Tours
In the afternoon of the second conference day (Wednesday, 24 October) there will be half day tours of Tallinn. When registering for the conference the participants can make their choice between 4 different tours to the most popular sightseeing destinations in Tallinn (all tours are free for participants).
In case of the autumn showers the walking part of the tours will be reduced to keep you all warm, healthy and happy.
City tour of Tallinn
Approx. 3 hours, starting from Swissotel Tallinn lobby
on 24 October 2012 at 15:00
Language: English or Russian
The tour by bus will take direction to Kadriorg Park and Palace at first. A stop will be made at the Song Festival Amphitheatre, the current venue of the 120 year old song festival tradition. Drive by residential area Lasnamäe and stop at the new art museum KUMU.
Next drive to Pirita where the Olympic Yachting Regatta of the Moscow Olympics in 1980 was hosted. The bus also passes the ruins of the St.Bridget’s Convent.
On the way to Toompea Hill the tour guide shows the city centre - Sea Boulevard, Viru Square, Estonia Opera Theatre, Liberty Square and gives a brief introduction of the country and its people, the history of Tallinn and the Old Town, Tallinn’s number one attraction.
On Toompea Hill the tour continues on foot. Here, Tallinn was founded in the 11th century.
See the Parliament building, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with its onion domes (1900). The 14th-15th century fortress wall with the towers Tall Hermann and Kiek in de Kök (Peep-into-the-Kitchen) are the reminders of the medieval citadel.
Dome Cathedral (13th-14th centuries, an interesting collection of coats-of-arms, tombstones). The route of the tour takes to two viewing platforms that offer a panoramic view of the Tallinn.
The Long Leg or Short Leg street takes you to the Lower Town. The tour passes St. Nicholas Church, the Great Guild and the Brotherhood of the Blackheads (medieval guild houses) and the Holy Ghost Church.
The last stop will be at the Town Hall Square, see the Town Hall Pharmacy that has been in business for 500 years and the Town Hall, a Gothic masterpiece of the 13th-14th centuries.
The tour ends in Swissotel.
City tour of Tallinn including a visit to the Estonian art museum KUMU
Approx. 4 hours, starting from Swissotel Tallinn lobby
on 24.10.2012 at 15:00
Language: English
Walking tour of Old Tallinn (approx. 1 hour). Tour starts on Toompea Hill where Tallinn was founded in the 11th century. See the Parliament building, Dome Cathedral (13th-14th century, an interesting collection of coats-of-arms and tombstones), Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with its onion domes (1900). The 14th-15th century fortress wall with Tall Hermann tower, Fat Margaret and Peep-into-the Kitchen (Kiek in de Kök) tower are the reminders of the medieval citadel. The route of the tour takes you to two viewing platforms that offer a panoramic view of Tallinn.
The streets Long Leg or Short Leg take us to the Lower Town. There, the tour passes Town Hall Square with the Town Hall Pharmacy that has been in business for 500 years and the Town Hall, a Gothic masterpiece of the 13th-14th centuries.
Bus transfer to KUMU passes Kadriorg (Catherine`s Valley) Park and Palace, laid out by the order of Peter the Great in the 18th century as well as the Song Festival Amphitheatre, the contemporary venue of the 120 year old song festival tradition.
The Kumu Art Museum was opened to the visitors in February 2006. The new museum site is located on four hectares in Tallinn, on the limestone bank of Lasnamägi next to Kadriorg Park. The office of the President of the Republic of Estonia and Kadriorg Palace, which is a part of the Art Museum, lie in the vicinity of the KUMU. The building has seven floors, including technical floors, and the total area is 23 900 m².
The KUMU (KUnstiMUuseum) Art Museum is a modern multifunctional art building, which contains exhibition halls, a lecture hall offering diverse facilities, and an educational centre for young visitors and for art lovers.
The tour ends in Swissotel.
Tallinn old town walking tour including a visit to the Passages under the Bastions - FULLY BOOKED!
Approx. 2 hours, starting from Swissotel Tallinn lobby
on 24.10.2012 at 15:00
Language: English
This guided tour gives a quick overview of the Medieval Tallinn. During the tour you will see the main attractions of the old town including the Town Hall and the Town Hall Square, the St. Nicholas Church and the tower Kiek in de Kök. The tower together with the passages of the Ingrian and Swedish bastions is an exciting part of Tallinn historical fortifications.
The exhibition of “Kiek in de Kök and Bastion Passages” takes the visitor to a time journey that begins in 1219 and offers experience, information and entertainment. With the help of innovative video and audio effects and the means of multimedia the birth and evolution of Tallinn, the history of town fortifications and the most significant military events are introduced to the visitor.
The time train in the bastion passages takes the tourist to 2219. The rest of the passage display concentrates on the history of the passages.
The tour ends in Swissotel.
City tour of Tallinn including a visit to the Seaplane Harbour
Approx. 4 hours, starting from Swissotel Tallinn lobby on 24.10.2012 at 15:00
Language: English
Walking tour of Old Tallinn (approx. 1 hour). Tour starts on Toompea Hill where Tallinn was founded in the 11th century. See the Parliament building, Dome Cathedral (13th-14th century, an interesting collection of coats-of-arms and tombstones), Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with its onion domes (1900). The 14th-15th century fortress wall with Tall Hermann tower, Fat Margaret and Peep-into-the Kitchen (Kiek in de Kök) tower are the reminders of the medieval citadel. The route of the tour takes you to two viewing platforms that offer a panoramic view of Tallinn.
The streets Long Leg or Short Leg take us to the Lower Town. There, the tour passes Town Hall Square with the Town Hall Pharmacy that has been in business for 500 years and the Town Hall, a Gothic masterpiece of the 13th-14th centuries.
After walking tour bus will drive you to the Seaplane Harbour.
The Seaplane Harbour (opening in spring 2012) is unique amongst maritime museums in Europe, with a display that comprises more than a couple of hundred large exhibits. The Seaplane Harbour is a treasure chest of marine history that hides incredible stories from above, below and on the water!
Among other things, you can see the life-sized seaplane, Short184, the legendary submarine Lembit, and the historical Suur Tõll (Toell the Great) icebreaker.
Fascinating facts about the new museum:
- The Seaplane Harbour’s exhibition area has a floor space of approximately 6,500 m² – the total area of more than 33 tennis courts or nearly two million A4 paper sheets laid side by side.
- The main exhibits at the Seaplane Harbour are displayed in the seaplane hangars, under hangar domes that have a thickness of between 8-15 cm.
- The oldest exhibit at the Seaplane Harbour is the Maasilinn shipwreck which originates from the mid-sixteenth century. The Vasa ship that is on show in Stockholm, Sweden is nearly a century younger.
- At the Seaplane Harbour, you can climb into a submarine and imagine yourself back in to the year 1936.
- The heaviest exhibit at the Seaplane Harbour is the Lembit submarine, which weighs approximately 600 tons. This is the equivalent of the weight of 375 medium-sized motor cars.
The tour ends in Swissotel.