Twelve escapes in eleven countries, with hotels starting at $130 a night—what's not to love? Alexander Lobrano finds bargains galore on beaches literally fit for a king

BELGIUM
De Haan

Just ten miles from the medieval city of Bruges, tiny, pretty De Haan is one of the best-kept secrets in Belgium. While a 1970s building boom turned many of the resorts along Belgium's brief coastline into a North Sea version of Spain's Costa Brava, De Haan not only dodged high-rise ruination but is still very much the polite, discreet, family-oriented retreat that so delighted King Leopold II, the monarch who took a personal interest in its development.

From the start, growth was strictly regulated to preserve De Haan's sand dunes and as much green space as possible. As stately homes were built for the prospering Belgian bourgeoisie, only one-sixth of the land in the central area now known as La Concession was allotted for construction. Today, the compact village center is the precinct of diminutive shops, hotels, and winding lanes leading to Belle Epoque villas tucked away in the surrounding forest. And De Haan still traffics in the outdoor activities that first enticed visitors: bicycling, horseback riding, golf (on the country's first course), and invigorating walks on the broad beach dotted with red-and-white-striped lifeguard stations.

Seize the day—or at least a good night's sleep—at the Carpe Diem, a white-brick villa with seven beautifully furnished Cape Cod–esque rooms (32-59-233-220; manoircarpediem.com; doubles, $220). Among the many notable restaurants are Bistro, at the Auberge Des Rois Beach Hotel, with views of the strand (1 Zeedijk; 32-59-233-018; entrées, $10–$21), and the cozy Cocagne, which serves a terrific all-lobster menu (9 Stationstraat; 32-59-23-93-28; entrées, $30–$40).

CROATIA
Opatija

While trendy types throng Hvar, Brac, and other islands along Croatia's glorious Adriatic coast, connoisseurs of ambered atmospheres are slowly breathing new life into the once regal resort of Opatija. Originally a fishing village called Kvarner, Opatija began its transformation into "Baden-Baden by the Sea" when Iginio Ritter Von Scarpa, a grandee from nearby Rijeka, built the Biedermeier-style Villa Angiolina in 1844. Guests spread word of the magnificent setting, one of the sunniest in Europe. A direct rail link with Vienna in 1873—and the construction of the elegant Kvarner Hotel in 1884 (385-51-271-233; liburnia.hr; doubles, $148)—established Opatija as the preferred villégiature of the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy. World War I ended Opatija's golden age, and even though it remained popular during the twenties, it never recovered the clientele of its Hapsburg heyday.

Nowadays, however, the imposing old villas surrounded by landscaped gardens have become de rigueur among hip young Mitteleuropans. And the recent opening of the Design Hotel Astoria—a stylishly renovated Belle Epoque beauty formerly known as the Villa Louise (385-51-706-350; hotel-astoria.hr; doubles, $140–$160)—is proof positive that Opatija is back on the radar of cultivated sun seekers. Several excellent new restaurants have sprung up, including the sleek Le Mandrac, which serves delicious dishes like gnocchi with scallops, smoked bacon, and leek foam (10 Obala F. Supila; 385-51-701-357; entrées, $12–$34), and favorites like Amfora, with its cuttlefish risotto, are better than ever (4 Crnikovica; 385-51-701-222; entrées, $10–$22).