Venue
The lectures will take place at:
Georg Ots Spa Hotel
Tori 2
EST-93810 Kuressaare
Phone: ++372-4550 000
Fax: ++372-4550 001
E-mail: info@gospa.ee
will be held in the "Gotland" lecture room. The lecture room is equipped with a PowerPoint projector, audio equipment (with hearing aid) and overhead projector. If lecturers need some other technical devices, they should contact the organisers in good time. The venue of the poster session will be announced in due course.
Meals
Breakfasts, lunches and dinners will be in the restaurant of the Georg Ots Spa Hotel if not announced seperately in the programme. During exercises lunches will be held at the canteen at Kaali school. The welcome dinner on 16 August will be held in Kuressaare Castle and the farewell dinner at Pädaste Manor on the neighbouring Muhu island. Also during the excursion 19 August), lunch and dinner will be outside the hotel.
Accommodation
Participants will have the choice between accommodation in shared double room at the Georg Ots Spa Hotel (en-suite bathrooms, EUR 45,- per night) or in hostel rooms at the Ruubi Kodu hostel (basic accommodation, shared bathrooms, free for participants). Both Georg Ots Spa Hotel and Ruubi Kodu Hostel offer free wireless internet. The rooms at Georg Ots Spa Hotel are equipped with TV and Minibar. The rooms at Ruubi Kodu Hostel are simple and clean, the hostel has a sauna and a TV lounge. Shower rooms are locatedon both the ground and first floor of the hostel.
Lecturers will be offered single room accommodation in Georg Ots Spa Hotel
Access to the the venue
By air
The best way is first to fly into Tallinn Lennart Meri International Airport at Ülemiste (IATA code: TLL). There are good and cheap connections to Tallinn from many different European airports. Flights are offered by the local airline "Estonian Air" (direct) as well as Air Baltic (via Riga). Estonian Air is part of the Star Alliance (Lufthansa, SAS, United/Continental etc.). The airport is very close to the city near Lake Ülemiste. Coming from outside Europe you probably have to change at Frankfurt, Amsterdam or London. Arriving at Tallinn you have 2 possiblilities (a) to take a domestic flight to Kuressare Roomassaare airport (IATA code: URE)or to go to Tallinn Central Bus station and take a bus to Kuressaare.
In the first case you can take a reasonably cheap (around EUR 50,-) flight from Tallinn Lennart Meri International Airport to Kuressare Roomassaare airport. Note: The flights are operated by the small Estonian airline "Avies" and might not be found by common search engines (Yahoo, Momondo, Skyscanner). Thus it is best to go to the website of the Avies Airline to book the flights. Usually there are 2 flight connections per day (one in the morning and one in the evening) between Tallinn and Kuressaare. Flight time is only 45 minutes. Since the planes are small, early booking is advisable. From Romasssaare it is best to take a taxi to Georg Ots Spa Hotel or Ruubi Kodu. This should not cost more than EUR 10,-
If you want to take the bus you have to go to Tallinn Central Bus station.Take bus number 90 K from the airport to the station Autobussijaam" (2 stops). Please note: Bus 90K is a commercial bus line and NOT a part of Tallinn municipal transport system - so regular kiosk-bought tickets don't work in that service. Tickets (EUR 2,-) are sold in the arrival hall during day tima and can be bought from the driver. The buses leave one level below the arrival hall. Buses leave every 30 minutes between 08:30 and 18:30. Arriving at "Autobussijaam" station walk 50 m back and turn right onto "Odra". The bus station is on the left, after 150 metres. Information about the bus traffic and timetables can be found here.
From Tallinn main bus station there are frequent connections to Kuressaare. The travel time is about 4 hours, but ges through a very nice lsandscape and includes a 30 minutes boat trip. Information about timetables and sale of tickets is found here. When booking trips it is worthwile noting that the companies "Sarbus" and "Kalle Bussid" often habe small buses which are not really fit to transport a lot of large luggage. At Kuressaare bus station you can walk directly to Ruubi Kodu. Walk just back to the intersection where the bus turned left from the main road into the one to the bus station (100 m) and the Ruubi Kodu hostel is just at your left. If you want to go to GOSPA Hotel it is best to take a taxi (1.5 km, round EUR 5,-). Taxis usually are available at the bus station. Otherwise you can ring Saare Taksotellimiskeskus, phone +372 453 0000 Arensburg Takso, phone +372 454 5333.
By bus
There are several connections from different cities in Estonia to Kuressaare (e.g. Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu). From Tallinn main bus station there are frequent connections to Kuressaare. The travel time is about 4 hours, but ges through a very nice landscape and includes a 30 minutes boat trip. Information about timetables and sale of tickets is found here. When booking trips it is worthwile noting that the companies "Sarbus" and "Kalle Bussid" often habe small buses unfit to transport large luggage. At Kuressaare bus station you can walk directly to Ruubi Kodu. Walk just back to the intersection whee the bus turned left from the main road into the one to the bus station (100 m) and the Ruubi Kodu hostel is just at your left. If you want to go to GOSPA Hotel it is best to take a taxi.
It is also possible to travel the whole way to the summer course by bus from Russia or Central Europe. An advantage is that these bused usualy are very comfortable (often even with wireless internet on board) and also very cheap. The disadvantage is the long journey time. So these are an alternative only if you do come from St. Petersburg or Riga or want to combine your visit to the course with a trip to the Baltic Countries (highly recommendable). Eurolines offer bus services between Berlin and Tallinn and Pärnu. Since the travel is taking around 24 hours, this is only a viable option for conference guests from the Baltic states. There are frequent and inexpensive bus services from St.Petersburg to Tallinn. Lux Express is one of the operators. The travel between these cities takes 6-8 hours, and the company also operates services Warsaw-Riga-Tallinn (22 hours) and Königsberg-Riga-Tallinn. Another bus company offering coach travel to Estonia from many placss in Europe is Ecolines.
By own car
From the North and East (Russia, Finland via Tallinn)
From Tallinn take Road 4 in the direction of Pärnu. After 20 km take Road 9 in the direction of Haapsalu. After 40 km at the town of Risti fork off left to Road 10 to Virtsu. You will reach the Virtsu harbour after 67 km. From there take the ferry to Kuivastu. Information about timetables and prices can be found here. From Kuivastu carry on Road 10 in the direction of Kuressaare. You will reach the outskirts of Kuressaare after 73 km. At the first big roundabout, go straight into Kuressaare on the main road (Tallinna). Follow this main road for 2 km through the city (after 1.5 km you will see the Ruubi Kodu hostel on your right). When you reach a park (you will see the castle also), turn right onto "Pargi" (Road 77). At the next intersectionn turn left, staying on "Pargi"/Road77, keeping the park to your left. After 500m and a right bend you emerge on a junction, turn left on to "Abaja" (Road 77). At the next intersection turn left again onto "Suur-Sadama". The hotel is then after 100 m on your left.From the South (Riga)
From Riga take the A2 in the direktiin Pärnu/Pskov. After 10 km take the A1 in direction Pärnu. Crossing into Estonia, the road gets the number 4. 60 km afterthe border you reach Pärnu. Just after crossing the river, turn left on Road 5, keeping the river to your left. After 3.5 km carry on straight onto Road 60. Stay on the road which turns left, crosses a small river and turns right again. After 35 km fork off left to Road 180. 23 km on you will reach a T-junction with Road 10, turn left in the direction Virtsu. You will reach the Virtsu harbour after 13 km. From there take the ferry to Kuivastu. Information about timetables and prices can be found here. From Kuivastu carry on Road 10 in the direction of Kuressaare. You will reach the outskirts of Kuressaare after 73 km. At the first big roundabout, go straight into Kuressaare on the main road (Tallinna). Follow this main road for 2 km through the city (after 1.5 km you will see the Ruubi Kodu hostel on your right). When you reach a park (you will see the castle also), turn right onto "Pargi" (Road 77). At the next intersectionn turn left, staying on "Pargi"/Road77, keeping the park to your left. After 500m and a right bend you emerge on a junction, turn left on to "Abaja" (Road 77). At the next intersection turn left again onto "Suur-Sadama". The hotel is then after 100 m on your left.
Tere tulemast Eestisse!
