In the heart of Europe, who would think that the closest desert look-alike is just a stone’s throw away?! Even though the Curonian Spit, a peninsula divided between Lithuania and the Russian exclave Kaliningrad, does not look like a conventional desert, it is home to Europe’s highest drifting sand dunes that can reach a height of up to 60 metres. The largest city on the peninsula is Nida, which at the same time serves as a popular holiday resort. But why do tourists come to the Curonian Spit? First of all, it is to observe the interplay between sand, wind and waves which appears so impressive due to the peninsula’s small width that ranges from 0.4 to 4 kilometres. But exactly that interplay also constantly threatens the Curonian Spit by causing massive soil erosion. Due to extensive protection and reforestation measures in the last hundred years, since 2000 also supported by the UNESCO, the Curonian Spit will hopefully face a more certain future.

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site is situated on the eastern rim of the Baltic Sea. St. Petersburg, which is sometimes also known as Russia’s "window to Europe", the "Northern Capital", "The most artificial city in the world", "Venice of the North", "Piter", has almost as many names as it has admirers. It is a city which represents a great deal of Russian history through the centuries. Founded on several islands in 1703 by Tsar Peter the Great, it served as capital city for over 200 years, was the point of departure of the Russian Revolution, and has been the bearer of three different official names. This diverse heritage can be seen throughout the city. In particular, Peter’s attempt to establish St. Petersburg among the most glamorous capitals in Europe is reflected by many monumental buildings and large squares. The many palaces constructed during the 18th and 19th centuries also impressively document the history of the world’s northernmost metropolis.

While St. Petersburg was the actual Russian capital for over two centuries, the Estonian city of Pärnu has played the role of symbolic capital city every summer since 1996. This special honour is probably due to Pärnu’s status as Estonia’s number one spa. When resourceful local businessmen decided to turn a rather unsuccessful tavern into an establishment that offered mud treatment and hot seawater baths in 1838, nobody expected Pärnu to become a famous and luxurious coastal resort, enjoying its heyday in the 1930s. Even today the city emanates the glamour and extravagance of the past - during summertime, Pärnu turns into a beautiful and exciting setting for cultural open-air events. But it has also preserved some of the spirit of the 19th and early 20th centuries: which other European resort still offers you a strip of beach that has traditionally been reserved for ladies only?