Vilnius, LithuaniaThe symbol of Lithuania — the remaining tower of the 14th-century Upper Castle on a 48m hill above the old town, with a small museum and the best panoramic view of Vilnius: the red rooftops, the Baroque spires, the Neris River, and the forests stretching to the horizon.
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Europe's most charming micro-nation — a riverside arts district of crumbling baroque buildings that declared independence from Lithuania in 1997, with its own constitution (41 articles including 'a cat is not obliged to love its owner'), president, and an open-border policy. The most creative neighborhood in the Baltics.
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The largest Baroque old town in northern Europe — a UNESCO World Heritage district of 1,500 buildings covering 3.6km², with more Baroque churches per square kilometer than any city in the world. The dawn-lit Cathedral Square, the Gate of Dawn, and the narrow streets of the Jewish Quarter are the highlights.