Take a Baltic break: swap the Med for another sea this summer

Why pay a premium to visit the same old Spanish resorts? Now's the time to try somewhere new

Sea bridge at Sellin, Rügen island (Shutterstock)

The options for a short-haul beach break are gradually narrowing; bookings to Turkey are down following terrorist attacks earlier this year, while the FCO still advises against travelling to parts of Egypt and the whole of Tunisia. As a result, holiday prices to our old favourite, Spain, are soaring in response to increased demand.

But why pay a premium to visit the same old costa resorts, which will be even more packed than usual this summer? Now’s the time to try somewhere new. The Baltic may not be quite as hot as the Med, but with summer temperatures a comfortable 20C or so, it’s ideal for families with younger children. And for those after a more grown-up break, there are lively cities, windswept scenery and quirky historic sites too.

Parnu Old Town (Shutterstock)

Summer capital

Parnu, Estonia’s so-called Summer Capital is the jewel in the crown of the country’s Baltic coast. Beachside bars, funfairs and restaurants open from May to September, but there’s also countryside and long beaches to retreat to. Parnu’s new cruise ship port will be finished this autumn, with dozens of cruises expected to dock in the first two years – so go now to beat the forthcoming rush. Regent Holidays (regent-holidays.co.uk) stops off in Parnu as part of its eight-day Essential Estonia tour. From £585pp including B&B, flights and transfers.

Party town

Dubbed the “Manchester of Latvia” due its buzzing music scene, student population and party town vibe, Liepaja is a relaxed seaside city doused in history and culture; its old Russian naval base has been taken over by artists. In March new flights were launched from Luton with Wizz Air (wizz.com) and Stansted with Ryanair (ryanair.com) to Palanga, the nearest operational airport airport to Liepaja. It’s over the border in Lithuania, but that’s no problem as there are regular buses (flybus.lv) and no passport checks as both countries are in the Schengen Zone.

Ruins on the beach at Liepaja (Shutterstock)

Baltic beauty

Rügen is one of the Baltic’s most picturesque islands and a popular holiday spot for Germans – but more international visitors should discover its charms. Germany’s largest island is low and sandy, with family-friendly activities like cycling and sailing, and wide bucket-and-spade beaches. The holiday camp of Prora, built by the Nazis but only used in the GDR era, is a quirky historic attraction. It’s being turned, controversially, into luxury accommodation; this month it welcomes the final outing of electronic music festival Her Damit (27-29 May; herdamitfestival.com) which brings a little bit of Berlin to the Baltic. There are direct trains (bahn.de) from the capital and Hamburg to Binz, where you’ll find Rügen’s trendiest hotel, the Ceres (ceres-hotel.de). Part of Design Hotels, it offers doubles from €178, room only.

Back to nature

Sweden’s most storied island, Gotland, is the place to enjoy birdlife, wild cliffs, windswept beaches and high culture. From 27 June to 3 July Bergman Week (bergmancenter.se/bergmanveckan) celebrates the work of the Swedish film director, who had links to the Baltic island. For a unique stay, try the austere lines of Fabriken Furillen house Gotland’s hippest hotel (furillen.com) - designed by photographer Johan Hellstrom and set within a former factory surrounded by acres of open country; doubles from 1,950 krona (£165), B&B. Fly to Visby, the island’s airport, via Stockholm with SAS (flysas.com), or alternatively Simply Sweden (simplysweden.co.uk) offers twin-centre trips to Gotland and the capital from £995pp including flights, B&B and transfers.

Soviet chic

Connoisseurs of the odd are drawn to Kaliningrad like moths to a flame. This Russian exclave, set between Poland and Lithuania, comprises the old East Prussian capital, Koningsberg, and its hinterland laden with spas, sandy spits and lakes. The eccentric Soviet-era city centre is being completely redeveloped by Studio 44 Architects, whose vision of bringing the city’s historic buildings back to life won the award for best masterplan at the recent World Architecture Festival Awards. Kaliningrad is rather tricky to get to – you need a Russian visa and there are no direct flights from the UK - but a new route opens up this summer thanks to Vueling (vueling.com), which will fly from Barcelona starting on 8 July. With countless budget flights to the Spanish city available, perhaps you could combine the Baltic with the costa...