It is usually open from 10am-8pm on weekdays, from 10am-6pm on Saturdays and from 3pm to 5.45pm on Sunday afternoons These days it serves as a concert venue as well as a church. If you’re here to worship, time your visit for a Sunday at 2pm, when there’s a service in English. OUT TO BRUNCH There’s plenty of time to work up an appetite for the traditional Lappish dishes on offer inside the all-wooden walls of Lappi , 22 Annankatu (00 358 9645 550), because the restaurant doesn’t open until 1pm on Sundays. It’s worth the wait though; a typical menu might include a selection of roe, with sour cream and onions, followed by reindeer sirloin with creamed juniper berry spiced potatoes and, for pudding, Lappish farm cheese with cloudberry jam, all for €45 (£31).

WRITE A POSTCARD Check out the bar at the top of the Hotel Torni, or “tower”, , 26 Yrjonkatu (00 358 943 360, ). The fact that this 14-storey building is still the tallest in the city centre shows just how controversial it was when it was first built in 1931. But it’s now one of the city’s best-loved buildings because of the view. THE ICING ON THE CAKE When you’re footsore from seeing the sights and your head hurts from overdoing the local beer, there’s no better way to get your body back in shape than going for a dip and a sauna in the opulent surroundings of the Yrjonkatu Swimming Hall , 21b Yrjonkatu (00 358 9310 87401) Entrance costs €4.50/£3..

WHAT IS IT, AND WHERE IS IT?

WHAT IS IT, AND WHERE IS IT?
The Schwarzwald (Black Forest) comprises a swathe of deep-green woodland draped across the granite and sandstone mountains of Baden-W?emberg in south-west Germany. The Black Forest stretches north from Basel in Switzerland for about 160km to Pforzheim, with its western edge defined by the Rhine, and extends east for about 40km.The forested slopes and shady valleys once gave rise to legends about mysterious beasts, wicked witches and enigmatic lake nymphs, and provided the setting for many of Grimm’s fairy tales. Today, the woods and hills are celebrated for their unspoilt beauty and numerous opportunities for outdoor activities.The Mannheim-Basel railway, which runs parallel with the Rhine and dates back to 1847, opened up the area. Twenty-six years later, some miraculous engineering created the dramatic Schwarzwaldbahn from Offenburg, cutting right across the Black Forest to Villingen, near the source of the Danube; the track almost doubles back on itself to climb 448m in 27km. Ever since, travellers have come in search of romantic scenery and dramatic views. WHEN SHOULD I GO? The Black Forest is a year-round destination – it is in the area of the country that gets most sunshine, and gets thoroughly doused in snow most winters.