Summer in the city

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23 JUNE 2004
Tallinn, Estonia
Estonia is one of the latest eastern Europe recruits to the EU and its capital, Tallinn, is the magic kingdom of the Baltic states. It combines an enchanting huddle of an Old Town with the contemporary buzz of festivals, chic shopping and a lively café society. It’s also the region’s clubbing mecca with partying throughout the white summer nights.

Don’t miss: Climb up Toompea hill for a chocolate-box view of the turrets and towers of the medieval Old Town. Join the locals drinking beer on the cobbles in Town Hall Square where there are open-air concerts in summer. Shop for jewellery and minimalist designs at Nu Nordik or Zizi, and check out hot nightspots like Club Hollywood. If the weekends are really sunny, follow the native Estonians to the nearby resort of Pirita, or the island of Aegna.

Salzburg, Austria
Small but beautifully formed, Salzburg is a hothouse of architecture, music and good living in a fairytale setting surrounded by mountains, lakes and forests, with sightseeing galore.

Don’t miss: Make a pilgrimage to Mozart’s birthplace at No 9 Getriedegasse – look out for the tiny violin he played as a six-year old – and sweep up the baroque Angel staircase of the gilded Schlosskonzerte to take in a classical concert. Browse the quaint traffic-free shopping centre Getreidegasse and Linzergasse in the picturesque Old Town, and bask in the sunshine at one of the terraced coffee houses, such as the 18th-century Café Tomaselli, over a hot chocolate with whipped cream. And don’t forget the four-hour Sound Of Music tour, taking in Nonnberg Abbey, the convent in the classic film.