When you think of a city you usually imagine a bustling centre lined with tall buildings, shops, restaurants and bars as well as traffic chaos and pedestrians jostling for space.

St Davids in Pembrokeshire has the honour of being Britain’s smallest city and it’s the complete opposite of urban hubs like Liverpool, Birmingham and near neighbours Swansea and Cardiff.

On the western tip of Wales and therefore right on the coast, St Davids is unlike any other city you’ll have visited. In just 10 minutes (and that’s at a rather slow pace) you’ll have walked from one end of the city centre to the other – and a further short walk and you’ll be on the beach.

Living just a couple of hours away in Porthcawl, I’ve visited St Davids many times over the years – from a girls’ weekend getaway to a family trip seal-spotting. Recently I returned for a two-night break with my partner and it was just as lovely as I remembered.

With a population of under 2000, it’s more like a market town than a city. A cenotaph proudly stands in the middle and it has quaint buildings housing a selection of coffee shops, gift stores and clothing outlets as well as a local butchers, a deli and traditional pubs.

Strolling through the centre on a Tuesday morning – it was October half term and busy but not overly-so – and after stop-offs at Mountain Warehouse, a Welsh gift shop and Chapel Chocolates (of course), we were soon at the bottom of the city where you will find the famous – and very impressive – cathedral.

Since the 6th century there’s been a church on this site and for the last 1,500 years it’s been open daily for prayers and worship as well as regular concerts and organised tours. As we approached there were many groups of tourists walking through the grounds and taking selfies.

You can spend many hours exploring the cathedral’s nooks and crannies including a library and beautiful coffee shop, which is where we stopped off for a mid-morning latte, sinking into one of the squishy sofas infront of one of the massive arched windows.

After a little break, we strolled for another 20 minutes in the other direction and we were on the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast – it’s not often you can walk straight out of a city centre to the sea.

Here we discovered St Non’s Chapel and Well, which is the birthplace of St David, the patron saint of Wales whom the city is named after.

The small chapel overlooks the rocky bay and we stood there for a while taking in the breathtaking views. Nearby a group was braving the cold waters with a spot of coasteering. St Davids is renowned for many water activities and there are shops in the town where you can book activities like coasteering and boat trips.

As far as eating out is concerned, there might not be the choice you get in a large city but you are still spoilt nonetheless with a handmade pizza and craft beer restaurant (Grain), tapas (Santos), bar meals, fish and chip shops, ice cream parlours and fine dining restaurant Blas among them.

We were in St Davids for just 36 hours but we had a great time enjoying city life at a slower pace. We are already looking forward to the next time.

We checked into Twr y Felin, a former windmill on the edge of St Davids which is now Wales’ first contemporary art hotel.

The hotel has 41 luxury bedrooms, including dog-friendly rooms and a suite with 360-degree views, and over 250 pieces of art paying tribute to the Welsh landscape.

From the moment you walk through the sleek bar area complete with baby grand piano, you are memserised by the artwork, including portraits of locals.

Our room itself was probably one of the best I’ve stayed in. As well as being luxurious with more gorgeous art on the walls and the comfiest of super kingsize beds and the perfect bathroom with huge bath and walk-in shower. There was also a private terrace with seating area so you enjoy views to the coast.

As well as serving a hearty breakfast, the AA three rosette Blas restaurant is renowned for its fine dining and we enjoyed a delicious dinner – crab and beetroot starters an pork and slow-cooked ox check mains – featuring beautifully-presented local seasonal produce.

A new addition to the hotel is a private spa area where two people can enjoy a pamper in the sauna, steam room and jacuzzi (from £50pp for an hour).

With super-friendly staff and gorgeous facilities, we had a wonderful stay – and being just a few minutes’ walk to the city centre, Twr y Felin is perfectly located too.

B&B from £180 per night. www.rarebits.co.uk or call 01570 470785.