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OULU with its renowned technical college is now a leading light in Finland's burgeoning computing and microchip industries. During the last century it was the centre of the world's tar industry and the city's affluence and vibrant cultural scene date from that time, though the old buildings clustered around the river bank are now somewhat overshadowed by the faceless office blocks of the past twenty years. In the centre of town on Kirkkokatu, the City Hall retains some of the grandeur of the late nineteenth century, when it was built as a luxury hotel, and you can peek in at the wall paintings and enclosed gardens. Further along Kirkkokatu, the copper-domed and stuccoed Tuomiokirkko (daily: summer 10am-7pm; rest of year noon-1pm), seems anachronistic amid the bulky blocks of modern Oulu. Inside the vestry, open on request, is a portrait of Johannes Messinius, the Swedish historian, supposedly painted by Cornelius Arenditz in 1611 and believed to be the oldest surviving oil portrait in Finland. Across the small canal just north of the cathedral, the North Ostrobothnia Museum (Mon, Tues & Thurs 10am-6pm, Wed 10am-8pm, Sat & Sun 11am-5pm; ?17), packed with tar-stained remnants from Oulu's past, is a large regional collection with a good Sami section. The connected train and bus station are linked to the city centre by several parallel streets feeding to the kauppatori and kauppahalli ( markets ) by the water beyond. The tourist office is at Torikatu 10 (July Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm; rest of year Mon-Fri 9am-4pm; tel 08/5584 1330, www.ouka.fi ). Bikes can be rented from Jussin Pyorapiste, Albertinkatu 11 (tel 08/3114983). Low-cost accommodation in the centre is available at the Hotel Turisti , opposite the train station at Rautatienkatu 9 (tel 08/375233; GBP20-25/$32-40/?36-45), which provides hostel-type accommodation during summer, when it takes the overspill from the official hostel at Kajaanintie 36 (tel 08/880 3311; GBP10-15/$16-24/?18-27; June-Aug), a fifteen-minute walk from the train station. There's a campsite (tel 08/5586 1351) with cabins on Hietasaari Island, 4km from town; take bus #5 from outside the tourist office. Oulu boasts some charming cafes including Sokeri Jussi in an old salt warehouse on Pikisaanie just over the bridge from the mainland, while Katri Antell on Rotuaari (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, Sat 9am-2.30pm) is justly famed for its luscious, but expensive, cakes. Cheapest meals are at the numerous pizzerias - Fantasia serves the best and also has a selection of Finnish dishes - while Oskarin Kellari just opposite the train station serves a stuff-your-face lunch buffet for about ?7.50. For extravagant waterside dining, try Neptunus which serves fish and meat in a boat moored by the market square. For nightlife try the eclectic Foxia , Pakkohuoneenkatu 19, a nightclub with varying musical fare depending which evening you go.
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