How about a trip to Lithuania

For many years Lithuania was simply a Russian state, part of the vast USSR and without much of an identity. That hasn’t always been the case though, and Lithuania’s history goes back a long, long way, and provides the country with a real sense of pride and ownership in their culture and ways of living.
It is a relatively small country, similar in size to Ireland and easily traversed by Rail or road. The countryside is, well, countryside, it’s a highly rural country with a very flat topography and hundreds of forests and lakes, with farmland dotted throughout. The 3 main cities are Vilnius, its capital, Kaunas in the heart of the country and Klaipeda on the Baltic Sea coast. While the 3 cities are different in their own right, they do have similarities in their appearances, with colourful façade buildings, quaint old towns and a few palaces and castles thrown in for good measure.
It’s unlikely you’ll come back from Lithuania saying it is the most astonishing place on earth.. but conversely it’s highly unlikely you’ll find much to dislike with its friendly locals, pleasant and highly developed economy giving a high standard of living and all round pleasant ambience. The only downside might be for vegans.. Lithuanians love their meat, so much so that veganism doesn’t really “exist” here!