The best Baltic beach holidays: where to go for summer, sea and sand

With culture and beautiful sands aplenty, the coastal towns of Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia make for a break with a difference

Gdańsk is one of the most interesting cities in Europe. Birthplace of philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, author Günter Grass (when it was still known as Danzig) and the Solidarity movement, the old town, artfully rebuilt after the second world war, thrives with hotels and a buzzy bar scene (a standout is the Red Light pub, with comfy armchairs and vodka cocktails). The city has two superb museums, the European Solidarity Centre and the immersive Museum of the Second World War.