Next is Raekoja Plats the hub of city life for at least 700 years

Next is Raekoja Plats, the hub of city life for at least 700 years.Head up the hill to Toompea. Imposing towers surround you as you walk through the Danish King’s Garden making your way to Lossi Plats (Castle Square).Stand at the birthplace of Tallinn between the Estonian parliament and the onion-domed Alexander Nevski Cathedral erected in 1900. Compare the restored roofscape of the medieval foreground with the rising towers in the business area.TAKE A HIKEStart at the Viru Gates and head up Viru Street (the Oxford Street of Tallinn). Singles 1,300kr (£56), doubles 1,400kr (£60) including breakfast and internet access.TAKE A VIEWThe best picture-postcard views are from the Kohtuoska platform in Toompea. The Three Sisters, Pikk 71 (00 372 6306 300; ) is a new boutique hotel; a stylish conversion in three of the landmark buildings of the Old Town. SAS (0870 6072 7727; ) offers daily flights from Heathrow (£222) or Manchester (£330) via either Copenhagen or Stockholm. Singles from 2,112kr (£92), doubles from 2,316kr (£100) including breakfast.Uniquestay, just outside the city walls at Paldiski 1 (00 372 660 0700; ), is also new with flat-screen computers in every room.

Singles from 3,880kr (£166), doubles from 4,226kr (£181), including breakfast.The Radisson SAS, Ravala 3 (00 372 682 3000; ) is a gleaming, purpose-built tower outside the Old Town with panoramic views. The airport is bright, modern and unbelievably convenient – just 3km from the centre. Taxis cost around 70kr (£3); bus number 2 leaves the arrivals area every 20 minutes to the Viru Hotel in the centre for a fare of 15kr (£0.65).GET YOUR BEARINGS The Old Town is tiny; you can walk from end to end in about 10 minutes. The fortified inner city of Toompea rises above the outer layer of mercantile Tallinn. It is hard to get lost; landmarks to navigate by include the onion domes of the Alexander Nevski Cathedral, and the spires of the Niguliste (St Nicholas) and St Olaf’s churches.

The tourist office is opposite Niguliste church, on the corner of Niguliste and Kullassepa (00 372 645 7777; ). It opens 9am-5pm from Monday to Friday, 10am-3pm on Saturday, and is closed on Sundays.The Tallinn Card entitles you to free admission to all museums and main sights, free sightseeing tours, free public transport and discounts in restaurants and shops. The 48-hour card costs 275kr (£12); the rate goes up in April.The monthly Tallinn In Your Pocket ( ) listings guide at 35kr (£1.50) is a must, and my book 24 Hours In The City: Tallinn (£7.99 from Amazon.co.uk or ) gives an insider’s guide.CHECK IN New hotels are popping up by the week. With luck you will get a dusting of snow to complete the fairytale ambience. Crunching through fresh snow across the deserted Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square) in the twilight is quite magical.
BEAM DOWN Estonian Air (020-7333 0196; ) flies daily except Saturday from Gatwick to Tallinn, return fares start at £184. In summer it suffers the indignity of Disney-style parades of mock friars, buxom wenches and hobbity clutter.