Events

To make this conference a memorable event, we extend a warm welcome to all participants to partake in both the conference dinner and excursions! While the conference dinner is a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in Estonian history and discover our historical tastes, the conference excursions will provide you with the chance to explore the many wonders that Tallinn has to offer.

Please note that in order to participate in the conference dinner and the excursions, you must register via the conference evets registration form below.

Events registration

Conference Dinner

The conference dinner will take place at the restaurant Olde Hansa (Vana turg 1, 10140 Tallinn) on 5 June. Please note that the starting time of the conference dinner will be announced shortly.

Please note that the video is illustrative.

“Dialogues in the medieval atmosphere” at Olde Hansa restaurant
We are happy to invite you to join the conference dinner - the Grand Chef's Feast with 20 different dishes served on the table to be shared. It is a memorable medieval taste journey, where all dishes are cooked according to 700-year-old recipes. To keep spirits up there are also some rituals performed like washing guests’ hands from the travel dust and choosing the Master of the Table whose task is to make sure that everybody is happy, satisfied and have plenty to drink and eat.

Medieval experience restaurant Olde Hansa is dedicated to bringing you all the wonders of medieval kitchen and spirits that drinkmasters have created. Everything that you see, hear, taste or touch, has been made by the role models of the 15th century, so the travelling visitor entering the house will find themselves in the wheel of time, led by ordinary servant folks as their guides to complete your medieval experience. The authentic medieval experience will stimulate our inner and interpersonal dialogues, perfectly in line with the concept of the dialogical self theory!

*Olde Hansa has collaborated with various historians and researchers of the Medieval era since 1999. The thorough household documents of different Guilds of merchants and artisans in Tallinn form a solid evidence to rely on to revive dishes, drinks, eating and drinking habits, social customs and to restore the general atmosphere of feasts. (https://www.oldehansa.ee/et/)

Illustrations:

Olde Hansa restaurant, source: Olde Hansa homepage

Conference Excursions

To better introduce Estonian art and history, we enthusiastically invite our conference participants to explore Estonia's vibrant culture with our three curated excursions in Tallinn. Whether you choose to delve into the medieval charm of Tallinn's Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), experience the lush Estonian nature and the authentic way of life in the countryside, or indulge in Estonian art, you will be sure to gain a profound appreciation for Estonia's rich heritage and artistic legacy.

NB! Please note that the excursions will be taking place at the same time. Because of this, we kindly ask you to choose one excursion that you would like to attend. More information on the events and the prices will be announced shortly.

 

Option A: City excursion to ancient and medieval Tallinn and its surroundings (in English) on 6 June

The city excursion is a guided walking tour that will explore the Medieval atmosphere of Tallinn's Old Town, a renowed UNESCO World Heritage Site. The walking tour will be a wonderful option for those who wish to learn more about the city's rich and varied history. Among other popular sights, the tour will visit the city's historic centre Toompea, the Palace of Toompea, and the Aleksander Nevskij Cathedral. As part of the tour, you will get the chance to visit some of our most famous historic buildings. 

Read more about the walking tour here.

Further information and the starting time of the city excursion will be provided soon. The length of the excursion is around 2 hours.

Tallinn Old Town photo by Kaupo Kalda 2020, source: visittallinn.ee

 

Option B: Estonian Open Air Museum Tour with a local museum guide on 6 June

Get a glimpse of the authentic Estonian countryside and village life in the Estonian Open Air Museum! Resembling a genuine village, the museum features 12 farms, along with a church, a tavern, and a schoolhouse. In addition, museum visitors are invited to explore various mills, a fire station, fishing net sheds, as well as enjoy a dancing area and village swing.

Further information and the starting time of the museum tour will be provided soon. The length of the tour is 1-1,5 hours and the participants will have 30 minutes of free time to explore the museum on their own. Transport to the museum and back to the city centre is organised by bus. Altogether with the bus drive, the tour will take around 3 hours.

The Estonian Open Air Museum, source: the museum homepage
 

Option C: Guided tour at the KUMU Art Museum on 6 June

Tours on permanent exhibitions at Kumu. Further information and the starting time of the guided museum tour will be provided soon. The length of the tour is around 90 minutes.

Take a tour through the permanent exhibition Landscapes of Identity: Estonian Art 1700–1945. The exhibition tells the story of Estonian art as it evolved through Estonia’s multi-ethnic history, growing into a heritage that blends Estonian, Baltic German, and Russian traditions. The focus is on the role of art in society and in shaping the identities of diverse communities.

A tour that takes you on a short walk through the Kumu Art Museum to admire Estonian art from the Soviet era at the permanent exhibition Conflicts and Adaptations, located on the fourth floor of Kumu. The exposition starts on the third floor where you will see the Baltic German artistic heritage from the 18th and 19th centuries and an overview of Estonian national art from the first half of the 20th century. On the fourth floor, the display continues with Soviet Estonian art and the art of the 1990s. The permanent exhibitions also include several project spaces meant for the in-depth study of issues, artists or phenomena of certain eras. The fifth floor of the Kumu building houses the Gallery of Contemporary Art where new exhibitions are held on a regular basis.

Besides the contemporary art gallery, the most important space for temporary exhibitions is the Great Hall on the ground floor of the museum, which can be accessed from the atrium near the ticket counter. In the Great Hall, we exhibit the most extensive and complicated research projects and foreign expositions, which require a high level of collaboration with various institutions around the world.

Annually, Kumu holds eight to ten major temporary exhibitions of both historical and contemporary art from Estonia and abroad. Kumu has also chosen a few topics to concentrate on in research and exhibition projects. Some of the main themes are Estonian art in the early 20th century, the avant-garde artists of the Soviet era, sound art, fashion, visual studies and female artists.

KUMU Art Museum, source: visittallinn.ee