Hi hsv,

Thanks a lot for the info! My interests are pretty varied but I love seeing and experiencing lives from different cultures. The reason I'm interested in Riga was that Tallulah mentioned there was "a strange mix of attractive old town and stark communist architecture" and i love seeing unique architectural styles a lot.
Apart from that I'd say I'm just like the normal tourist in any other ways wanting to try out local cuisines and explore the city.
A friend suggested I see fes / marrakesh in Morocco. Anyone have any info on those?

Cheers Chel.

Chelsea,

thinking about Riga that Stalinist architecture is nothing that really stuck with me.
In fact there is a beautifully preserved medieval Old Town dating back to Hanseatic Days. Around it, there is a pretty broad strip af about 1 mile (I guess) that consists predominantly out of Art Deco houses, some of which have downright spectacular facades.
Only beyond this - and in some of the suburbs you are likely to encounter those Soviet buildings.

Should your interest be in that area, I should think Tallinn might be a good choice. It, too, has a very beatifully restored Old Town section. But this one is almost directly bordered by more modern architecture, quite a couple of those buildings dating back to Soviet times.
The city is still good fun - and as it is only about half the size than Riga possibly a bit easier to explore in about 1.5 days time.

I am afraid I have no expertise regarding Marrakesh and Fes.

Should you need recommendations for lodging in either Tallinn or Riga, do give some clue regarding your budget, and I shall be happy to comment.

Have a great Sunday
hsv

Make sure you sign up for email alerts from ryanair.co.uk

They have some truly amazing special offers at times (eg 99p plus taxes), so you can make last minute plans when a great offer comes through. They also fly to a bewildering number of places in Europe.