts, buttressed medieval houses, arcaded facades, and oriel windows, maintains great examples of southern influences, Tyrolese architecture, and sumptuous Rococo, Baroque, and Renaissance buildings. One of the most famous buildings is the Fürstenburg, with a balcony that has a gilded copper roof, which was supposedly built by Duke Frederick and remodeled by the emperor Maximilian in about 1500. Other landmarks include the 18th-century Hofburg (on the site of a 15th-century ducal residence) and the 16th-century Franciscan, or Court, church containing the mausoleum dedicated to Maximilian I and the tombs of Andreas Hofer and other Tirolian heroes. The city's university was founded by Emperor Leopold I in 1677, and its library was a gift of the empress Maria Theresa in 1745. There are four major museums: the Ferdinandeum, the Tirolean Folk Art Museum, the Museum of the Imperial Rifles -- and collections of the archduke Ferdinand II, in the Castle Ambras. The semicircular quarter of the Old Town, ringed by paths called Graben, is currently a pedestrian area where visitors can review 800 years of local history. The Cathedral of St. James, which was formerly St. James Church Parish, was elevated to cathedral status in 1964. Popular for its dome over the choir and imposing twin-towered west front, it was designed in the Baroque style in 1724, and fully reconstructed after being destroyed during World War II.

In the Island of Ischia, Gulf of Naples, Italy

 “Mist to mist, drops to drops. For water thou art, and unto water shalt thou return.” ― Kamand Kojouri

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(at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, in Italy) The Island of Ischia is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, found at the northwest entrance to the Gulf of Naples, about 30 km (~19 mi.) from the city of Naples. The largest of the Phlegrean Islands, it is almost entirely mountainous, the highest peak being Mount Epomeo (an extinct volcano) at 788 meters. An eruption of the 7th century BCE, drove away the first Greek settlers, and another in 470 BCE put a Syracusan garrison to flight. There were several eruptions in Roman times; the last on record occurred in 1301–02, when the population fled to Baia on the mainland and did not return for four years. There have been destructive earthquakes more recently, the last in 1883 when the town of Casamicciola was destroyed. From the Middle Ages the island was subjected to frequent attacks and invasions, usually related to the struggles for supremacy on the mainland. Its volcanic soils are fertile, and the wine (called Epomeo) that is produced on Ischia is famous. Wheat, olive oil, and citrus fruits are also economically important. Well known for its mild climate, picturesque scenery, and numerous thermal mineral springs, Ischia is much frequented as a health and vacation resort. The more important towns are in the north of the island: Ischia, the administrative center and seat of a bishop, consisting of the fishing village of Ischia Ponte with a medieval castle, and Ischia Porto; Casamicciola Terme; Lacco Ameno; and Forio.

+ Ischia, the name of the island's main town, also serves as its largest seaport. Inhabited for centuries, it is known for its beaches and the healing waters of its spas. The town is divided into two parts: Ischia Porto is the harbor district and commercial center of the island, filled with brightly lit taverns and bars, and Ischia Ponte, the historic quarter, with its ancient castle and its stone streets seemingly frozen in time. This is also the case with the Aragonese Castle in Ischia Ponte. Built on a rock in the coastal region, it is one of the most fascinating structures on the island. The fortress is surrounded by a beautifully landscaped garden with cacti, palm trees, and magnificent olive groves. Today the fortress is privately owned. But in the 12th century many conquerors came here to take and occupy the fortress. In the Middle Ages, the fortress was home to families, priests, princes -- and later, nuns (in 1890).

In the town of Faro, capital of Algarve, in the historical province of southern Portugal

 “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” -- Susan Sontag

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(in Algarve, the historical province of southern Portugal) The Algarve, bounded by the Atlantic Ocean (south and west) and the lower Guadiana River (to the east), benefits from a southerly wind off the Atlantic Ocean, which brings warm weather from North Africa. This means summers are hot and dry and winters are mild and a bit wetter. The Phoenicians established bases in this area, and the Romans later conquered it. Visigoths ruled the region until Muslims took control in the early 8th century. After nearly 500 years of Muslim rule, Algarve (Arabic: Al-Gharb, “the west”) was absorbed by the Portuguese kingdom in 1189. At Sagres in 1419. Henry the Navigator founded a center of research that came to be called a school of navigation. Besides a warm climate, the region has many fine beaches, making it a popular holiday destination. The economy now depends on tourism, which has expanded in recent years and has altered the landscape. The building of hotels, apartment blocks, and residential housing has been quite extensive. Lots of golf course have also been created along the coast. Fishing (for sardines, horse mackerel, and other types of fish) and fish processing continue, and other industries include wine and cork processing.

+ Soaring cliffs, sea caves, golden beaches, scalloped bays, and sandy islands attract millions of visitors to the Algarve each year. Surrounded on two sides by the Atlantic, it's a paradise for surfers, especially along the refreshingly undeveloped west coast. In the south, tourist hotspots harboring large clusters of holiday villas and showy resorts have action-packed activities -- from water parks to water sports -- and vibrant nightlife, spanning beach bars to busy nightclubs. Natural treasures here include the bird-filled lagoons and islands of the protected Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, stretching for 60 km (~ 49 mi.) from west of the capital, Faro, to the charming fishing village of Cacela Velha. In the hilly hinterland are historic castle towns and whitewashed villages, rolling countryside covered in cork, carob and almond trees and citrus orchards, rural farmhouse restaurants, and the delightful Via Algarviana hiking trail, crossing the region's breadth.

+ Featured here is Faro, the Algarve’s capital, which has a more distinctly Portuguese feel than most resort towns. It has an attractive marina, well-maintained parks and plazas, and a cidade velha (Old Town) ringed by medieval walls. The Old Town's winding, cobbled pedestrian streets, squares, and buildings were reconstructed in a mixture of styles following successive batterings -- first by marauding British and then by two big earthquakes -- and are home to museums, churches and al fresco cafes. On Faro's doorstep are the lagoons of the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa and nearby beaches, including the islands of Ilha de Faro to the southwest and Ilha da Barreta (aka Ilha Deserta) to the south.

At the Coca Castle, in the province of Segovia, in central Spain

 Theodosius I, also called Theodosius the Great, served as Roman emperor from 379 to 395. He was the last emperor to rule the entire Roman Empire before its administration was permanently split between two separate courts (one western, the other eastern).

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(in the province of Segovia, in central Spain) The municipality of Coca is part of the autonomous community of Castile and Leon -- 50 kilometers (~31 mi.) northwest of the provincial capital city of Segovia, and 60 kilometers from Valladolid, the primary seat of government in Castile and León. Castillo de Coca, a 15th-century Mudéjar-style castle in the town, which was also the birthplace of Roman Emperor Theodosius I (in 347 CE).
+ The province of Segovia, in north-central Spain, is bounded by the provinces of Burgos and Soria to the north and northeast, respectively, Guadalajara and Madrid to the southeast, Ávila to the southwest, and Valladolid to the northwest. It is primarily an agricultural tableland, some 762 meters above sea level. The northern watershed of the Sierra de Guadarrama spreads from east to west across the remainder of the province and is quarried for granite, marble, and limestone. Construction, food processing, forestry, and services are the main sources of income. Summer upland resorts are found at El Espinar and San Rafael, but both tourism and industry are largely concentrated in Segovia city.
+ The town of Coca, established during the Roman Empire era, was then called Cauca, and is itself quite historic. Twice taken in treachery by the Romans, the Fonseca family gave it an imposing brick castle, which became a major historical landmark (and several excellent mausoleums are preserved in the church). Since the 19th century the town owes its prosperity to the resin of its pine forests. Coca's extraordinary Moorish castle and the Church of Santa Maria, along with the Puerta de la Villa and stone boars are what visitors must see see while here. Just a few kilometers to the west, lies one of the finest Roman villas and least visited of Spain -- the Almenara-Puras.

+ A typically dusty, inward-looking Castilian village northwest of Segovia city, Coca is presided over by the stunning, all-brick castle (featured here), a virtuoso piece of Gothic-Mudéjar architecture complete with a moat. It has been restored numerous times; serious damage was done to the castle during the French invasion in the early 19th century. The castle is considered by many to be one of the best examples of Spanish Mudejar brickwork that combines Moorish design and construction with Gothic architecture. Coca Castle, locally known as Castillo de Coca, was built by Alonso de Fonseca; the mighty archbishop of Seville, during the reign of King Enrique IV of Castile. It is made up of two square baileys, separated by a passageway. Both show polygonal towers at the corners. (The double walls are 2.5 meters thick -- and are still encircled by the deep, but now dry moat.)

At the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich, canton of Zurich, Switzerland

 "Most of what makes up our personal picture of the world we have never seen with our own eyes -- or rather, we've seen it with our own eyes, but not on the spot: our knowledge comes to us from a distance, we are televiewers, telehearers, teleknowers." -- Max Frisch

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(at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich, in Switzerland) The largest city of Switzerland and capital of the canton of Zurich is found in an Alpine setting at the northwestern end of Lake Zurich, stretched between two forested chains of hills, about 40 miles (60 km) from the northern foothills of the Alps. Two rivers, the Limmat and Sihl, run through the city. Zurich’s western and northeastern limits are formed by the Albis mountains (which include the 2,850-foot [870-meter] Üetliberg, considered the “top” of Zürich, with an idyllic view of the lake, mountains, and city) and by Zürichberg, a wooded hilly area. A ritzy Alpine metropolis that delivers on culture, nightlife, and art, Zurich is a major contemporary art destination. Important artworks are displayed in the Kunsthaus and the Rietberg Museum, while those preoccupied with shopping more than art, can pursue their interests along Bahnhofstrasse and Niederdorf.
+ Situated at the meeting of river and lake, Zurich is regularly recognized as one of the world's most livable cities. Long known as a savvy, hard-working financial center, Switzerland's largest and wealthiest metropolis has also emerged in the 21st century as one of Central Europe's more progressive destinations, with a post-industrial edge that is epitomized in its exuberant summer Street Parade. Much of the ancient center, with its winding lanes and tall church steeples, has been kept lovingly intact. Yet Zurich has also clearly embraced contemporary trends, with the conversion of old factories into cultural centers and creative new living spaces. (Nowhere is that clearer than in Züri-West, the epicenter of the city’s nightlife.)
+ Zurich also boasts a long line of Nobel Prize winners among its citizenry, particularly in the fields of physics (Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, Albert Einstein, and Wolfgang Pauli). chemistry (Richard Ernst), and medicine (Rolf Zinkernagel). Noted Zürich-born authors include Gottfried Keller, Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, and Max Frisch.

+ The beginning of the 21st century was a difficult time for the city, whose finance-oriented economy was shaken by crises in the world financial markets in the wake of corporate collapses and the spiraling stock market in the United States. In 2001, the Zurich-based Swissair collapsed as one result of the airline crisis following the September 11th attacks in the United States. In 2002, however, elements of the former airline reemerged as Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), which, soon grew rapidly. Similarly, the recovery of the financial markets in the following years brought a period of prosperity to the city in general, securing Zurich’s position as the uncontested economic capital of Switzerland.

In the city of Sofia, capital of Bulgaria

 “I would like to thank Bulgaria, which just today [17 February] agreed to accept the US Army's Stryker Company for joint training opportunities, which will leave Germany in the coming days and help ensure our readiness and operational capability with Bulgaria as our NATO ally.” -- Lloyd Austin, head of the U.S. Department of Defense

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(in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula) Founded in the 7th century, Bulgaria is one of the oldest states on the European continent. It is intersected by historically important routes from northern and eastern Europe to the Mediterranean basin and from western and central Europe to the Middle East. Before the creation of the Bulgarian state, the empires of ancient Rome, Greece, and Byzantium were strong presences. Emerging from centuries of Ottoman rule, Bulgaria gained its independence in the late 19th century, joined the losing side of several conflagrations in the first half of the 20th century, and, despite gravitating toward the Axis powers in World War II, found itself within close orbit of the Soviet Union by mid-century. This alliance had profound effects on the Bulgarian state and psyche, altering everything from land use and labor practices to religion and the arts. As communist governments fell in eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Bulgaria was suddenly released from the magnetic field of the Soviet giant and drifted into the turbulent terrain of post-communism. Bulgaria became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2004 and of the European Union (EU) in 2007. The members of the EU engage in the bulk of Bulgarian trade. The country is remarkable for its variety of scenery; its rugged mountains and relaxing Black Sea resorts attract many visitors. Like other nations of the Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria claims a mix of Eastern and Western cultures, and the mingling is evident in its cuisine, its architecture, and its religious heritage.

+ Surrounded by sprawling parkland, Sofia, the capital and largest city in Bulgaria, lies at the foot of popular ski mountain, Vitosha. With a history that stretches over seven millennia, Sofia is one of Europe's oldest cities. Its National Historical Museum is one of Eastern Europe's most extensive. Wide, cobblestone boulevards, charming boutiques, and electrifying nightlife are the more unforgettable aspects of this dynamic city, traversed by lots of trolleys, trams, and buses. A modern, youthful city, Sofia is with a scattering of onion-domed churches, Ottoman mosques, and leftover Red Army monuments that lend it something of an eclectic, exotic feel. Excavation work carried out during construction of the metro unveiled a treasure trove of Roman ruins from nearly 2000 years ago, when the city was called "Serdica." Away from the buildings and boulevards, vast parks and manicured gardens offer a welcome respite, and the ski slopes and hiking trails of mighty Mt Vitosha are just a short bus ride from the city's center.

At the Cathedral of St Elizabeth in Košice, Estern Slovakia

 Lawmakers in Slovakia approved a defense treaty with the U.S. earlier this month (on 09 February), making it the last NATO member on the alliance's eastern frontier to enact such a pact. The treaty allows U.S. forces to use two airports in Slovakia, which shares a short mountainous border with Ukraine.

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(in eastern Slovakia) A landlocked country of central Europe, Slovakia is roughly coextensive with the historic region of Slovakia, the easternmost of the two territories that for more than seven decades (from 1918-1992) constituted Czechoslovakia. Although World War II thwarted the Slovaks’ first vote for independence in 1939, sovereignty was finally realized on 01 January 1993, more than three years after the Velvet Revolution. Slovakia is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, and Austria to the southwest. Its former federal partner, the Czech Republic, lies to the west. Though a review of the Czech-Slovak relationship reveals more discord than harmony, there was one splendid moment when the two nations stood firmly together -- in the summer of 1968, when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia and crushed the Prague Spring, the period during which a series of reforms were implemented by Communist Party leader Alexander Dubček, perhaps the best-known Slovak in the world.

+ The Western Carpathian Mountains dominate the topography of Slovakia. They consist of a system of three regions of east-west-trending ranges (Outer, Central, and Inner) separated by valleys and intermontane basins. Two large lowland areas north of the Hungarian border, the Little Alfold (called the Podunajská, or Danubian, Lowland in Slovakia) in the southwest and the Eastern Slovakian Lowland in the east, constitute the Slovakian portion of the Inner Carpathian Depressions region. More than four-fifths of Slovakia’s population are ethnic Slovaks. Hungarians, concentrated in the southern border districts, form the largest minority, making up less than one-tenth of the republic’s population. Small numbers of Czechs, Germans, and Poles live throughout the country, while Ruthenians (Rusyns) are concentrated in the east and northeast. In addition to Hungarian, Polish, German, Ukrainian, Rusyn (related to Ukrainian), and Romany are among the other languages spoken in Slovakia. (The year 2004 was a momentous one, as the country joined both NATO and the EU.)

+ Featured here is Eastern Slovakia, where a sizable and relatively mobile population of Roma ("Gypsies") reside. Eastern Slovakia (Východné Slovensko) is one of the four major regions of Slovakia. It was created at the same time as were Košice and Prešov, its sub-regions. Slovakia's untrammeled east, home to hundreds of hidden caves, and the best wine region you've never heard of. Freethinking Košice, Slovakia's second-largest city, is the main reason to visit, with waterfall-blessed Slovenský Raj National Park close behind. Depicted here, is the Cathedral of St Elizabeth in Košice:

At the Black Sea coast, Romania

 The Treaty of Jassy, (09 January 1792), a pact signed at Jassy in Moldavia (modern Iaşi, now in Romania) at the conclusion of the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–92, confirmed Russian dominance in the Black Sea.

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(on Romania's Black Sea Coast) The Black Sea, a large inland sea at the southeastern extremity of Europe, is bordered by Ukraine to the north, Russia to the northeast, Georgia to the east, Turkey to the south, and Bulgaria and Romania to the west. The Black Sea is connected to the distant waters of the Atlantic Ocean by the Bosporus (which emerges from the sea’s southwestern corner), the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. In ancient Greek myths, the sea (then on the fringe of the Mediterranean world) was named Pontus Axeinus, meaning “Inhospitable Sea.” Later explorations made the region more familiar, and, as colonies were established along the shores of a sea the Greeks came to know as more hospitable and friendly, its name was changed to Pontus Euxinus, the opposite of the earlier designation. The Turks, when they came to control the lands beyond the sea’s southern shores, encountered only the sudden storms whipped up on its waters and reverted to a designation reflecting the inhospitable aspect of what they now termed the Karadenız, or Black Sea.

+ Today the Black Sea, one of the natural borders of Romania, is a major tourist attraction -- the busiest and most popular summer destination for Romanians, due in part to the fine white sand beaches, which are unusual for this part of the world (so tourists flock here during the summer months for a tropical experience that’s close to home). Featured here is the city of Constanta, historically known as Tomis (Ancient Greek: Τόμις), which is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Romania. Founded around 600 BCE, the city is found in the Northern Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. Constanta is the most important Romanian city on the seacoast; it also is the largest port on the Black Sea. It is now a major tourist destination, due to its archaeological sites (as well as its beaches). The Port of Constanța includes the North Port and the South Port, and is the fourth largest in Europe. It is protected by breakwaters, with a lighthouse at the entrance. The port is sheltered from the northerly winds, but southerly winds can prove highly dangerous at times. The Black Sea squadron of the Romanian fleet is stationed here. A large canal (the Danube-Black Sea Canal) connects the Danube River to the Black Sea at Constanta.

+ Depicted here is Constanta's stunning but neglected art-nouveau casino. Dating from 1910, a long overdue renovation of it remains to be completed (and it is currently closed to the public). The building was commissioned by King Carol I, and once drew monied visitors from across Europe. (It fell on hard times after the fall of communism [in 1989] and has struggled to find a suitor ever since.)

In Moldova, the little nation bordered by Ukraine and Romania

 “Everyone who wants to know what will happen ought to examine what has happened: everything in this world in any epoch has their replicas in antiquity.” ― Niccolò Machiavelli

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(on the northeastern Balkan Peninsula, in southeastern Europe) Moldova is bordered by Ukraine and Romania. Nearly half the country's population is Moldovan; there also are large numbers of Russians and Ukrainians, especially in Transdniestria (the self-proclaimed republic on the east bank of the Dniester River). Most of Moldova is a fertile region lying between the Dniester and Prut rivers; the northern and central regions are forested. The area of present-day Moldova consists of that part of the historic principality of Moldavia lying east of the Prut River (part of Romania before 1940) and (adjoining it on the south), the region of Bessarabia along the Black Sea coast. The two regions were incorporated as the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1940. In 1991 Moldavia declared independence from the Soviet Union. Moldova was admitted to the UN in 1992. Since1991, Moldova has been beset with an array of challenges stemming from four problematic situations. First, the country has sought to establish a viable state where no tradition of self-government had previously existed. Second, it was difficult for Moldova to agree on a constitution and to find political leaders untainted by association with the Soviet Union. Third, the transition from a controlled economy to a free-market economy has been rocky. (A largely agricultural economy based on state and collective farms had been developed under Soviet rule.) Finally, the economic transition was also impeded by the fact that much of Moldovan industry was located in the separatist region of Transdniestria, which had proclaimed independence from Moldova in 1990, resulting in a brief civil war. Although a cease-fire was declared in 1992, relations remained tense between Moldova and Transdniestria, and Russian troops are still present in the security zone. Transdniestria is also the source of much of Moldova’s electricity, which has been cut off at various times. Thus, Moldova’s road to nationhood continues to be plagued by lots of "potholes" and "roadblocks."

+ Yet, in recent years, the world has been awakened to the appeal of this little nation wedged between Romania and Ukraine. As one of Europe’s least visited countries, Moldova retains a measure of roads-less-travelled charm, one example of which is shown here: Old Orhei, the archaeological and ecclesiastical complex at Orheiul Vechi (Old Orhei), to the north of Chişinău, the county's capital, which is an important historical site with great natural beauty. Occupying a rocky ridge, the complex, known for its Cave Monastery, includes ruins ranging from the earliest days of the Dacian tribes, more than 2000 years ago, through the Mongol and Tatar invasions of the early Middle Ages and the time of Ştefan cel Mare (Stephen III of Moldavia).

In the city of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia

 "... If, in the dusk of the twilight, Dim be the region afar,

Will not the deepening darkness, Brighten the glimmering star?
Then when the night is upon us Why should the heart sink away?
When the dark midnight is over, Watch for the breaking of day...."
-- Whispering Hope, lyrics by Septimus Winner (under the pseudonym, Alice Hawthorne)
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(in the northernmost of the three Baltic states) Estonia includes some 1,500 islands and islets; the two largest of the islands, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, are off mainland Estonia’s west coast. The country is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland (across from Finland), to the west by the Baltic Sea (across from Sweden), to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Lake Peipus and Russia. Estonia has been dominated by foreign powers through much of its history. In 1940 it was incorporated into the U.S.S.R., and remained a Soviet republic until 1991, when, along with the other Baltic states, it declared its independence. The Soviet Union recognized independence for Estonia and the other Baltic states on September 6, 1991, and United Nations membership followed shortly thereafter. Estonia sought integration with greater Europe and in 2004 joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). Compared with other European countries, Estonia has a large percentage of foreign-born residents and their children. Only about two-thirds of the population are ethnic Estonians. Russians are the most significant minority, comprising about one-fourth of the citizenry. (Prominent among other ethnic minorities are Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Finns.

+ Featured here is Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, on Tallinn Bay of the Gulf of Finland. A fortified settlement existed there from the late 1st millennium BCE until the 10th–11th century CE, and there was a town on the site in the 12th century. In 1219 it was captured by the Danes, who built a new fortress on Toompea hill. Trade flourished, especially after Tallinn joined the Hanseatic League in 1285. In 1346 it was sold to the Teutonic Knights, and on the dissolution of the order in 1561 it passed to Sweden. Peter I (the Great) captured Tallinn in 1710, and it remained a Russian city until it became the capital of independent Estonia from 1918 to 1940. The city was occupied by German forces from 1941 to 1944 and was severely damaged. Now a proud European capital, known for its historic architecture, the old city center of Tallinn was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. The Museum of Estonian Architecture in Tallinn celebrates that -- and a number of other national architectural traditions, from the multipurpose barn dwellings, with their thatched roofs, a distinctive countryside feature to its many more modern structures. Tallinn is now lively but peaceful, very photogenic, and filled with lots of fascinating sights -- including ancient churches, medieval streetscapes, and noble merchants' houses.

In the city of Riga, capital of Lativa

 "Soft as the voice of an angel, Breathing a lesson unheard,

Hope with a gentle persuasion, Whispers her comforting word:
Wait till the darkness is over; Wait till the tempest is done,
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, After the shower is gone...."
-- Whispering Hope, lyrics by Septimus Winner (under the pseudonym, Alice Hawthorne)
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(in the capital of Latvia) The city of Riga lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava River where it meets the Baltic Sea. It is also the largest city in the three Baltic states and is home to ten percent of the three Baltic states' combined population. Three-fifths of the city's population are Latvians, or Letts, who speak Latvian, one of two surviving Baltic languages. Russians make up about one-third of the population. A tapestry of sea, lakes and woods, Latvia is best described as a vast, unspoiled parkland with just one real city -- its cosmopolitan capital. The country might be small, but the amount of personal space it provides is enormous. You can always secure a chunk of pristine nature all for yourself, be it for trekking, cycling, or just exploring the landscape (an undulating plain, with fairly flat lowlands alternating with hills), or enjoying one of the area's white-sand beaches amid pine-covered dunes.

+ Having been invaded by every regional power, Latvia has more cultural layers and a less homogenous population than its neighbors. People here pride themselves in being the least pragmatic and the most artistic of the Baltic region. They prove the point with myriad festivals and a merry, devil-may-care attitude (although, a subdued Nordic version of it) Latvia was settled by the Balts in ancient times. During the 10th and 11th centuries there were incursions into Latvia from the west (Swedes) and east (Slavs), and later it was dominated by German-speaking Saxons, who Christianized Latvia in the 12th–13th century. The Order of the Brothers of the Sword conquered Latvia by the 1230s. From the mid-16th to the early 18th century the region was split between Poland and Sweden, but by the end of the 18th century all of Latvia had been annexed by Russia. Latvia declared its independence after the Russian Revolution of 1917. In 1939 it was forced to grant military bases to the Soviet Union, and in 1940 the Soviet Red Army invaded. Next held by Nazi Germany (1941–44), the country was recaptured by the Soviets and incorporated into the Soviet Union. With the breakup of the Soviet Union, Latvia gained its independence in 1991. Subsequently it built ties with western Europe (becoming a member of both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2004).

+ The Latvian capital, the largest city in the Baltics, is a fascinating mixture of proud Latvian tradition and influences of the various countries that have occupied it. Independent once again since 1991, Riga's Art Nouveau center has won it UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. Provided here, is a view of Riga's Old Town: