The world's 10 best value destinations

4. Latvia

A country in transition, hellbent on shedding its stalwart old-Soviet image, the Latvia of today is vibrant. Still relatively undiscovered by Europe's tourism masses, this Baltic star is poised to arrive on the continent's A-list. Many arrive expecting little and leave overwhelmed, certain they've uncovered long-buried treasure. Its capital, Riga, has come an awfully long way in 10 years. Instead of making do with the best of a dodgy lot, for visitors these days there's a genuine choice of restaurants and places to stay, representing value, attention to detail and finesse.

Pictured: The city of Riga

Text reproduced with permission from Bluelist 2007, copyright 2006 Lonely Planet Publications. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.