spas

MOST Brits will stick to Western Europe for a summer holiday heading to the likes of France or Spain.

But in doing so are missing out on beautiful and not to mention cheaper alternatives in the east, like Lithuania.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

Lithuania hasn’t typically been a holiday location for Brits, but it’s seeing a rise in tourists.

Last year, Lithuania was Europe‘s fastest-growing destination with international arrivals up 21 per cent – and it’s emerging as a compelling alternative for 2026.

Having visited Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, late last year, I can vouch that it makes for a great city break.

GREAT ESCAPES

Ten European city or beach holidays for under £100pp INCLUDING flight & hotel

TRIP UP

The Sun’s travel experts reveal their best EVER holidays & how you can do them too

And it will be even more pleasant in spring and summer when temperatures can reach highs of 30C.

While it was a little colder (and even snowed) when I visited in December 2025, I still got a feel for the city where I found bargain drinks and cute markets.

In the heart of the capital city is its beautiful Old Town which has cobbled streets, hidden courtyards and plenty of bars.

If you look up, beautiful churches dominate the skyline – the Old Town has around 40 alone.

Meanwhile, the streets are winding and with shops, cafes and restaurants. I discovered one bar called Vynomanai, which was selling coffee for €2 (£1.74) and beer for €3 (£2.62).

One snack you have to try as it’s a local delicacy called ‘kepta duona’ – and once you have a taste, you won’t be able to stop.

Essentially it’s fried bread in garlic – which is like the UK’s version of pork scratchings. But, if you want something slightly fancier, Vilnius has four Michelin-star restaurants with tasting menus.

In huge contrast is the modern city of Vilnius which is filled with green parks, museums, art galleries and shopping centres.

For something more quirky, head to Lukiskiu Kalejimas prison to take a tour around the cells – unbelievably it was used up until 2019.

After its closure, the site was used for filming prison scenes in Season 4 of Stranger Things.

Now it’s used as a cultural centre and is open to the public for tours.

I’d say, to get a feel of the city, head out into the Old Town early on Sunday morning, you can hear the church bells chime and the streets were practically deserted when I went for a wander.

If you’re booking your next getaway – here are some of our favourite family holidays…

*If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue.

Selenium Hotel, Antalya, Turkey

This hotel is a top pick for families who want to do a bit of everything. If you love the water, the nearby beach is packed with fun activities like banana boats, jet-skiing, and diving, while the hotel’s pool is perfect for a more relaxing dip. For a change of pace, the hotel can help you organise horse riding or bike rides along the pretty coastal paths, and there’s even a golf course just 20 minutes away for the grown-ups.

BOOK A HOLIDAY

Blue Sea Interpalace, Tenerife

With a massive outdoor pool, mini-golf, and a dedicated kids club, there’s plenty here to keep kids of all ages entertained. Each of the 234 rooms comes with the essentials like air-con and a minibar, and the all-inclusive buffet means everyone stays fueled for a day on the beach or battling on the sports courts. When you’re ready to explore, Puerto de la Cruz is right on your doorstep, where you can wander past an 18th-century fort, explore the pretty harbour, or play on the island’s famous volcanic black-sand beaches.

BOOK A HOLIDAY

Rodos Star, Rhodes, Greece

Rodos Star is perched on a hilltop with stunning views over the Aegean Sea. It’s a great choice for a relaxed Greek getaway, featuring a main pool for the grown-ups and a dedicated splash pool for the kids. With evening entertainment like Greek dancing and live music three times a week, there’s plenty of fun for everyone. You’re just a five-minute stroll from Afandou, a traditional village packed with shops and authentic tavernas. Plus the generous all-inclusive package will keep everybody fed and happy.

BOOK A HOLIDAY

Archipel Monastir, Tunisia

This glamorous Tunisian retreat sits directly on a golden beach, putting the Mediterranean Sea right at your doorstep. Families will love the spacious rooms that sleep up to four, along with a fun-filled sports schedule featuring tennis, volleyball, and archery. While the kids are busy, you can slip away to the hotel’s luxurious spa and traditional hammam for some serious relaxation. When you’re ready to explore, the city of Monastir is packed with local history including ancient fortresses.

BOOK A HOLIDAY

For those who like to relax, Lithuania is a great place to do so as it has a high density of spas.

Last year, Lithuania was even crowned the best spot in the world for health and wellness by ITB Health Tourism.

In dedicated wellness towns like Druskininkai, you’ll find lots more, here is home to Dineika Wellness Park.

The small resort has an open-air gym, public sauna by the river, lots of parklands to explore.

Entry to the park is actually free and treatments start from as little €12 (£10.43).

Guests can take mud baths, bubble baths and opt for massages which start from €20 (£17.39).

Lithuania has a relatively short coastline which stretches around 57 miles, but it does have some beaches.

Popular spots with white sands include Neringa, Palanga, and Smiltynė.

Or with the coastline being short, lots opt to swim in its freshwater lakes instead, like Green Lakes and Balžis.

Flights to Vilnius are cheap too, in April you can get one-way flights from London Luton from as little as £16 with Ryanair and be there in under three hours.

For more on holidays, one of Europe’s cheapest city break destinations with £2 beers and massive waterpark has new UK flights.

And this spot in ‘Eastern European Riviera’ with white sand beaches that you can fly to for £13 from the UK.

DID YOU know that the word ‘spa’ comes from a European town by the same name that actually is responsible for wellness traditions?

Spa in Belgium is a small town sat in a valley of the Ardennes Mountains and is often known as the Pearl of the Ardennes.

It’s one of Belgium‘s most popular tourist destinations and with good reason, because the town is full of natural mineral springs.

Perhaps you also know the name of the town due to the racing Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which hosts the annual Formula One Belgian Grand Prix.

But Spa’s spa history dates back a lot longer than the noise of a motor engine…

Way back in the 16th and 17th centuries, the town became known for its iron-rich mineral springs that people used to think could heal them of injuries and illnesses.

Read more on travel inspo

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

GO ON

All the little-known websites for cheap or FREE tickets to gigs, theatre & festivals

The original experience in the town was ‘drinking therapy’, where people would drink a large amount of the iron-rich water, rather than bathe in it.

Then in 1717, Peter the Great of Russia visited and drank the water for a month and miraculously, was ‘cured’ of his severe health issues including liver and digestive problems.

This was the start of mass tourism heading to the town, with international visitors flocking to Spa for its healing waters.

This trend continued into the 18th century when Spa became a fashionable resort town known as the ‘Cafe of Europe’.

Many elite members of society would travel to Spa to treat health conditions but also participate a number of other activities including gambling.

Then in the 19th century, there was more of a focus on bathing as the town opened new thermal baths.

It’s because of the town’s long history and fame, that the word ‘spa’ was adopted into the English language and used widely as a term for a resort with therapeutic water.

Finally, in 2021, Spa was recognised as part of UNESCO World Heritage Site’s the Great Spa Towns of Europe.

Today, visitors can still relish in the benefits of Spa’s water.

One of the top spots for visitors today is Thermes de Spa – a resort which overlooks the town with peat baths, traditional copper baths, outdoor pools and relaxation experiences.

The spa experience includes a 70C sauna and a 40C to 45C hammam.

For those who want to embrace naturism, there is an area for this with a panoramic sauna, a hammam, a 36C hot tub, a 38C bath, a 20C cold bath and three foot baths.

There are a number of relaxation areas too including a red light therapy area and a blue light room, which if you spend 20 to 30 minutes in, it is equivalent of a day high in the mountains.

And of course, there are a number of baths as well.

The water for all of the spa comes from the Marie-Henriette Spring, which is the oldest of Spa’s waters dating back over 400 years.

If you fancy learning more about the history of the town, head to the Museum of the City of Water.

Inside, visitors can learn about four centuries of history in the town.

You can also venture into one of the first casinos in the world, which opened in 1763.

Many European royals used to visit Casino de Spa and visitors can still head there today.

For those who love being in the outdoors, there’s RAVeL trails, which are converted railway lines and a great way of seeing the Ardennes and its historic villages including Stavelot and Francorchamps.

Or if you prefer a bit of adrenaline, make sure to check out SpaForest, which is an adventure park with tree-climbing courses, ziplines and rope bridges.

When it comes to choosing somewhere to stay in the town, obviously a lot of the options include wellness facilities.

You could stay at the four-star Van der Valk Hotel Spa with direct access to Les Thermes de Spa thermal Baths.

A room costs from £80 per night.

Or you could decide to stay at the Radisson Blu Balmoral Hotel, costing from £97 per night.

It is surrounded by dense forest, features suites with separate living areas and has an indoor pool, sauna and a Turkish bath.

The easiest way to get to Spa from the UK is by flying to Brussels, which costs from £28 return.

From there, you can jump on a train which takes less than two hours to reach Spa, costing from £13.64 a-way.

Alternatively, you could get the Eurostar to Brussels and switch trains to reach Spa.

For more inspiration on destinations to explore in Europe, there’s one city with 3,000 hours of sunshine a year and it has been named the best destination to visit in 2026.

Plus, these are the 39 best European city break destinations – and the number one spot is very cheap.