Lively, easy to get around and brimming with stylish shops, Copenhagen makes an ideal opener to this marvellous exploration around the Baltic. Ahead lie the cobblestones of old Stockholm’s Gamla Stan district and the medieval turrets, spires and steeples of Hanseatic Tallinn. Next, a pause for two memorable days amid the gilded palaces and domes of St Petersburg showcases art drawn from across the Old World. To finish, we add the romantic gables that crowd the ancient city of Polish Gdansk, close to Gdynia, and the pleasures of Berlin’s outdoor terraces and parks – available on an excursion from Warnemünde.