The pre-conference workshops (16th of June 2026) and the main conference (17 - 19 June 2026) will be organized on the premises of University of Tartu - adjacent buildings of Department of Geography (Vanemuise 46) and Institute of Genomics (Omicum - Riia 23b). In addition, majority of locations in Tartu are reachable via a 15-minute walk.
Aerial view of the Department of Geography - ©Andres Tennus
Institute of Genomics - Omicum - ©Merli Neito
In these 2 buildings participants have enough space for enjoying parallel sessions, workshops and also finding a quiet corner for some undisturbed work.
Left: Omicum. Middle and right: Dept. of Geography - © Andres Tennus
Tartu - a 15-minute city
Tartu proudly considers itself a 15 - minute city which means everything is within a 10-20 minute walking distance and therefore you do not need a car nor public transport to get around to most places. In addition, Tartu has a very efficient bike-share system which also gets to the suburbs of Tartu. From the train station the venue is a 10-minute walk and from the bus station 20 minutes walk away.
Tartu is situated in Southern Estonia. The capital city of Estonia is Tallinn which is 180 km to the North-West. It lies about halfway down the stream on the banks of river Emajõgi, one of the largest rivers of Estonia connecting the lakes Võrtsjärv and Peipsi. Tartu is an old historic region (historically also known as Tarbatu, or Dorpat) and was first mentioned by medieval chroniclers in 1030.
With a population of 100K, it is the second largest city in Estonia, and home to multiple universities (including the University of Tartu established in 1632), and is often referred to as the “intellectual capital city” of Estonia. The slogan of Tartu is "City of good thoughts". At every corner in Tartu, there are small parks, concert venues, exhibition halls, theatres, churches, museums and charming little cafés as well as various pubs and restaurants. An inseparable part of the city is its students who comprise around a quarter of the population and generate a lot of fun and energy.
© Raivo Aunap
Tartu is also home to the Ministry of Education and Research, the Estonian National Museum, the Supreme Court of Estonia, and theatre Vanemuine - the oldest Estonian-language theater in Estonia. Tartu is also the focal point of Estonia’s active technology sector as well as a hotbed of IT development and start-ups.
About Estonia
- The Republic of Estonia is situated in Northern Europe along the Baltic Sea and has approximately 1.3 million inhabitants.
- The official language is Estonian.
- Estonia has a membership in the European Union, Schengen Area, WTO, NATO and OECD.
- Currency is euro (since 2011)
- For visa-related questions, please visit the website of Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Government of the Republic of Estonia has approved a sanction imposing a restriction on citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus applying for an Estonian visa.
Useful materials
Organizers
