The Latvian capital has a phenomenally high concentration of art nouveau buildings, many of which huddle around Alberta iela and Elizabetes iela. Many of the city’s 800-plus art nouveau joys come courtesy of prolific architect Mikhail Eisenstein, who decorated his buildings with fruit, flowers and faces. The Riga Art Nouveau Heritage Centre goes into the design elements to look out for, and the slight differences in styles. See jugendstils.riga.lv
4. Dunajec River Gorge
Rafting the Dunajec Gorge.Credit: iStock
The Dunajec River Gorge in the Pieniny Mountains forms part of the border between Poland and Slovakia. And, in this part of the world, they believe that borders are for rafting along. On a sunny day, the gentle 18-kilometre rafting trip through the gorge on a traditional wooden raft is one of the most blissful activities imaginable. See Poland.travel
5. The Zollverein
The ice rink in Germany’s impressive Zollverein.Credit: Alamy
The largely ignored Ruhr region of Germany is full of engagingly transformed industrial sites, but the Zollverein in Essen is arguably the most impressive. A giant former coal mine and coking plant hosts the Ruhr Museum, which is all about the region’s cultural and geological history. But there’s also the Red Dot Design Museum showcasing triumphs of design inside. Oh, and there’s a swimming pool and ice rink squeezed among the hulking industrial machinery. See Zollverein.de
6. The Tabernas Desert, Spain
The Tabernas Desert in Spain’s Andalusian Sierra Nevada. Credit: iStock
Australians tend to see Spain in terms of cities and party islands, but the overlooked south-eastern corner is home to Europe’s only desert. It’s a starkly scenic place to drive through, with American-style Badlands to admire. This landscape helped turn the desert into a hugely popular filming location for the spaghetti westerns of the 1960s and ’70s; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones were also shot here. See andalucia.org
7. Corvin Castle, Romania
Romania’s “other” castle is impressive.Credit: Getty Images
Bran Castle in Romania gets a fair bit of attention due to its dubious Dracula connections, but Corvin Castle further west is more impressive. Architecturally, it blurs the lines between Gothic and Renaissance, with the orange witch hat turrets soaring towards the sky from its hilltop location. Head inside, and you’ve got lavish marble-clad halls and tales of Vlad the Impaler’s imprisonment. See castelulcorvinilor.ro
8. Tara National Park
Drive-through, hike or bike the rumpled Tara National Park.Credit: iStock
In the mountains of western Serbia, Tara National Park is a rumpled place of forests and bears. It can be tackled as a drive-through, getting photos of the Drina Canyon from the handily placed lookout and visiting the Raca Monastery. But it’s more satisfying to hike or bike, then cool off with a swim in the mountain-framed Lake Perucac. See Serbia.travel
9. Lake Ohrid
Photogenic Lake Ohrid has long been a budget travel favourite.Credit: iStock
On the border between Albania and North Macedonia, Lake Ohrid has long been a budget break destination for the people of the Balkans. Most of the action is on the Macedonian side, with the town of Ohrid sprinkled liberally with cafes serving gloriously cheap beer. On a more wholesome level, there are cute cove beaches around the lake, plus several photogenic Orthodox churches and monasteries with a mountain backdrop. See Macedonia-timeless.com
10. Vintgar Gorge
Autumn in Vintgar Gorge, Slovenia.Credit: iStock
Slovenia’s Lake Bled has well and truly made it onto European travel itineraries, but nearby Vintgar Gorge is arguably more spectacular. Cutting 1.6 kilometres through the Julian Alps with steep walls up to 100 metres high, the gorge is formed around the Radovna River, which delights with a series of waterfalls and rapids. A wooden boardwalk with viewing galleries has been built through the gorge for better viewing. See vintgar.si
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The writer has been a guest of the Latvian and German tourist boards.