Of three Baltic republics, only Estonia has relatively big islands on the Baltic Sea. Until World War II there were lots of Swedes living on Saaremaa island, but fled before Red Army retook the area in 1944. They are now major force behind the tourism, but many more nationals come to enjoy mild Baltic summers - not to mentioned Estonians themselves, who come in especially big quantities for Midsummer festivities. Kuressaare is the administrative centre of the island and sports a very attractive castle which is now a public museum.
Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court. The town of Amboise is also only about 11 miles (18 km) away from the historic Château de Chenonceau, situated on the Cher River near the small village of Chenonceaux. The city is famous for the Clos Lucé manor house where Leonardo da Vinci lived (and ultimately died) at the invitation of King Francis I of France, whose Château d'Amboise, which dominates the town, is located just 500 metres away. The narrow streets contain some good examples of timbered housing.
Blois is built on a pair of steep hills, winding and steep pathways run through the city, culminating in long staircases at various points. To the south of the city, the Forêt de Russy is a reminder of the thick woods that once covered the area. The town stands on the river Loire, so unsurprisingly, it sports a magnificent old bridge as well as Renaissance castle. It also has a unique museum dedicated to magic.
Angers is the historical capital of Anjou and was for centuries an important stronghold in northwestern France. The old medieval centre is still dominated by the massive château of the Plantagenêts, home of the Apocalypse Tapestry, the biggest medieval tapestry ensemble in the World. Angers is also both at the edge of the Val de Loire, a World Heritage Site, and the Loire-Anjou-Touraine regional natural park.
Broad streets and numerous palaces (most notably, the Estense castle) originate mostly from 14th and 15th centuries. For its beauty and cultural importance, Ferrara was inscribed into UNESCO Wold Heritage List The town is still surrounded by more than 9 kilometres (6 miles) of ancient walls, mainly built in the 15th and 16th centuries. Together with those of Lucca, they are the best preserved Renaissance walls in Italy. Most palaces of the town also belong to this period. The historical Jewish community is still surviving in town.
One of the prettiest towns in Northern Germany, Schwerin is located in the area of many picturesque lakes. Its centre is a beautiful mixture of architectural styles of last five centuries. The real landmark of Schwerin is its castle that stands on the island on the biggest lake of the area. Besides lake and architecture, town offers tourists some fine museums, including State Art Museum that houses a remarkable collection of Dutch paintings. Despite of being capital and second largest city of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state, Schwerin is still walkable, however you might need to walk for several days to explore all its sites.
One of the best-kept secrets in Germany despite being a UNESCO-listed heritage site, Quedlinburg is seriously amazing. Its old town is almost completely half-timbered, and many buildings in the old castle district are very, very old: the Romanesque Church of St Servatius dates to 1129, has a 10th century crypt and has collection of early Bibles. The castle and the cathedral still dominate town's skyline in the same way they did for centuries. Quedlinburg is located in less populated area and a bit far from major tourist cities, so it's a great destination off the beaten track.