10am: Sweet start

Sunlight is in short supply during winter, so ease into the day slowly. Tallinn has countless cafes, but many don’t open until late morning, anyway. Bonaparte (Pikk 45) is an exception, however, and, even better, the coffee here is excellent and pastries, such as cloudberry cream cheese tarts, are baked daily on the premises. Or warm up with a brisk walk up the steep path to Kohvik Matilda (Luhilke Jakg 4), where the room is spacious and the service friendly. The cakes are all delicious and there’s even pavlova if you’re homesick. On the other side of the Old Town, the elegant Maiasmokk (Pikk 16) is Tallinn’s oldest cafe, which also boasts a Marzipan Museum – who knew? – complete with hundreds of exhibits and an in-house marzipan painter.

12pm: The green room

Sit down for lunch among the indoor pot plants and creepers at Von Krahli Aed (Rataskaevu 8) for a lighter, more contemporary take on Estonian regional cooking. Take a punt on a dish such as herring tartare with chives, chat potatoes and black bread ice cream.

2pm: Meat and greet

For a snapshot of daily life, head beyond the Old Town’s walls. Keskturg, Tallinn’s central market (catch Tram 2), is packed with meat, cheese and smallgoods stalls. And what’s not to love about a basement filled wall-to-wall with pork products…

3pm: See the sights

Walk off all those smallgoods and enjoy the fading light while you explore the historic Kadriorg district, where you’ll find Kadriorg Park and its baroque Presidential palace, art museums and more. Just up the road, Nop (Koleri 1) is an eco-friendly cafe with a good vegetarian offering, as well as coffee and snacks.

4pm: Wine and shine

By now, the lights will be sparkling in Tallinn’s famous Christmas Markets (Raekoja Plats), so head back to the centre of the Old Town for a cup of mulled wine.

6pm: Underground lovers

Established in 1937, the Gloria Wine Cellar (Muurivahe 2) is carved out beneath the city wall. Walk through the bottle shop into a series of candlelit rooms, where you can order wine by the glass and shared plates of cheeses, and cured fish and meats.

7pm: Tsar attraction

For a night with plenty of Russian bling, book into Restaurant Tchaikovsky in the Hotel Telegraaf (Vene 9), where the blinis come with a choice of three caviars (the Osetra option will set you back a mere €150) and mains include beef Rossini.

9pm: The dark side

One of the most interesting pubs in town to sample a range of micro-brews and local classics is Porgu (Ruutli 4), an underground pub whose name means ‘hell‘. We’re not sure, but that might have something to do with the after-effects of a glass or two…

For more travel inspiration and international news be sure to check out here.