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| Tallinn City Tourist Office & Convention Bureau | MAY 2006 |
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| Vabaduse väljak 7, 15199 Tallinn, Estonia • www.tourism.tallinn.ee | |
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Limousine Buss takes the party on the road Estonia's best sommeliers named City Bike's mini-hostel opens in Old Town Tallinn to boost number of hotel rooms Tourist Information Centre sets new record Tallinn attracts more foreign visitors in 2005 Tourists go to prison …voluntarily Russian art comes to the Kadriorg Art Museum Alternative, open-air tourist information point opens Tallinn's Meeli Jaaksoo wins Geoffrey Smith Award Tallinn participates in the City Break 2006 exhibition Tallinn named European Capital of Culture 2011 |
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Limousine Buss takes the party on the roadIn May, the Limousine Buss, a disco bus offering mobile entertainment services, began cruising the highways of Estonia. Estonia's best sommeliers namedEstonia’s best sommeliers were chosen at championships held on May 12 by the Estonian Sommelier Association and AS Prike, who represents Moët & Chandon champagne in Estonia. The award for Estonian Best Sommelier 2006 was given to Urvo Ugandi of the Balthasar restaurant. Marko Hark from Sisalik came in second, while Kristjan Markii, also from Balthasar, took third. They were followed by Aron Rahu (Karl Friedrich), Tarvo Sarapuu (Senso), and Viljar Pent (Balthasar). Ugandi will go on to represent Estonia at the European Championships held June 16–20 in Reims, France, at the Trophee Ruinart and at the 2007 Worldwide Competition of Sommeliers in Barcelona. Eleven sommeliers participated in the competition. Based on a written preliminary round, six of them made it to the semi-final, which consisted of a decanting competition. The best three semi-finalists advanced to the final round, comprised of five assignments. For the three contestants who did not make it to the final, a champagne serving was organised to determine the distribution of places 4–6. Additional information: City Bike's mini-hostel opens in Old TownIn April, City Bike LTD opened a comfortable mini-hostel in Old Town, where the emphasis is on a family atmosphere and hikers are especially welcome. Located in a one-storey building in front of the Scottish Club restaurant, the hostel has three rooms and a total of nine beds. Guest have the use of an Internet-connected computer, a dining room with kitchen, a shower and two toilets. The price of a bed starts at 200 EEK. Reception is open from 9 am to 7 pm. The unique feature of this hostel is that a bicycle rental point and special equipment shop are located in the same building, and bicycle tours of Tallinn start from here. That means that hikers can buy Estonian maps, ask for recommendations for day trips outside of Tallinn and make trip reservations. City Bike LTD has been active in bicycle tourism for four years, and in 2006 they hope to serve over 2,000 tourists. Additional information: Tallinn to boost number of hotel roomsThe chronic shortage of hotel rooms Tallinn has suffered in recent summers should be alleviated over the next few years when several new hotels, now in various stages of construction, open their doors. The addition in coming years of four larger hotels, averaging 250 rooms each, and three smaller hotels will bring the total number of hotel rooms in Tallinn up to nearly 7,000. As of this May there were nearly 5,000 hotel rooms in the city, sufficient for the off-season market, but not for summer when it can be difficult to find accommodation, especially for groups. The first sign of relief is expected at the turn of the year when the 290-room Tallink Spa Ekspress hotel, located at the passenger port, should be completed. The hotel will have a 2,000m² spa and massage complex offering two large pools, saunas and a beauty salon, as well as a 500-person conference centre. Next spring, the 239-room Swissôtel Tallinn, the first Estonian hotel in the Swissôtel chain, will open in the city centre, and the Merikaru Hotel next to the Admiralty Basin will be completed. It will offer 185 rooms and a 250-person conference centre. A fourth large newcomer is expected in the fall of 2007 when Nordic Hotels opens its 270-room Forum Hotel and conference centre in the city centre. Construction of this hotel began this March. One existing hotel, the Meriton Grand Hotel Tallinn, will also be riding this new wave of expansion. At the end of this year, construction will start on an addition to the hotel which, according to the initial plans, should include 300 new rooms, a conference centre for up to 700 people, two gourmet restaurants and a large water park. The addition should be completed by 2008. Following recent trends, the smaller hotels set to come online will all be located in Old Town. In June, the exclusive 43-room Savoy Boutique hotel will start operating on the corner of Suur-Karja and Müürivahe Streets. Along with the City Hotel Portus, this hotel is part of the new TallinnHotels chain, which will also open its third hotel, the 49-room Bern, on Aia Street next year. And in September, the 86-room luxury hotel, Telegraaf, will open in the former telegraph and post office building on Vene Street. The hotel has a small spa and a 50-person conference room as well as an underground garage, a rare luxury in Old Town. The addition of these new facilities means increased competition, but so far neither the old nor the new hotels seem worried. The general feeling is that the market is big enough, even in the slower months, for everyone who knows how to differentiate themselves. Additional information about Tallinn hotels: Tourist Information Centre sets new recordRecent statistics show that 145,763 people visited the Tallinn Tourist Information Centre in 2005, of whom 92% were foreign visitors and 8% Estonian residents. Over the previous four years (2002–2005), the number of visitors to the Tourist Information Centre has increased by 72,744 visitors, or almost 100%. Traditionally, January is the month with the fewest visitors to the Information Centre, while June is the one with the most. In January 2005, 2,551 people visited the centre; 32,967 did so in June. Counting walk-ins, e-mail and phone calls, employees of the Information Centre answered a total of 169,348 inquiries last year, an increase of 109,835, or 185%, since 2002. The most popular topics of inquiry were shopping, transportation, excursions, attractions, accommodations, and services. While most of the visitors to the Tourist Information Centre were German, Swedish, American, or English, they also came from such far-away countries as China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Mexico, Egypt, Iran, South Africa, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Brazil, Armenia, Cuba, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, and Thailand. Additional information: Tallinn attracts more foreign visitors in 2005Last year, 1.212 million foreign visitors made trips to Tallinn with overnight stays, 42,000 trips, or 3.6%, more than in 2004. In 2005, Tallinn’s lodging establishments registered 1.03 million foreign tourists, who spent a total of 1.77 million nights in the capital. Compared to 2004, trips have also become somewhat longer, averaging 1.7 overnight stays per visitor. As in previous years, the greatest increases came in the number of holiday travellers, who accounted for 68% of overnight stays. Business travellers made up 26% of the overnighter total. Remarkably, 2005 also saw the ratio of Finns among all visitors drop below 50% for the first time in recent history. This was caused by the number of trips to Tallinn made by Finns decreasing 11% compared to 2004, while the number of visits made by other nationals continued to rapidly increase. However, Finns continue to account for the largest portion of visitors to Tallinn, followed by Germans, Swedes, Russians, Brits, and Norwegians. A detailed overview of Tallinn’s foreign visitors will appear on the Tallinn tourism website in July. Additional information: Tourists go to prison …voluntarilyAt the beginning of May, the recently decommissioned Tallinn Central Prison, or Patarei Prison, was reopened for visitors interested in taking tours or participating in prison adventures. Its museum, which is constantly being supplemented, displays prison guard equipment as well as contraband items confiscated from inmates. The hour-long prison tour begins with an explanation of the history of the building, which was constructed in the 19th Century and originally functioned as a sea fortress. Everything that follows deals with the detention regime and regulations that were in force there, including the carrying out of death sentences. The tour gives an overview of the intake and search of prisoners, their living, eating, and hygiene conditions, and their sleeping habits. Guides also explain the special regime that applied to those with life sentences, showing their cells, exercise boxes and lock-ups. The tour ends with the rooms related to executions by shooting. Visitors participating in the three-hour prison adventure are in for a much harsher experience. In the administration rooms, the participants’ – or rather the prisoners’ – papers are accepted; they are searched, and their photos and fingerprints are taken. Soon after, they are taken to their cells, then escorted to eat prison food and to exercise. Those deemed hardened criminals are interrogated and transferred to death row or to the execution room, where their sentence is read and their punishment carried out. Those who are freed after serving their sentence receive their files from the prison director, and they have to promise not to commit any more crimes. The safety of the participants is guaranteed throughout the adventure. They can quit the game at any time, or alternatively, opt to become a prison guard. Group tours (minimum ten people) must be pre-booked. Tours for individuals take place Wednesdays to Fridays at noon, 2pm and 4pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays at 10am and noon. The price of the tour is 50 kroons, 30 kroons for students on weekdays. For group tours, which start at 6pm, a fee of 150 kroons is added per group for opening the prison. The price for adventures is 350 kroons per participant. Construction of the sea fortress now known as Patarei Prison started in 1829. In the second half of the 19th Century it was rebuilt into barracks, and in 1920 it became a detention centre. 20 years later, its transformation into a harsher prison began. In 2002, the prison’s last inmates were moved to a new facility in Tartu, and the Patarei was finally closed down. In the fall of 2005, the Foundation of Virumaa Museums began organising tours of the prison, but these were suspended after one month due to the discovery of toxic mould spores. After a thorough decontamination, a new scientific study deemed that short-term visits to the prison are perfectly safe. While a visit to the prison can be disturbing, especially to people with hidden guilt complexes, it can also be therapeutic, serving as a powerful reminder of the value of freedom. Those who are interested in this experience should meet the tour guide at the prison gate at Kalaranna 2. Additional information and tour bookings: Russian art comes to the Kadriorg Art MuseumTwo intriguing exhibitions of Russian art opened at the Kadriorg Art Museum in mid-May. The Kadriorg Palace hosts a collection of paintings and graphics, while porcelain figurines are on exhibit at the neighbouring Mikkel Museum. Entitled St. Petersburg vs Moscow. Three tendencies of Russian art at the turn of the 19th Century, the large exhibition at the Kadriorg Palace is a cross section of the colourful and impassioned cultural life of Russia during that era. The elegant and finely woven work of the Mir Iskusstva group represents the aspirations of the innovative artistic circles of St. Petersburg, the preferences of Moscow’s conservative circles are illustrated by sweet and unreal so-called Salon Art, and powerful and lush paintings represent the work of masters influenced by Impressionism. The figurines exhibited in A porcelain people. 19th Century porcelain figurines from Russia at the Mikkel Museum reflect the life of the period in which they were created. The majority of the figurines were produced by Russia’s most important porcelain factory, the Gardner Factory, whose most popular products were figurines depicting the peoples "discovered" in the course of Russia’s expansion, as well as those of Russian peasants and merchants. Together, these series of ethnographic figures comprise a delicate porcelain people who seem very alive. The majority of works in both exhibitions belong to the Art Museum of Estonia, while some of the porcelain figurines come from the collections of the Tallinn City Museum and the Narva Museum. The exhibitions will be open through October 1. Since the Kadriorg Art Museum includes both the Kadriorg Palace and the Mikkel Museum, one ticket is valid for both. During the summer season (May to September), the Kadriorg Palace is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm, and the Mikkel Museum from Wednesdays to Sundays, also from 10am to 5pm. The one exception is Thursdays, when both museums stay open to 9pm. This summer there is another opportunity to see Russian art in Tallinn. Through the end of September an exhibition of Russian icons and paintings entitled World Art Treasures will be on display at the Teachers’ House, Raekoja plats 14. Additional information: Alternative, open-air tourist information point opensIn May, the Tallinn Tourist Information Centre got itself a worthy neighbor when the new Tallinn Traveller Info information tent, directed primarily at young backpackers, started distributing tourist information on its opposite corner. Because most of Tallinn Traveller Info’s visitors seem to be interested in parties and other events taking place in the city, a fresh list of recommended recreational events is posted every morning on a bulletin board next to the tent. Those unsure of where to go are not left scratching their heads very long – visitors are questioned regarding their interests, that is, unless their appearance gives enough away. Older visitors will also find plenty of useful advice here – there’s enough entertainment information to cater to every taste. The idea for the information tent was developed by Tom Valsberg, a young student of advertising who, as a long-time resident of Old Town, has had several years of experience providing directions to tourists. Subjective recommendations are no taboo at the information tent, and unconventional city tours with unusual guides are its speciality. All tours are guided by young people, who, in addition to the popular legends, can also tell fresh stories about the city sights. To create the right kind of experience, a competition was held to find the most suitable guides, and participants can expect them to come up with a few surprises. Tours using old bicycles are also on offer – these cover the outskirts of the city, i.e. Kopli and Kalamaja regions. Those who have taken the tours have so far provided only positive feedback. Since Tallinn Traveller Info’s target group primarily consists of backpackers, the young information providers working here try to keep the prices of the services they offer as low as possible. If the first summer is successful, the project will be repeated next year. Current plans are to operate until the end of September. The information tent opens daily at around 10 am and closes a few hours before midnight. In June and July, it is still light at that time, barring any thunderstorms of course. Additional information: Tallinn's Meeli Jaaksoo wins Geoffrey Smith AwardMeeli Jaaksoo, Convention Marketing Manager for the Tallinn City Tourist Office & Convention Bureau, was presented with the prestigious Geoffrey Smith Award at the 41st General Assembly and Senior Educational Forum of the European Federation of Conference Towns (EFCT) in Madeira this March. The award acknowledges former summer school students and other individuals for their contribution to and achievements in the European meetings industry. It was established in memory of Geoffrey Smith, one of EFCTs founding fathers and founder of the widely renowned EFCT Summer School. From the time Jaaksoo completed her studies at the Summer School three years ago, the EFCT has followed her work to educate and professionalise the meetings industry in Estonia, and in Tallinn in particular. In setting up an active convention bureau in the capital and successfully boosting its share of the international convention market, Jaaksoo has shown that with dedication, enthusiasm and hard work, it is possible to go anywhere. She is therefore a worthy winner of the esteemed Geoffrey Smith Award. Additional information: Tallinn participates in the City Break 2006 exhibitionOn June 12–14, Tallinn will participate in the City Break 2006 exhibition. This is a new exhibition devoted to city tourism, which is organised every year in a different city. Helsinki was chosen as the first location. On June 12–13, representatives and service providers from the destination will introduce their activities and products to the hosted buyers, based on a schedule of pre-arranged meetings. On June 14–15, all the hosted buyers will have the opportunity to participate in various post tours. The Tallinn City Tourist Office & Convention Bureau is preparing the post tour to introduce Tallinn’s attractions and tourism infrastructure. The City Break exhibition is being organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions, and the main sponsor is European Cities Tourism. Detailed information can be found on the exhibition’s website, www.citybreakexpo.com. Additional information about Tallinn’s participation: Tallinn named European Capital of Culture 2011Tallinn was chosen European Capital of Culture 2011 in a competition that ended in March. The decision will become official when the Council of the European Union announces the winners later this year. Competition between Estonian cities for the prestigious title began in autumn 2005 with four candidates vying for the prize: Pärnu (West-Estonia), Rakvere (East-Estonia), Tallinn and Tartu (South-Estonia). After Pärnu and Rakvere were eliminated in the first round, a commission was created to choose between finalists Tallinn and Tartu. On March 27, it picked Tallinn in an 8:3 vote, a decision confirmed by the Minister of Culture. Tallinn’s advantages were cited as greater creative potential and good infrastructure, which would allow for a more varied and concentrated programme. However, from the start of its candidacy, Tallinn has planned to involve all the regions of Estonia in the project in order to present the nation’s culture in all its diversity. Sir Bob Scott, who helped Liverpool in its successful 2008 bid, acted as advisor to Tallinn during its candidacy. Scott compared the status of a European Capital of Culture with that of hosting the Olympic games. For Tallinn, preparing for its role as a European Capital of Culture will be the city’s next great challenge, comparable to its organizing the Sailing Regatta for the 1980 Olympic games and hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in 2002. Official announcement of Tallinn’s winning status will mark the start of a 4-year preparation period. The tradition of naming one European city the “City of Culture” each year began in 1985 when Athens became the first to receive the title. A procedural change for the now-expanded EU means that from 2009, two cities will be Capitals of Culture each year. In 2011, Tallinn will share the title with Turku, a city in southern Finland. Additional information: |