Venues

By Alinozka (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The City of Tartu

Tartu is the oldest city of the Baltic States (first mentioned in 1030) and Estonia’s premier University town, with students making up nearly one fifth of its 100,000 residents. Thanks to the large number of students, Tartu has a vibrant nightlife for a city of its size. Tartu lies on the shores of tranquil Emajõgi River and it has a number of parks, most notably the Toomemägi Park in the Old Town of Tartu. The park was established in 1805 and was given a free design that would be as close to natural form as possible. Tartu is a modern city with a rich historical heritage and culture. It has been a member of the Hanseatic League and an important trade center since the medieval times. Annually, in the summer, Tartu hosts the Hanseatic Days festival to celebrate its Hanseatic heritage. Tartu was the cradle of Estonia’s 19^th century national revival and it escaped sovietisation to a larger degree than Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia. Its handsome centre is lined with classically designed 18^th century buildings, many of which have been put to innovative uses. Tartu is a convenient gateway to exploring southern Estonia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartu
http://www.visittartu.com/

Conference venue in Tartu: Physicum

The new building of the Institute of Physics was opened in August 2014. It is located about 3 kilometers from the city centre, right next to the buildings of the Institute of Technology and the Institute of Chemistry. In the new premises of the physics building, four centers of excellence of Estonian science and 14 physics laboratories are operating. The building has two large conference rooms that accommodate up to 300 people. Lecture halls are equipped with the most modern multi-media solutions that enable interoperability.

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The Island of Vilsandi

The island of Vilsandi is the westernmost populated island in Estonia where only very few people live year around. Its beautiful nature and picturesque landscape provide perfect opportunity to escape from the city into the wilderness. The area of Vilsandi is only 9 square kilometres and it is not far from Saaremaa island with about 40,000 inhabitants.

Vilsandi is part of a national park, where a bird reserve was founded already in 1910. Many waterfowls and Baltic Grey Seals migrate and nest in the area. The lighthouse, sheep in the meadows, the rocky coast, hiking trails and junipers give a unique appearance to the island.

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Conference venue in Vilsandi: Vilsandi boathouse

The lecture hall is right next to the sea in the Vilsandi boathouse. Theboathouse is unique in Estonia and in all Baltic countries. The freshly renovated boathouse is part of the sea rescue station, from where rescue boats used to depart to provide help in case of emergency from the 19^th century onwards.