Tallinn - European Green Capital 2023 - Estonian Convention Bureau

There are only some Europe cities as beautiful and easy to explore as Tallinn. Sitting on Estonia’s northern coast, the capital, Tallinn, is pulsing with energy and packed with charm.

The city of 450,000 is famed for its impressive Old Town, one of the best-preserved medieval town centres in Europe. This centuries-old district of merchant houses, Gothic churches, winding lanes and other historical attractions is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Away from Old Town’s cobblestone streets, the city has a modern feel, with off-beat architecture and redesigned factory zones providing space for the buzzing dining and nightlife scene. Dozens of sights and museums dotted around Tallinn showcase the local heritage for visitors, who are also welcomed with a full array of festivals and events taking place all year round. With such an outstanding range of experiences on offer, it’s no wonder that Tallinn has seen its popularity as a conference destination grow year after year.

Colourful neighbourhoods

Old Town will always be Tallinn’s biggest tourist draw, but several diverse areas – some emerging just in the last decade – have earned spots on the city’s not-to-be-missed list and make a visit all the richer. Notably, the newly reclaimed industrial areas of Rotermanni, Telliskivi and the Noblessner port are now trending as cultural hotspots where startups, design galleries, restaurants and pubs occupy spaces that were until recently derelict warehouses. Some are home to farmers’ markets and flea markets by day, while at night they’re magnets for young locals enjoying a night out. Visitors looking for a more relaxing experience can explore the wooden-house neighbourhood of Kalamaja, take a stroll through leafy Kadriorg Park to get a taste of Russian imperial architecture or enjoy the sea views from the newly-built Reidi Tee promenade.

Tallinn is easy to explore

One major advantage Tallinn holds is its compact layout, which means that most sights, attractions, hotels and restaurants are within easy walking distance of one another. The city center can be easily explored on foot and walked through. Visitors who stay in the city center during their stay in Tallinn are practically not dependent on public transport or taxis.

Even getting into the centre from the Tallinn airport is quick – it’s just a 15-minute tram ride away and public transportation is free for international delegates, with prior arrangement. If walking and public transportation aren’t an option, one can always travel by Bolt taxi or E-scooter, Estonia’s home-grown alternative to Uber.

Free public transport for international conferences and events in Tallinn

Tallinn offers the opportunity to apply for free public transport for delegates of international events (conferences, cultural and sports events). Public transportation in Tallinn includes buses, trams and trolleybuses. For this, a new free public transport ticket has been developed – the conference QR ticket, of which there will be 2 versions for each successfully applied event: a printable QR code and a virtual code to be displayed on a smart device. The QR pass can be sent to the delegate via e-mail ahead of the event, so they would be able to use the ticket immediately after arriving in Tallinn. The QR code can also be printed on event badges.

The QR code will be issued to the event organiser after approval from the city government and after fulfilling points 4 and 5 below. The QR code must be validated every time when entering public transportation, at the validator machine by the front door of the vehicle.

If you are interested in applying for free transportation for your conference delegates, please contact convention@tallinnlv.ee

Quality accommodation

There are over 7,600 hotel rooms in Tallinn. The bulk of the city’s accommodation is made up of a mix of large, world-class business hotels clustered just outside Old Town and charming boutique hotels built in the 14th and 15th-century merchant houses of Old Town itself. In both cases, the facilities are typically fresh and state-of-the-art as the city is still a relatively young destination. Many of the hotels come with spa facilities included in the room price, which can be a special treat for business travellers.

See more: Best Conference Hotels with On-site Spa Facilities in Estonia

Amazing event venues in Tallinn

Tallinn offers a wide selection of impressive venues for your meeting, conference or convention. The city’s largest conference facilities are the Alexela Concert Hall and the Tallinn Creative Hub, both located in the city centre close to most hotels. For those organising smaller conferences, we recommend one of the city’s many superb conference hotels.

In addition to excellent, traditional-style options, the list includes some uniquely memorable choices: Seaplane Harbour – early 20th-century seaplane hangars, a former submarine factory Nobel Foundry, Fotografiska – satellite gallery of Stockholm’s world-famous photo museum, the Tallinn TV tower, an opera house, various museums, concert and sports halls and more.

See more: Tallinn Meeting Venues, Palaces and Submarines: Tallinn’s Museums as Event Locations

Top-notch Universities and Research Institutions

The Estonian capital is home to several well-respected universities and research facilities that organise a number of international scientific/academic conferences each year. The bigger names include the Tallinn University – leading university of humanities, social sciences, and human-centred technology in Tallinn and the Tallinn University of Technology– the flagship of Estonian engineering and technology education.

Great options for group activities and incentives

Why not provide the delegates with something extra and combine the event with a little exploration of the city. Those looking for ways to spice up their event and give their delegates some amazing local experiences are spoiled for choice in Tallinn. There are many ways to experience the city, everything from Tallinn Old Town walking tours and street art tours in the hipster area Telliskivi to going for a healthy morning run, Tallinn Bike Tour, hiking through a peat bog in the nearby national park, meeting local fashion designers, making handicrafts, visiting a local craft brewery or a gin distillery, going on kayak tour or rally driving near Tallinn. And the list goes on….

For more ideas and inspiration please take a look at our Group Activities section and the Visit Tallinn incentive ideas section.

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Easy Shopping

Finding souvenirs, fashion or even just a replacement phone charger is never a problem in Tallinn as the downtown area is filled with shopping centres and department stores. These are typically open 9 AM to 9 PM, even on Sundays. Viru Keskus is the largest shopping centre in the city centre. One of city’s largest shopping malls, Ülemiste, is conveniently located right next to the airport.

Convention Bureau’s Assistance for setting up conferences and events

If you’re putting together any sort of meeting or event in Tallinn, you can rest assured that you won’t have to go it alone. Both the Estonian Convention Bureau and the Tallinn Convention Bureau are here to offer assistance in every aspect of the setup work, whether it’s finding a suitable venue, choosing a local partner, picking the perfect programme idea, getting hold of a great caterer, connecting your meeting to knowledge institutes, talent and businesses within the local ecosystem.