IAPL2012-CB-0531-052.. - The International Association for ...

CONFERENCE SITES
attention.
The population of Tallinn is around 400,000. Official language is Estonian which is
a Finno-Ugric language and closely related to Finnish language. Foreign languages
Russian, English and Finnish are widely spoken.
Tallinn’s culture has most in common with the European way of life, with affinities to
both Scandinavian and German aesthetics and customs, but also drawing influences
from the Slavic world.
Many annual events have become traditions such as Old Town Days, jazz, film and
theatre festivals, beerfests and others, bringing visitors from near and far. Tallinn’s
cultural life is young, lively, open and innovative. Small wonder, then, that a modern
dance group considered only yesterday to be too radical in New York can perform today
to a full house in Tallinn. Or a DJ just discovered to be making waves in London week
ago can be playing tomorrow evening in one of the Tallinn’s clubs.
If not interested in special events one can spend hours and hours exploring the
numerous galleries and museums of Tallinn.
In addition, Estonia and Tallinn are one of the most wired-up – and wireless – places
on the planet. Free Wi-Fi is widely available, everywhere from the airport to the beach.
Fans of folklore and traditional culture will not be disappointed either. Folk holidays
are celebrated in traditional style, and folk dance and music can be enjoyed at Rocca
al Mare Open Air Museum. The most impressive of all folk traditions in Tallinn are the
National Song and Dance Festivals held in every five years.
When eating, you can choose restaurants not just from the whole of Europe, but
from all over the world. No matter whether you prefer your food to be Armenian or
Argentinian or Turkish, African or Thai, Tallinn has them all. Enjoy these outside in the
summer or in carefully designed cellars in the winter. The drinks are as varied too, but it
would be a pity not to enjoy Estonian beer which goes down so well with any of these
cuisines. Whichever restaurant you choose, the food will always be a pleasant surprise.
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