From 13 April Finnair (www. finnair. com) will relaunch their direct route from Dublin to Helsinki.

So what's to see then?

Much more than people used to realise when they simply used the Finnish capital as a stop-over en route to Stockholm or St Petersburg. This is a beautiful city in its own right and famous for its architecture (Alvar Aalto is responsible for a great deal of the cityscape) and for its music. Composer Jean Sibelius is probably its most famous son and the modern-day opera house is one of its finest landmarks.

Mannerheimintie is the city's main boulevard and it's here that you'll find Parliament House, the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art and a host of other cultural museums including the City Art Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Museum of Cultures and the Amos Anderson Art Museum. In the Toolo district there are more museums and close to here is Sibelius Park with its memorial to the composer, made up of some 600 steel pipes with all the appearance of an organ.

Helsinki cathedral, St Nicholas's Church, is worth a look as is Uspenski cathedral, the largest Orthodox cathedral in western Europe.

And accommodation?

Top of the pile is Hotel Kamp, a luxurious five-star that dates from the late 19th century. Check out www. hotelkamp. fi A more moderate choice would be the lovely Hotel Rivoli Jardin (www. rivoli. fi) situated in a quiet courtyard in the centre of the city.