Dublin, Ireland

WHY GO NOW?

The autumn lends a magical light to this city of bold buildings and new-found chic. In addition, the Dublin Theatre Festival starts on 29 September and runs for a fortnight (www.dublintheatrefestival.com for details). This year's programme includes Ibsen's Hedda Gabler at the Abbey Theatre (1) and Tom Murphy's new Alice Trilogy at the Abbey's downstairs arena, the Peacock.

BEAM DOWN

You can fly to the Irish capital from a range of UK airports from Aberdeen to Bournemouth. The leading airline is Ryanair (0871 246 0000; www.ryanair.com), with Aer Lingus (08450 844 444; www.aerlingus.com), British Airways (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com), FlyBe (08717 000 535; www.flybe.com ) and BMI (08706 070 555; www.flybmi.co.uk) also offering options.

Dublin airport is 12km north of the city centre. A 24-hour shuttle service is provided by Aircoach, every 10 minutes at peak times, taking around half an hour. It costs €7 (£5) one-way to Grafton Street/Trinity College (2) and beyond. Expect to pay about €16 (£11.40) for a taxi.

GET YOUR BEARINGS

The city developed around the wide sweep of Dublin Bay. Its centre, dating back at least to Viking days, lies some kilometres inland, sliced through by the River Liffey. Traditionally the north side has been regarded as working class, the south affluent and more genteel.

Many of Dublin's major attractions lie to the south: the city's glorious Georgian squares; the vibrant, if raucous, Temple Bar area, filled with cafés; and sublime Trinity College (3), founded in 1591 by Queen Elizabeth I.

The main tourist office (4) also lies on the south bank, housed in the decommissioned, neo-gothic Church of St Andrew in Suffolk Street, (00 353 1 605 7700; www.visitdublin.com). Pick up a free map here: the office opens 9am-5.30pm Monday-Saturday (until 7pm in September); Sunday 10.30am-3pm.

CHECK IN

Among the most elegant hotel options in Dublin is the boutique Brownes Hotel (5), 22 St Stephen's Green (00 353 1 638 3939; www.brownesdublin.com), a sumptuous Georgian house, its 11 bedrooms newly refurbished. Doubles start at €185 (£125), breakfast included.

A good mid-price option is Trinity Capital Hotel (6), Pearse Street (08000 969 289; www.capital-hotels.com), a bright, stylish outfit just down the road from Trinity College (3). Doubles cost from €125 (£85) including breakfast.

Ariel House (7), 50-54 Lansdowne Road, Ballsbridge (00 353 1 668 5512; www.ariel-house.net) is a quiet gem, set in the south-east of the city within walking distance of Merrion Square. The elegant 19th-century house has 37 bedrooms furnished with antiques and swathes of curtains. Doubles cost from €99 (£70) including breakfast.

TAKE A HIKE

For a walk in Georgian Dublin and past some of the city's most important landmarks, start at the main tourist office (4), go down Church Lane and turn right into College Green. On your left is the Bank of Ireland (8) , in a grand 18th-century building that was once Parliament House - you can look into the House of Lords Chamber during working hours (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, free). Ahead is Trinity College (3) alma mater of Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde and more, where the Old Library with its magical Book of Kells is open to the public (Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm; Sun noon-4.30pm; adults €8/£5.70).

Follow the road right into Grafton Street, and when you reach a pedestrianised section bear left into Nassau Street along the back of Trinity College. Continue past Easons' domed bookshop (9) and take a right fork into Clare Street. Turn right into Merrion Square West, and on the corner is the National Gallery of Ireland (10) whose highlights include Vermeer's Lady Writing a Letter and Caravaggio's The Taking of Christ (open 9.30am-5.30pm daily, except Sundays, from noon; late opening to 8.30pm on Thursdays; admission free).

Continue along Merrion Square West to Upper Merrion Street, and you are in the heart of Georgian Dublin, its brick and stone buildings sporting wonderful, pedimented front doors. The street runs past the imposing government buildings serving the Taoiseach (11), or prime minister, and the Natural History Museum (12) (10am-5pm daily except Mondays; Sundays from 2pm; admission free).

Turn right into Merrion Row and continue past St Stephen's Green (13) until you get to the top of the pedestrian area of Grafton Street, turn right and follow the street back to Trinity College (3) at the bottom.

LUNCH ON THE RUN

Kilkenny (14) at 6 Nassau Street is a sleek emporium showcasing Irish products, from Waterford crystal to Nicholas Mosse pottery. The first-floor café offers piquant tastes of Ireland: lunch includes the likes of fennel and lemon soup (€4.50/£3.20) and toasted club sandwiches (€9/£6.40).

CULTURAL AFTERNOON

On Kildare Street next to the Dail, or parliament, building, the National Museum of Archaeology and History (15) (10am-5pm daily except Mondays; Sundays from 2pm; admission free) is set in a lovely Victorian Palladian building, and will absorb as much time as you allow. Here you'll discover an astonishing wealth of finds pulled out of Irish bogs: amazingly preserved human bodies (or parts thereof), about 2,000 years old and thought to be victims of ritual sacrifice; a treasure trove of beautifully worked objects of gold from lock rings to collars dating from as early as 1200BC, found in hoards in the bogs; and Bronze Age horns and bugles. There are sections on the Viking Age and on medieval Ireland.

TAKE A RIDE

Dublin's two-line tram system, the Luas, offers state-of-the-art high-speed services. There's a "green" line running from St Stephen's Green south to Sandyford (and back) and a "red" line connecting east and west from Tallaght to Connolly. Return tickets cost from €2.60/£1.86 (www.luas.ie).

WRITE A POSTCARD

Buy a card, and for sheer atmosphere write it at the General Post Office (16) on O'Connell Street (open Mon-Sat 8am-8pm). This is one of Ireland's most famous and

historic buildings: it became the rebel headquarters in the 1916 Easter Rising and was all but destroyed at the time - you can still see bullet marks on the outside. It was restored and reopened in 1929, and inside there are art-deco-style desks that you can stand and write at.

WINDOW SHOPPING

The principal shopping areas of Dublin are to be found in and around O'Connell Street and Grafton Street; the latter is best for more upscale retail therapy, with Brown Thomas (17), at 88-95, the city's swankiest store. Nassau Street around the corner specialises in Irish woollens, glasses and other goods. Across the Liffey, the O'Connell Street area has a greater number of cut-price stores, and there's a large street market (18) on Henry Street.

AN APERITIF

Doheny & Nesbit (19) was established in 1867 at 4-5 Lower Baggot Street. Complete with Victorian snugs and mirrors, it creaks with carved timber and wooden floors while its ceilings are covered with ornate papier mâché. It tends to fill up with locals after 7pm, which could be a good thing.

DINING WITH THE LOCALS

At Bleu Bistro Moderne (20) on Dawson Street (00 353 1 676 7015) the chic crowd complements the sleek furnishings. The contemporary cuisine includes starters such as crêpes and garden pea risotto with Parmesan froth €9.50 (£6.80), and mains of pan-fried turbot with mussel and dill veloute €26.95 (£19.30).

SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH

The renowned Palestrina choir sings Sunday mass in Latin at 11am at Saint Mary's (21) on Marlborough Street. The magnificent Greek Revival-style building dates from 1825. It is somewhat tucked away out of view: this is the largest Catholic church in Dublin, and when it was constructed there were fears that it would become the focus of anti-English feeling. The church serves as the city's Catholic cathedral.

OUT TO BRUNCH

On a Sunday morning, the Temple Bar area is pleasantly laid back and less noisy than usual. Make for Bruno's (22) at 30 East Essex Street (00 353 1 670 6767; www.brunosdublin.com) for an early lunch. This attractive French bistro serves the likes of spinach salad with figs, walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes (€8.95/£6.40); and bowls of Galway mussels with fries and garlic mayonnaise (€17.50/£12.50).

THE ICING ON THE CAKE

Nowhere rivals Dublin for literary appeal. The city has, after all, nurtured James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw and Samuel Beckett, among many others. The Dublin Writers' Museum (23) at 18 Parnell Square (10am-5pm daily, Sundays from 11am; €6.70/£4.80) celebrates their lives and achievements with absorbing exhibits of letters, portraits and personal items.

You can also join a Dublin Literary Pub Crawl (00 353 1 670 5602; www.dublinpubcrawl.com; adults €12/£8.60), which is in effect a convivial, moving show with actors reading from the works of such luminaries as Wilde and Brendan Behan. Until the end of November the tours take place nightly, starting at 7.30pm at The Duke Pub (24), 9 Duke Street.