City of Tallinn

Air Baltic

Tallink Hotels

Travelling to Tallinn

What to expect

You’ll be tavelling to Estonia during a very special time, midsummer, with 19 hours of daylight and nearly no night. Make the most of your stay, experience our capital Tallinn and prolong your stay taking a trip to the countryside. The distances are short in Estonia, so one can see and experience a lot even within an extra day.
Plan your stay with:

Visit Estonia
Visit Tallinn

Organizing the event, we do follow and ask our guests to follow the instructions on safety.
Please find the updated details on COVID-19 and travelling to Estonia HERE

PHOTOS:

Panorama of Tallinn

Old Tallinn

How to get from Tallinn Airport to the city centre?

The airport is very conveniently located – just 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) from the city centre. You can easily travel to and from the airport by tram, bus, or taxi.  

Among the hotels with special deals for the ED-Awards 2022 Tallinn participants with easiest access from the airport are: Nordic Hotel Forum (superior 4*) and Tallink City Hotel (4*). 

For both take a tram line No 4 (direct line, 17-18 minutes, leave at stop „Viru“) or take a taxi.


Photo airport: https://www.flickr.com/photos/visitestonia/28757480613/in/album-72157670049428864/

Travel by plane

The city’s international airport, Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport, provides excellent facilities and a wide variety of services. In 2019, Tallinn airport received the Airport Quality Service Award, making it the best in Europe in the category of airports with up to five million passengers.

Fly directly to Tallinn from over 40 different destinations. 

Check out the special prices offered by airBaltic the official airline of ED-Awards Tallinn 2022.

Travel by ferry

Port of Tallinn, servicing over 10 million passengers a year, makes it one of the biggest and busiest passanger ports in Europe. Tallinn Old City Harbour includes passenger terminals A and D for regular ferry lines, cruise area for cruise passengers and Old City Marina for pleasure crafts. Regular lines serve routes to Helsinki (Finland), Stockholm (Sweden) and St. Petersburg (Russia).

Ferries cross the Gulf of Finland between Tallinn and Helsinki operated by different ferry companies make all in all in more than ten departutes a day, covering the distance in roughly two to three hours. 

Tallink operates an over-night ferry between Tallinn and Stockholm. 

Among the hotels with special deals for the ED-Awards 2022 Tallinn participants with easiest access from the port are: Tallink Spa and Conference Hotel (4*) and Tallink Express Hotel (3*). 

Both are in a walking distance from the main passanger terminals. 

Photo, panorama of Tallinn from the sea: https://www.flickr.com/photos/visitestonia/26552559818/in/album-72157633804459200/

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It is also possible to get to Tallinn by a bus, train or car. Find out more details on how to get to Tallinn

Affiliated Hotels

Nordic Hotel Forum

4+
4.5/5

Location: Viru väljak 3, Tallinn

Nordic Hotel Forum, a 4 star superior hotel in the prime location in Tallinn has recently completed a full renovation to the entire hotel. The hotel offers spacious and elegant hotel rooms and a Leisure Centre on the 8th floor with magnificent views over the historic Old Town of Tallinn. The hotel has Green Key and Covid-19 Safe markings.

Booking via link
Bookings via link enjoy -25% discount of the price.
The discount is valid: 15-20.06.2022
The price includes buffet breakfast, use of a leisure center with indoor pool, saunas and a fitness room.

More info

Easy transfer from the airport by tram. Tram line 4 takes you in 17-18 minutes from the terminal to the doorstep of the hotel (stop name „Viru“).
Taxi takes 11 minutes with no traffic, rush-hours could be slow.

Find the best option to get to your hotel from the airport

Tallink City

4
4/5

Location

Easy transfer from the airport by tram. Tram line 4 takes you in 17-18 minutes from the terminal to the doorstep of the hotel (stop name „Viru“).
Taxi takes 11minutes with no traffic, rush-hours could be slow.

Find the best option to get to your hotel from the airport

Tallink City Hotel welcomes guests right in the heart of the city, making this newly renovated hotel a perfect venue for business and festive events.

  • A wide range of modern rooms is sure to fulfil the individual expectations of all guests.
  • City Grill House is a vibrant two-storey restaurant with 228 seats and flexible options for various events.
  • A cosy relaxation area with saunas offers beauty and wellness treatments and ensures an enjoyable getaway experience.
  • The function area on the 10th floor accommodates 40 guests and offers a magnificent city view along with state-of-the-art conference equipment.

Booking is made HERE and the discount code EDAWARDS gives you the festivals prices. 
The discount is valid: 15-20.06.2022

Tallink Spa & Conference Hotel

4
4/5

Location

The hotel is located in a walking disctance from the main terminals of the Harbor of Tallinn. NB! Check the name/letter of your terminal.
Take a taxi or a tram (need to change line 4 to line 1 or 2) from the airport.

Tallink Spa & Conference Hotel is located next to Tallinn’s Old Town and combines everything you need for a relaxing holiday or active business trip.

  • A wide range of rooms is sure to fulfil the individual expectations of all guests.
  • Aqua Spa is a top spa in Tallinn. Professional beauty and wellness services are also available.
  • Restaurant Nero is a delightful 175-seat restaurant – the perfect place for receptions, weddings and company parties.
  • There are 6 conference halls available, the largest of which can accommodate 263 people.

20% discount in all room categories, breakfast included. The discount is valid: 15-20.06.2022

Booking is made through https://booking.tallinkhotels.com/search and the discount code EDAWARDS gives you the festivals prices. 

Tallink Express Hotel

3+
3.5/5

Location

The hotel is located in a walking disctance from the main terminals of the Harbor of Tallinn. NB! Check the name/letter of your terminal.
Take a taxi or a tram (need to change line 4 to line 1 or 2) from the airport.

Tallink Express Hotel is conveniently located next to Tallinn’s Old Town and offers budget-friendly accommodation.

  • Double and family rooms make the hotel an ideal choice for friends, colleagues and families alike.
  • Cozy restaurant Tempo is a hot spot among locals. Enjoy buffet breakfast and soup gallery, in addition we also serve a daily lunch buffet. 
  • The location next to Tallink Spa & Conference Hotel provides an excellent opportunity to accommodate in Tallink Express and enjoy Aqua Spa aquatic Center and beauty services.

20% discount in all room categories, breakfast included. 
The discount is valid: 15-20.06.2022

Booking is made HERE and the discount code EDAWARDS gives you the festivals prices.

Exhibition: Communicative Urban Space

When
Open 24/7

Location
Tallin

Ticket
Free

Graphic design and typography in Tallinn urban space. Find the different locations on the Tallinn Design Map.

Opening of the exhibition in the courtyard of Estonian Academy of Arts: Friday, June 17,
13:00-14:00

The exhibition reflects a cross-section of the modern and historical strata of graphic design and typography in Tallinn urban space. The main part of the exhibition consists of up to 40 examples of diverse graphic design and typography found in the city and is exhibited both in Tallinn urban space and in a web-based map application.

Places to go

European Design Awards Festival 2022 is taking place in collaboration between European Design Awards and Estonian Design Centre.

The ED-Festival has since 2007 been hosted in cities like Stockholm, Zurich, Rotterdam, Helsinki, Istanbul, Vienna, Porto and Oslo, to name a few. Its mission is to celebrate European design, facilitate designers to meet, be inspired and build networks, but also to help promote the design discipline to wider audiences.

ED-Festival Tallinn 2022 main local partners are: City of Tallinn, Helmes, Nordic Hotel Forum, Tallink Hotels, Air Baltic, Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Estonian Academy of Arts, Republic of Estonia Ministry of Culture, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Visit Tallinn

Conference: Beyond Design

When
Saturday, June 18, 09:30-16:30

Location
Creative Hub

Ticket
120 eur or invitation / pre-registration required

The European Design Awards Conference 2022 “Beyond Design” addresses the core questions of the future of design and through design, position and responsibilities of the designer through practical workshops, discussions and cross-sectoral future visions.

Through various discussions and case studies the conference seeks answers to the questions such as: How to design a future that is better for all of us? How to control the situations we do not yet know? Will the problems arising today create new meanings and opportunities for design tomorrow? What does digital innovation actually mean, and how does it change us as humans? How to create sustainability in a sustainable way? How to see sustainability not as a constraint but as a great challenge that gives us new opportunities for innovation. On which side of the barricades should a designer stay? Is reconsideration of the ethics of creation a basis for new significance?

The questions will be opened via 3 tracks:

1. BEYOND GOVERNANCE. Innovation leads us to the future, and the future makes us innovate. How to govern situations that are in the future and that we have never experienced before? How to consider unforeseen events and uncertainty? How to understand the future of the relationship between people and their governments?

2. DESIGN BEYOND RESISTANCE. Our world is using many comfortable and unsustainable models – social, ecological, economical. How to challenge the status quo – and go beyond mere disruption but design the next solution.

3. DESIGN BEYOND TRANQUILITY. Creating a world for living in meaningful peace of mind – this is the oldest task of design.

The conference will take place as a physical event, enabling also some hybrid activities. The conference will be recorded and available for later review.  

ED-Awards After Party in the Club Uus Laine

When
Saturday, June 18, 21:30

Location
Club Uus Laine

Ticket
20 eur / the ticket includes a welcome drink and a snack

Estonian designers on stage!
There are many designers in Estonia who have great passion toward music and it‘s not uncommon to meet them behind the record player during the weekend at some club, bar or festival. ED-Awards After Party brings them all together on one stage for one night! Put on your most comfortable disco shoes and let‘s boogie all night long!

The club is only 10 minutes walk from the gala in Creative Hub!

Uus Laine (New Wave) is a social club with an open plan, a soul and a lively program. The entrance on Vana-Kalamaja street, close by Balti Jaama Turg, might be left unnoticed at first, but anyone who walks in finds themselves amazed by the elegant art–deco-style interior and unique vibe. Uus Laine is a venue that connects the community with regular cultural events – weekly live concerts, a DJ program focusing on new music, an English Quiz Night every Tuesday and a Music Quiz every Wednesday.

European Design Awards Gala

When
Saturday, June 18, 19:00-21:00

Location
Creative Hub

Ticket
€49,90

The ED-Awards crowning event at the Kultuurikatel Creative Hub.

Welcome Reception at the Maarjamäe Palace

When
Friday, June 17, 19:00-21:00

Ticket
Invitation only / pre-registration required

Maarjamäe Palace, a historic summer manor, belongs to the Estonian History Museum. The beautifully renovated ensemble is located on the picturesque sea-shore of the Gulf of Finland in Kadriorg region, Tallinn. The museum hosts an exhibition of recent Estonian history. The historic ensemble also accommodates a new and modern Estonian Film Museum.

The European Design Awards Festival official Welcome Reception is meant for nominees and representatives and is with invitations only.

Curated Tour and Concert in the Arvo Pärt Centre

When
Sunday, June 19, 11:00-16:00

Location
Arvo Pärt Centre in Laulasmaa

Ticket
30 eur / pre-registration required

Mr Arvo Pärt is one of the most performed contemporary composers in the world at the moment. An hour-long bus ride will take you to the beautiful nature of Laulasmaa, where the Arvo Pärt Centre is located by the sea inside a pine forest. A tour introducing the life and work of the composer will be held on site. Guests are welcome to visit the café and the small exhibition area. The tour is summed up by the lively piano concert by talented Estonian pianist Johan Randvere. Also worth visiting if you are keen on architecture!

The Arvo Pärt Centre combines the composer’s personal archive with an information and music Centre. It is an open meeting place for musicians, researchers and music lovers – for anyone interested in Arvo Pärt’s music and world of ideas.
The Arvo Pärt Centre was founded in 2010 in Laulasmaa by the family of the composer. In the beginning, the Centre was hosted in a private house-turned-archive called Aliina. In the context of Pärt’s music, this name symbolises new beginnings. It was his piano piece Für Alina (Estonian: Aliinale) that served as the starting point for his tintinnabuli music in 1976. In its early years, the main tasks of the Centre were building and organising the archive and creating a digital information system. However, in order to open the archive to researchers and begin offering educational and concert activities, a new and much larger building was needed. To find the most suitable solution, an international architectural competition was announced in June 2014, which was won by Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano from Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos. Construction work on the new building began in March 2017, with the Arvo Pärt Centre opening its doors to visitors on 17 October 2018. Carnegie Hall, Puccini hall in Milano among others. He has performed together with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Vanemuise Symphony Orchestra, Belarus State Academic Radio Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of Molodehno Music College among others.
Johan has worked with conductors such as Risto Joost, Paul Mägi, Sasha Mäkilä, Grigori Soroka, Jüri Alperten, Toomas Vavilov, Mihhail Gerts, Erki Pehk, Kaspar Mänd among others.

Concert:
Johan Randvere is one of the brightest musicians of his generation.
Johan Randvere has given concerts in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy, Vatican, Belarus, Sweden, Germany, Finland, USA and Canada. He has performed as a soloist and as a chamber musician in all the main Estonian concert halls and such concert halls as The Grand Hall of Minsk Filharmony, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, Puccini hall in Milano among others. He has performed together with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Vanemuise Symphony Orchestra, Belarus State Academic Radio Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of Molodehno Music College among others.
Johan has worked with conductors such as Risto Joost, Paul Mägi, Sasha Mäkilä, Grigori Soroka, Jüri Alperten, Toomas Vavilov, Mihhail Gerts, Erki Pehk, Kaspar Mänd among others.

Read more about the pianist here: www.johanrandvere.com

Tour in the Museum of Estonian Applied Art and Design

When
Sunday, June 19, 11:00-12:30

Ticket
10 eur / pre-registration required

The aim of the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design is to collect, preserve and exhibit Estonian applied art and design. The exhibitions also present international aspects of these fields. ETDM has extensive and attractive collections including almost 18,000 pieces. Numerous exhibitions are put together based on the collections, while pieces are also presented to the public in other ways. The museum is located in a former granary from the end of the 17th century, which was reconstructed for the Museum of Applied Arts which opened in 1980.

Curated Nature Walk on Paljassaare Peninsula

When
Saturday, June 18, 11:00-13:30

Location
The end and start point of the walk is the parking lot of Pikakari beach

Ticket
15 eur / pre-registration required

City escape to nature! Discover the area of Paljassaare through a guided walk with nature guide Pille Laiakask. Paljassaare is a hidden gem of Tallinn – a peninsula in Tallinn Bay, a nature reserve, and a former military zone. The walk consists of hiking on different surfaces (great views guaranteed!) and talks about the relationship between man and nature, local herbs and urban landscape, the history and people of Paljassaare. The hike will take up around 2,5 hours. Put on your most comfortable shoes and the adventure can begin!

NB! Limited spots available!

Further details will be sent to those registered to the tour.

Studio Crawl

When
Friday, June 17, 16:30-19:00

Location
Tallinn

Ticket
Free

Wander around Tallinn and visit local creative studios. Here is a list of studios that are more than happy to welcome you:

Velvet
Upstairs
Ad Angels
Reet Aus
Stella Soomlais
Unt/Tammik
Meliorad
IKIGI
Julia Valtanen
Brand Manual
Refleks
Dux
Identity
Sviiter
Stuudio Stuudio
Disainiosakond
Platvorm

Selected design agencies offer guided tours in their premises – check out „Design Walks“.

Design Shopping Tour

When
Friday, June 17, 16:30-19:00

Location
Tallinn

Ticket
Free

Interested in buying Estonian design? Here is a list of design studios/shops to visit:

TOKU

Eve Hanson

Reet Aus

Stella Soomlais

Estonian Design House

Tali Design

e shops on the Tallinn Design Map.

Design shops in Telliskivi Creative City are open Mon-Fri 11-19, Sat-Sun 11-17.

Design Walk III

When
Friday, June 17, 14:00-16:30

Location
The starting point of the tour will be sent to those registered.

Ticket
10 eur / pre-registration required

Get to know Estonian design studios located in the city centre. The guided tour will take you to four studios that will showcase some of their best work and gladly answer any questions you might have. This is a rare opportunity to get an accurate insight into the way things work within the Estonian design community.

This tour takes you to the following studios:

Brand Manual

Refleks

Dux

Identity

Further details will be sent to those registered to the tour.

Design Walk II

When
Friday, June 17, 14:00-16:30

Location
The starting point of the tour will be sent to those registered.

Ticket
10 eur / pre-registration required

Get to know Estonian design studios located in ARS Art Factory. The guided tour will take you to three studios that will showcase some of their best work and gladly answer any questions you might have. This is a rare opportunity to get an accurate insight into the way things work within the Estonian design community. This tour will also contain an introductory seminar by the ARS Art Factory itself.

This tour takes you to the following studios:

Dint

Unt/Tammik

IKIGI

Further details will be sent to those registered to the tour.

Design Walk I

When
Friday, June 17, 14:00-16:30

Location
The starting point of the tour will be sent to those registered.

Ticket
10 eur / pre-registration required

Get to know Estonian design studios located in Telliskivi region. The guided tour will take you to five studios that will showcase some of their best work and gladly answer any questions you might have. This is a rare opportunity to get an accurate insight into the way things work within the Estonian design community.

This tour takes you to the following studios:

Velvet

Upstairs

AD Angels

Reet Aus

Stella Soomlais

Further details will be sent to those registered to the tour.

Pre-conference workshop III: Activating Positive Social Change with Disruptive Design by Dr. Leyla Acaroglu

When
Friday, June 17, 10:00-13:00

Ticket
60 eur / pre-registration required

Workshop led by Dr. Leyla Acaroglu

Using a robust scientific approach to understanding the complex systems that impact society, the Disruptive Design Method leverages systems, sustainability, and design to understand, explore, and intervene in existing systems and to activate change globally.

The workshop provides the foundation for using the Disruptive Design Method – a holistic approach to complex problem solving that combines sociological inquiry methods with systems and design thinking approaches. The Disruptive Design Method helps you to develop systems interventions that are smart, effective, thoughtful, and sustainable. Through this workshop you will be introduced to the disruptive and creative mental tools to activate positive change.

Dr. Leyla Acaroglu connects systems, sustainability and design together as tools for addressing the planet’s biggest challenges. As a designer, sociologist, and sustainability provocateur, she was named 2016 United Nations Champion of the Earth for her internationally-recognised work in advancing science and innovation for sustainability. She is a TED speaker, entrepreneur, creator of the Disruptive Design Method, founder of the UnSchool and a sustainability provocateur who challenges people to think differently about how the world works.

Pre-conference workshop II: Stop Campaigning, Start Engaging by Marksteen Adamson

When
Friday, June 17, 10:00-13:00

Location
Creative Hub

Ticket
60 eur / pre-registration required

Speaker: Marksteen Adamson of ASHA & Co.

In this session, Marksteen Adamson, Founding Partner, Chief Creative Officer and Director of Strategy of the award-winning, UK-based, creative consultancy ASHA & Co will demonstrate how to create effective engagement with multiple audiences around controversial societal issues. 

Following an introduction to his self-initiated project concerning the plight of refugees – ‘The Stations’, Marksteen will take participants on his personal journey, from his initial feelings of helplessness to the project’s hugely influential outcome. Marksteen will outline ASHA & Co’s ‘Hand of Change’ approach which uses multiple points of focus to build momentum and create impact around toxic issues.

Participants will then be asked to choose their own controversial or uncomfortable issue for which they want to create engagement. They will then be guided through a step-by step process ending with the production of a communication brief that will enable audiences to connect and engage with the chosen issue.

Target group: designers, public sector, NGO