TopSeal 2006

TopSeal 2006 will be hosted by Teollisuuden Voima Oy at the Olkiluoto Visitor Centre on the west coast of Finland. The Visitor Centre is a major attraction in the region and has received 12,000 visitors in 2004. The current, brand new Visitor Centre has opened its doors on 1 February 2006 and includes a scientific exhibition, a cafeteria, and the conference facilities that TopSeal will use. It is beautifully located on the shores of the Fluta Sea, next to the Olkiluoto power plant.

Olkiluoto, is of the utmost importance for nuclear industry. Indeed at Olkiluoto construction work has not only started on Olkiluoto 3, Finland’s fifth reactor and the first nuclear reactor in Western Europe in more than a decade, but also on an underground rock characterization facility, ONKALO, designed to conduct studies for the long-term storage of spent fuel.

The delegates will lodge in nearby Rauma, located on the coast at 25 km from Olkiluoto. Rauma is a bustling regional centre with a maritime history dating back to 1442. Its major tourist attraction consists of 600 wooden houses in the historic town centre. Old Rauma is one of the largest and most beautiful examples of Nordic wooden architecture of an urban settlement in Scandinavia. It offers picturesque sights, cobbled streets, countless little shops, and a lively market place. Old Rauma is one of the four UNESCO World Heritage sites in Finland.

The scenery outside Rauma is equally lovely. On the seaside, the nearby Turku archipelago with its thousands of islands and islets is one of the most beautiful in Scandinavia. Inland, the forest is everywhere. Finland is Europe’s most forested country. Two-thirds of the country is covered with trees - green gold, which account for 30% of Finnish exports. No wonder that nature and peace of mind are an important part of the Finnish way of life.

Both Olkiluoto and Rauma are only accessible by road. During the conference, a return bus transfer between Olkiluoto and Rauma will be provided for the TopSeal delegates. Since the hotels are located in Rauma, the delegates must first travel to Rauma.

The most convenient way to reach Rauma is to fly directly to one of the two closest international airports in Pori (north, 50 km) or Turku (south, 90 km), and continue the journey by road. If no direct flights are available or suitable, it is recommended to fly to Helsinki or Stockholm and take connecting flights to Pori or Turku. Helsinki is about 250 km to the east.
At Pori or Turku airport, it is possible to take a taxi to Rauma or else to rent a car. Alternatively, there are good intercity bus connections (www.expressbus.com) with buses going every 1-3 hours except during the night or train connections (www.vr.fi).

map

Map courtesy TVO

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At Pori or Turku airport, it is possible to take a taxi to Rauma or else to rent a car. Alternatively, there are good intercity bus connections with buses going every 1-3 hours except during the night.

It is also possible to rent a car in Helsinki and drive to Rauma (240 km). For detailed driving instructions, please see www.tvo.fi/476.htm.

It is possible to reserve a taxi in advance with the taxi company Raumair, tel. +358 2 822 5544 and fax +358 2 822 5544. The price of a one-way trip is 103 Euro (unless the taxi is being shared with others).