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Pärnu Pärnu linn City of Pärnu
City
Pärnu
PärnuLocation of Pärnu in EstoniaShow map of EstoniaPärnuPärnu (Baltic Sea)Show map of Baltic SeaPärnuPärnu (Europe)Show map of Europe
Coordinates: 58°23′N 24°30′E / 58.383°N 24.500°E / 58.383; 24.500
Country	Estonia
County	Pärnu County
Municipality	Pärnu
Founded	1251
Area
• Total	32.22 km (12.44 sq mi)
Elevation	10 m (30 ft)
Population
• Total	40,228
• Rank	4th
• Density	1,200/km (3,200/sq mi)
Ethnicity (2021)
• Estonians	83.7%
• Russians	10.6%
• other	5.7%
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Vehicle registration	F

Pärnu (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈpærˑnu]) is the fourth-largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located 128 kilometres (80 mi) south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and 176 kilometres (109 mi) west of Estonia's second-largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga, which is a part of the Baltic Sea. In the city, the Pärnu River drains into the Gulf of Riga.

Pärnu is a popular summer holiday resort town among Estonians with many hotels, restaurants and large beaches. The city is served by Pärnu Airport.

History

Pärnu or Old Pärnu (Latin: Perona, German: Pernau, Alt-Pernau, Estonian: Vana-Pärnu), which was founded by the bishop of Ösel–Wiek c. 1251, suffered heavily under pressure of the concurrent town, and was finally destroyed c. 1600. Another town, Embeke (later German: Neu-Pernau, Estonian: Uus-Pärnu) was founded by the Livonian Order, who began building an Ordensburg nearby in 1265. The latter town, then known by the German name of Pernau, was a member of the Hanseatic League and an important ice-free harbor for Livonia. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took control of town between 1560 and 1617; the Poles and Lithuanians fought the Swedes nearby in 1609. Sweden took control of the town during the 16th-century Livonian War as part of Swedish Livonia, although it was not formally ceded by Poland-Lithuania until the 1660 Treaty of Oliva. Sweden then lost Livonia to the Russian Empire in the 1710 Capitulation of Estonia and Livonia and the 1721 Treaty of Nystad, following the Great Northern War. It belonged to the Imperial Russian Governorate of Livonia until 1917, when it was transferred to the short-lived Autonomous Governorate of Estonia. The city is occasionally referred to as Pyarnu, an incorrect reverse-transliteration from the Russian Пярну.

The town became part of independent Estonia in 1918 following World War I and the Estonian War of Independence.

The city was occupied by the Soviet Red Army along with the rest of Estonia in 1940 during World War II, and its German population fled the town. It was briefly occupied by Germany from 1941 until 1944 before it was reoccupied by the Soviet Union during its counteroffensives. Pärnu then continued as being part of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1944 to 1991, when Estonia restored its independence.

During the Great Northern War, the University of Dorpat (Tartu) was relocated to Pärnu from 1699 to 1710. The university has still maintained a branch campus in Pärnu to this day (1,000 students in the 2004/2005 school year).

Geography

Districts of Pärnu

There are seven districts in Pärnu: Ülejõe, Rääma, Vana-Pärnu, Kesklinn, Rannarajoon, Eeslinn and Raeküla.

Climate

Pärnu lies within the temperate humid continental climate zone.

Waterbodies

Pärnu River, Sauga River, Reiu River, Pärnu Moat, Pärnu Bay.

Pärnu Moat was previously a part of Pärnu Fortress. Nowadays, it is mainly used as a venue for different events.

Demographics

Economy

Today Pärnu is an economically balanced region with a comprehensive range of industries. Foreign investments and new businesses with up-to-date technologies have enhanced job creation and higher competitiveness of the businesses in the world markets. Several enterprises of Pärnu region stand out as the best in Estonia.

Significant flows of exports from Pärnu region and South-Estonia pass through the Port of Pärnu which lies at the mouth of the Pärnu River. In recent years, the port has developed into an important regional harbour for south-western and southern Estonia. Pärnu's fame as a rehabilitation and holiday resort dates back to the middle of the 19th century. The foundation of the first bathing facility in 1838 is considered the birth date of Pärnu resort. Today Pärnu has all desirable qualities of a modern holiday resort – it has spas and rehabilitation centres, hotels, conference and concert venues, golf courses and tennis courts, restaurants and pubs. It's long tradition as a resort has made Pärnu well known in Finland and Scandinavian countries.

Tourism

The majority of the tourists in Pärnu are Finns, Swedes and Russians. German, Latvian, and Norwegian tourists have also become more common.

In 1837, a tavern near the beach was made into a bathing establishment. The establishment accommodated 5–6 bathrooms that provided hot seawater baths in summer and operated as a sauna in winter. The wooden building was burnt down in the course of World War I. In 1927, the present stone building of Pärnu Mud Baths was erected at the same site.

Since 1996 Pärnu has been known as Estonia's Summer Capital.

Starting from 2015 the city of Pärnu hosts the annual Weekend Festival, the largest dance music festival in the Nordic and Baltic region. Stages are headlined by DJs from across the electronic dance music spectrum, with audiovisual support. Some of the past and upcoming artists to perform include Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Avicii, Steve Aoki, The Chainsmokers, Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Robin Schulz, Afrojack, deadmau5, Knife Party, Desiigner and many more. Pärnu is also known for its seawall. According to legend, if a couple holds hands while journeying along the wall and kisses at its endpoint they will stay together forever.

Notable people

• Elisabeth Aspe, writer
• Gustav Fabergé, jeweller
• Johann Voldemar Jannsen, journalist and poet
• Lili Kaelas, archeologist
• Tõnis Kasemets, race-car driver who has competed in ChampCar and IMSA
• Egon Kaur, rally driver
• Paul Keres, chess grandmaster
• Lydia Koidula, poet
• Ilmi Kolla, poet
• Kaie Kõrb, prima ballerina
• Karin Luts, artist
• Friedrich Martens, lawyer
• Kaili Närep, actress
• Rene Pais, professionally known as Syn Cole, DJ and musician
• Liisa Pulk, actress
• Rasmus Rändvee, singer
• Salme Reek, actress
• Georg Wilhelm Richmann, German physicist
• Erika Salumäe, track bicycle racer
• David Samoylov, poet
• August Sang, poet
• Olev Siinmaa, architect
• David Shrayer-Petrov, poet, fiction writer, translator, medical scientist
• Maxim D. Shrayer, author and literary scholar
• Lilli Suburg, writer
• Avo Sõmer, musicologist, music theorist, composer
• Kristin Tattar, athlete, disc golf world champion

Honorary citizens

• 1886 Konstantin Possiet
• 1901 Friedrich Fromhold Martens
• 1934 Konstantin Päts
• 2007 Neeme Järvi
• 2008 Valter Ojakäär
• 2009 Jüri Jaanson

Gallery

• Endla Theatre
• Nikolai street with St. Elizabeth's Church
• Pärnu beach promenade
• Sunset in Pärnu beach

See also

• Pärnu Leht

References

1. Population by sex, age and place of residence after the 2017 administrative reform, 1 January. Statistics Estonia.
2. University of Tartu Pärnu College
3. "LINNAOSADE JA -JAGUDE LÜHENDID". www.eki.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 18 March 2020.
4. "Climate normals-Temperature". Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
5. "Climate normals-Precipitation". Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
6. "Climate normals-Humidity". Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
7. "Climate normals-Sunshine". Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
8. "Rekordid" (in Estonian). Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
9. "Kliimanormid-Sademed, õhuniiskus" (in Estonian). Estonian Weather Service. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
10. "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
11. "Pärnu Sea Temperature". 2023-04-25.
12. "Pärnu moat, Estonia". Visitestonia.com. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
13. 1922 a. üldrahvalugemise andmed. Vihk I ja II, Rahva demograafiline koosseis ja korteriolud Eestis (in Estonian and French). Tallinn: Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo. 1924. p. 33. ISBN 9789916103067 – via Digar.
14. Rahvastiku koostis ja korteriolud. 1.III 1934 rahvaloenduse andmed. Vihk II (in Estonian and French). Tallinn: Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo. 1935. pp. 47–53. hdl:10062/4439.
15. Eesti Statistika : kuukiri 1942-03/04 (in German and Estonian). Tallinn: Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo. 1942. pp. 66–67.
16. Katus, Kalev; Puur, Allan; Põldma, Asta (2005). Rahvastiku ühtlusarvutatud sündmus- ja loendusstatistika: Pärnumaa 1965-1990. Sari C (in Estonian and English). Tallinn: Eesti Kõrgkoolidevaheline Demouuringute Keskus. pp. 31–32. ISBN 9985-820-83-5.
17. Население районов, городов и поселков городского типа Эстонской ССР : по данным Всесоюзной переписи населения на 15 января 1970 года (in Russian). Tallinn: Eesti NSV Statistika Keskvalitsus. 1972. p. 75.
18. ^ Eesti Vabariigi maakondade, linnade ja alevite rahvastik. 1. osa, Rahvaarv rahvuse, perekonnaseisu, hariduse ja elatusallikate järgi : 1989. a. rahvaloenduse andmed (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti Vabariigi Riiklik Statistikaamet. 1990. pp. 28, 33. ISBN 978-9949-7193-2-7 – via Digar.
19. "RL222: RAHVASTIK ELUKOHA JA RAHVUSE JÄRGI". Estonian Statistical Database (in Estonian).
20. "RL0429: RAHVASTIK RAHVUSE, SOO, VANUSERÜHMA JA ELUKOHA JÄRGI, 31. DETSEMBER 2011". Estonian Statistical Database. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
21. "RL21429: Rahvastik Rahvuse, Soo, Vanuserühma Ja ELukoha (Haldusüksus) Järgi, 31. DETSEMBER 2021". Estonian Statistical Database (in Estonian).
22. suvepealinn
23. "Short history – VisitPärnu.com". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
24. "Pärnu Seawall".

24. Republic of Pärnu website Republic of Pärnu in-game page "The Republic of Pärnu", fictional nation on sim-strat game politicsandwar.com. browser-video-game. Created C. 2022

External links

• The Official Tourist Information Centre Foundation of Pärnu
• Parnu tour overview Archived 2006-09-07 at the Wayback Machine
• Sightseeing on Your own
• MERKO: 2010–2011 Pärnu moat and park area reconstruction, land reclamation and landscaping, with 6 photos
• Maxim D. Shrayer. Dunes of Happiness: Fifteen Summers in Estonia. Baltic Worlds (September 2013).
• https://there
• publicofparnugov.odoo.com/en
• SONKS! Best hair salon to visit in Pärnu

v t e Cities and towns of Estonia
Abja-Paluoja Antsla Elva Haapsalu Jõgeva Jõhvi Kallaste Kärdla Karksi-Nuia Kehra Keila Kilingi-Nõmme Kiviõli Kohtla-Järve Kunda Kuressaare Lihula Loksa Maardu Mõisaküla Mustvee Narva Narva-Jõesuu Otepää Paide Paldiski Pärnu Põltsamaa Põlva Püssi Rakvere Räpina Rapla Saue Sillamäe Sindi Suure-Jaani Tallinn Tamsalu Tapa Tartu Tõrva Türi Valga Viljandi Võhma Võru
Jaanilinn (Ivangorod) and Petseri (Pechory) were annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945 and are currently part of Russia.

v t e Settlements in Pärnu (urban municipality)
Town	Pärnu
Boroughs	Lavassaare Paikuse
Small boroughs	Audru Tõstamaa
Villages	Ahaste Alu Aruvälja Eassalu Ermistu Jõõpre Kabriste Kärbu Kastna Kavaru Kihlepa Kiraste Kõima Kõpu Lao Lemmetsa Liiva Lindi Liu Lõuka Malda Manija Männikuste Marksa Oara Papsaare Päraküla Peerni Põhara Põldeotsa Põlendmaa Pootsi Rammuka Ranniku Ridalepa Saari Saulepa Seliste Seljametsa Silla Soeva Soomra Tammuru Tõhela Tõlli Tuuraste Valgeranna Värati Vaskrääma

v t e Members of the Hanseatic League by quarter, and trading posts of the Hanseatic League
Chief cities shown in smallcaps. Free Imperial Cities of the Holy Roman Empire shown in italics.
Wendish	Lübeck Anklam Demmin Greifswald Hamburg Kolberg (Kołobrzeg) Lüneburg Rostock Rügenwalde (Darłowo) Stettin (Szczecin) Stolp (Słupsk) Stargard Stockholm Stralsund Visby Wismar
Saxon	Brunswick Magdeburg Berlin Bremen Erfurt Frankfurt an der Oder Goslar Mühlhausen Nordhausen
Baltic	Danzig (Gdańsk) Breslau (Wrocław) Dorpat (Tartu) Elbing (Elbląg) Königsberg (Kaliningrad) Cracow (Kraków) Reval (Tallinn) Riga (Rīga) Thorn (Toruń)
Westphalian	Cologne Dortmund Deventer Groningen Kampen Münster Osnabrück Soest Zutphen Zwolle
Kontore	Bryggen (Bergen) Kontor of Bruges Bruges Antwerp  Steelyard (London) Peterhof (Novgorod)
Vitten	Falsterbo Malmö
Factories	Bishop's Lynn Bristol Boston Ipswich Kaunas Leith Herford Hull Newcastle Polotsk Pskov Yarmouth York
Cologne and Dortmund were both chief city of the Westphalian Quarter at different times. The kontor was moved to Antwerp once Bruges became inaccessible due to the silting of the Zwin channel.

v t e Pärnu landmarks
Buildings and structures	Town Hall Red Tower Pärnu Moat St. Elizabeth's Church St. Catherine's Church The Lord's Transfiguration Orthodox Church Tallinn Gate Ammende Villa Pärnu Breakwaters
Precincts	City Centre
Nature and parks	Pärnu River Beach Park
Beaches	Pärnu Beach
Cultural institutions	Endla Theatre Pärnu Central Library Pärnu Concert Hall
Sports	Pärnu Rannastaadion Pärnu Sports Hall
Transportation	Port of Pärnu Pärnu Airport Railway station Bus
Entertainment	Pärnu Mud Baths Tervise Paradiis

• Pärnu (urban municipality)
• Pärnu
• Cities and towns in Estonia
• Populated places in Pärnu County
• Gulf of Riga
• Populated coastal places in Estonia
• Port cities and towns of the Baltic Sea
• Spa towns in Estonia
• 13th-century establishments in Estonia
• Populated places established in the 1250s
• 1251 establishments in Europe
• Kreis Pernau
• Members of the Hanseatic League
• Port cities and towns in Estonia