The conference will take place in the city of Tartu. With its population of around 100,000 in an area of 38.8 square kilometers, it is the second largest city of Estonia. Situated 185 kilometers south of Tallinn (the capital city of Estonia) it is also the center of southern Estonia. The Emajõgi River, which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, flows the length of 10 kilometers within the city limits and adds personality to the city.
Tartu will be in the spotlight in 2024 as the European Capital of Culture. The year will be packed with events showcasing the historical and cultural heritage of the second largest city in Estonia and the rest of South Estonia.
October 3rd
University of Tartu Library (Wilhelm Struve 1, Tartu)
The 1st day of the Conference will take place at the University of Tartu Library conference center, which is located in the city center of Tartu.
The library was founded in 1802, its collection includes approximately 3.7 million volumes and is particularly rich in the field of semiotics. The library has memorial collections of Karl Ernst von Baer, Thomas Sebeok and many others.
October 4th - 5th
Estonian National Museum (Muuseumi tee 2, Tartu)
The second and third day of the conference will take place in Estonian National Museum, including the dinner on the evening of 4th of October.
The Estonian National Museum (Eesti Rahva Muuseum) founded 1909 in Tartu is a museum devoted to folklorist Jakob Hurt's heritage, to Estonian ethnography and folk art. The first items for the museum were originally collected in the latter part of the 19th century.
The museum tracks the history, life and traditions of the Estonian people, presents the culture and history of other Finno-Ugric peoples, and the minorities in Estonia. It has a comprehensive display of traditional Estonian national costumes from all regions. A collection of wood carved beer tankards illustrates the traditional peasant festivals and holidays. The exhibition includes a range of other handicrafts from handcrafted carpets to linen tablecloths.
In 2005 the Estonian Ministry of Culture and the Union of Estonian Architects announced together with the museum an international competition for the Estonian National Museum's new building. The project was won by an international collaboration of architects for the work Memory Field: Dan Dorell (Paris, France), Lina Ghotmeh (Paris, France), and Tsuyoshi Tane (Paris, France).
The grand opening took place in Autumn 2016. The new single story building houses the museum as well as supplying conference space and a cinema. The building design incorporates the history of the location including the manor, the World War II and the airbase.
By Bus
The bus journey from Tallinn to Tartu takes around 2.5 hours.
You can board the Tallinn-Tartu bus either from the Tallinn bus station or the Tallinn Lennart Meri airport.
Buses are relatively frequent: on average, they depart every 30 minutes.
The bus departure from Tallinn can either be Tallinn Bus Station (Bussijaam) or Tallinn Airport (Tallinna Lennujaam) and the destination is Tartu Bus Station (Tartu bussijaam) which is located in the city center.
Tickets can be purchased online and are available for mobile access. Tickets are also available from the driver, although be advised that the buses tend to be full, it's recommended to purchase the tickets in advance.
You can check the schedule and buy tickets here:
tpilet.ee
By Train
Another option is to travel by train from Tallinn to Tartu. The train departs from Baltic Station (Balti jaam) and is the closest station to Tallinn city center (by selecting Tallinn as the point of departure).
The train station closest to the airport is Ülemiste. The train journey takes about 2 hours. The train schedules are available only 10 days in advance, but they are fairly consistent.
You can view the schedule and purchase the tickets here:
elron.ee
From Tartu Train Station to Tartu City Center is less than 1 km and it's possible to reach the city center either by foot, taxi or a bus.
The Bus line operates between the Train Station (raudteejaam) and the City Center (kesklinn).
You can purchase a Tartu bus card or a ticket from their website here:
tartu.pilet.ee
There is also a possibility to pay with a contactless bank card using a validator on the bus.
More information here:
tartu.ee/en/inner-city-bus-transportation