14th FEPTO Conference
Tallinn, Estonia, 17th – 19th of May 2019
Mindful Action for Development –
Learning of Individuals and Groups
TALLINN, CITY HOST OF THE ANNUAL MEETING
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It is on the northern coast of the country, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. From the 13th century until 1918 in languages other than Estonian, the city was known as Reval. Tallinn occupies an area of 159.2 km2 and has a population of 453,328.
Tallinn, first mentioned in 1219, received city rights in 1248, but the earliest human settlements date back 5,000 years. The initial claim over the land was laid by the Danes in 1219, followed by a period of alternating Scandinavian and German rule. Due to its strategic location, the city became a major trade hub, especially from the 14th to the 16th century, when it grew in importance as part of the Hanseatic League.
Tallinn is the major political, financial, cultural and educational center of Estonia. Often dubbed the Silicon Valley of Europe, it has the highest number of startups per person in Europe and is a birthplace of many international companies, including Skype. The city is to house the headquarters of the European Union IT agency. Providing to the global cybersecurity it is the home to the NATO Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence. European Capital of Culture for 2011, along with Turku in 
Finland.
Tallinn in Estonia and Helsinki in Finland are considered to be sister towns and cooperate intensively especially after 1992 when Estonia got back the independence as a free Republic.
Old Town: Tallinn’s main attractions are located in the Old Town of Tallinn (divided into a “lower town” and Toompea hill), and it is easily explored on foot. Tallinn’s Old Town is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Town Hall Square has been used as a market place, and it is the center of Old Tallinn.
THE VENUE
Tallinn Teachers’ House (Õpetajate Maja)
Town Hall Square (address Raekoja plats 14, Tallinn).
FEPTO Conference and AM 2019 are located in the Tallinn Teachers’ House, which is in the centre of Old Town. The Teachers’ House is an events and training centre in Tallinn Old Town, situated just in the Town Hall Square.
Its historical milieu and the neoclassical rooms create an inspiring atmosphere and festive feeling for every event. You can have a look by an open virtual tour on the webpage http://opetajatemaja.ee/en/.
Optional Guided tour in the Old Town on Sunday May 19th 2019
The LOC will organise a guided tour in the medieval Old Town after the conference on Sunday May 19th, 2019, at 3-4.30 pm. After the conference there is some time for lunch before the tour. The tour ends before FEPTO AM, which starts at 5 pm. There is a small fee (10 EUR) for participation. Please, reserve your place in registration. You will pay the fee in the tour.
ARRIVING TO TALLINN
There are good flight connections to Tallinn, Estonia, from major cities in Europe. Other public transportation options are available, too, like bus and ferry. And your own car might be an option, too.
1. Airport:
The Lennart Meri Airport is about 4 kilometers from Town Hall Square. (Raekoja plats). Public transportation in good:
- Tram no. 4, stop Viru
- Bus no. 2, stop Viru
- Taxi – all taxis are legal at the airport, 10 EUR to the city centre
2. By bus:
There are good quality coach connections from all the Baltic capitals, and even from Russia, Poland and Germany.
3. By ferry
Ferry connections from Helsinki, Finland (2,5 hours), and some ferries from Stockholm, Sweden (12-15 hours), The harbour is quite close to the Old Town, the distance is about 1,5 km. The route takes you through the modern part of town to the medieval Old Town.
- Taxi – companies Tallink (1921) and Tulika (1200) are the most secure, check the fees on the cars! The fee should be less than 10 EUR to the city centre.
- Bus – no. 20A, goes not very often, stop Viru.
- By foot 15-20 minutes
4. By Car:
The Via Baltica highway (part of European route 67 from Helsinki to Prague) connects Tallinn to the Lithuanian/Polish border through Latvia. There are potentially parking services in our place of accommodation.
ACCOMMODATION
Registration fee doesn’t include accommodation, which is to be organised by participants themselves. Please, reserve and pay yourself your accommodation!
In the centre of Tallinn, there are many options for accommodation: hotels, hostels and Airbnb-flats. The address of the venue “Teachers’ House” is Raekoja plats 14, Tallinn, and it is situated in the middle of Old Town.
We have an offer from the hotel “Meriton Old Town Garden Hotel” ****, Lai 24 / Pikk 29, Tallinn https://www.meritonhotels.com/en/. It is one of hotels very close to the venue. Here below there are other, even more affordable options. These rooms in Meriton Hotel are available until March 31st, 2019:
- 3 x Economy Single – 76€/night
- 5 x Standard Single – 86€/night
- 12 x Standard Twin – 92€/night
All rooms have ensuite, and breakfast is included in prices.
If you would like to stay in Meriton Old Town Hotel, Mrs. Eha Täht-Kriisa will help you with reservations. The email for reservations is accommodation2019@fepto.com
You will receive an invoice with the confirmation of reservation in this hotel.
Please, make your reservation as soon as possible, because “first come, first served”. There is only a limited number of rooms. The hotel cannot guarantee that there are available that type of accommodation you would like to have.
There are many other options for accommodation, and some are even cheaper than the hotel we have the offer:
- Other hotels: there is a large variety of hotels in Tallinn, with different levels (stars) and prices. You can find these in www.booking.com and other booking services in web.
- Hostels: there are good quality hostels in the centre, too. Have a look on these in https://www.hostelworld.com/findabed.php/ChosenCity.Tallinn/ChosenCountry.Estonia
- Private apartments: there is a wide and quite affordable choice of Airbnb-flats in the centre. Have a look: https://www.airbnb.com
VISA
Estonia is a part of Schengen area, so please, check by our local authorities for the potential need of visa for entering Estonia. For residents in Schengen area, please, take with your passport, or any other personal identification approved in all Schengen states.
More > Visa for Estonia
CONTACT
For all questions about the arrangement or accommodation, please contact the Local Organizing Committee (LOC):
LOC coordinator: Reijo Kauppila
Tel: +358 44 599 3377
Secretary of the conference: Katrin Laansalu
Email: conference2019@fepto.com
