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A travel expert has revealed the perfect holiday destination in Europe to avoid the crowds. Many flock to popular hotspots like Greek islands and the Balearics; but they can quickly become overcrowded, which may leave you disappointed.

Joanne Lynn, a travel expert at European cruise and tour operator Riviera Travel, recommended four alternative destinations for a quieter trip. Topping her list is Tallinn, Estonia's capital city which sits on the edge of the Baltic in the country's north. She said: "Tallinn is an enchanting city full of colourful architecture, which comes to life during summer. Known for its historic old town and urban, picturesque landscape, this city among the Baltic states is ideal for those seeking a cultural getaway to a beautiful, low-key location...Despite being an urban area, Tallinn's proximity to beaches allows you to have a seaside holiday." It is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe, being declared a UNESCOWorld Heritage site in 1997 thanks to its incredibly intact 13th-century Old Town. Wandering across the cobblestones of the magnificent, medieval Raekoja Plats (town hall square) dusted in light snow is like walking straight into a fairytale. The old marketplace is dominated by the 13th-century limestone Town Hall.

Here you'll find the 15th-century town hall pharmacy, still trading today. Keeping with the age, staff wear traditional long dresses. Historical cures are displayed in a mini-museum off to one side, such as unicorn horn and dried bees.

Branching off from the town's epicentre are tiny winding streets, pretty hidden courtyards and massive wooden doors opening onto galleries and workshops.

The Old Town actually consists of two distinct areas: the Upper Town, or Toompea, which is home to the Estonian government, which has sat in the pretty medieval pink Stenbock House and the 800-year-old Toompea Castle, and the Lower Town.

The Lower Town, Vanalinn, is the more lively and where to really feel the Old Town's heartbeat.

Despite having a population of no more than 8,000 in the 14th century, the city was surrounded by thick walls. Along them sat an incredible 46 towers, 26 of which are still standing today.

It is also popular among dark tourists who go to visit the mysterious Bastion Tunnels, earthwork fortifications built in the 17th and 18th centuries to conceal the movement of soldiers, ammunition, and other equipment from the enemy.

In the 1930s, the tunnels were remodelled to be used as air raid and anti-gas shelters. Ventilation, air-sealed doors, and a thick layer of sand were installed on the original dirt floor.

With Soviet occupation and the omnipresent threat of impending nuclear war the tunnels were repurposed for use in the event of an attack, with running water and electricity installed.

Equally sinister, yet less foreboding, is the Hotel Viru. Just outside the Old Town and the beautiful Viru Gate with its red-cone roofs, it was the only place Westerners could stay during Soviet times.

Officially the hotel had 22 floors but there was a hidden floor on level 23, reached via a door that looked like an entrance to a utility room which hid two radio rooms for monitoring 'spies'.