Dublin

Dubliners are fiercely proud of their city, and it's hardly surprising. In the last 20 years, the Irish capital has changed beyond recognition, with city breaks to Dublin now hugely popular among European travellers.

Dublin's atmosphere is vital, effervescent and irresistible, with a swag of trendy shops, restaurants, clubs and, of course, pubs. Having celebrated its 1000th birthday in 1988, however, short breaks to Dublin offer a thick slice of history beneath a modern cosmopolitan icing.

Laid out around the curve of Dublin Bay and divided by the River Liffey, Dublin has two distinct hemispheres. Each with their own charms, it's worthwhile finding time to explore both on city breaks to Dublin.

The northside is grittier, more working-class, and worthy of exploration for its old Moore Street Market, the General Post Office (scene of major uprisings in 1916) and the city's most significant Catholic church, St Mary's Pro-Cathedral. It's also, especially as you head further north, the best place to soak up a sense of pre-boom Dublin.

The southside is more affluent, and holds a greater concentration of sights. To get your bearings, take a tour of the Guinness Storehouse then ascend its 60m-high "pint glass" for great views of Dublin from the "head". Grand, tranquil Trinity College (founded in 1591) and its 9th-century Book of Kells are major attractions, as is the 2000-strong collection of European works in the excellent National Gallery.

When it's time for a pint - almost unavoidable on short breaks to Dublin - sample the drinking dens in the maze of Temple Bar, before getting swept away in its irrepressible nightlife.

Perhaps surprisingly, short breaks to Dublin can also include a large dose of the outdoors. Should you need some rural therapy after all that Guinness, make for vast Phoenix Park or any of the scenic spots in County Dublin, a quick journey from the capital.