Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, an ...

. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of

Pärnu Bay Pärnu Bay ( et, Pärnu laht) is a bay in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Livonia (Gulf of Riga), in southern Estonia. Geography It has an area of 411 km2.Gulf of Riga, which is a part of the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

. In the city, the

Pärnu River Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet ...

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

Perona (german: Alt-Pernau, links=no, et, Vana-Pärnu, links=no), which was founded by the bishop of Ösel–Wiek , suffered heavily under pressure of the concurrent town, and was finally destroyed . Another town, Embeke (later german: Neu-Pernau, links=no, et, Uus-Pärnu, links=no) was founded by the Livonian Order, who began building an Ordensburg nearby in 1265. The latter town, then known by the German name of , was a member of the Hanseatic League and an important ice-free harbor for Livonia. The

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...

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 The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

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 . The town became part of independent Estonia in 1918 following

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and the Estonian War of Independence. The city was occupied by the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

along with the rest of Estonia in 1940 during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, and its German population fled the town. It was briefly occupied by

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

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

, Sauga River, Reiu River,

Pärnu Moat Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of ...

Pärnu Bay Pärnu Bay ( et, Pärnu laht) is a bay in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Livonia (Gulf of Riga), in southern Estonia. Geography It has an area of 411 km2.

Demography

Population change

Ethnic groups

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. Long tradition of 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

. 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 Weekend Festival is a music festival taking place in Hämeenlinna, previously also in Helsinki, Stockholm and Pärnu. The festival was organised for the first time in Luukki, Espoo (about 25 km from the centre of Helsinki), Finland on the 17 ...

, the largest dance music festival in the Nordic and

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages *Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...

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 Martijn Gerard Garritsen (; born 14 May 1996), known professionally as Martin Garrix and also as Ytram and GRX, is a Dutch disc jockey and music producer who was ranked number one on ''DJ Mag''s Top 100 DJs list for three consecutive years—201 ...

David Guetta Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...

Avicii Tim Bergling (; 8 September 1989 – 20 April 2018), known professionally as Avicii (, ), was a Swedish DJ, remixer and music producer. At the age of 16, Bergling began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first re ...

Steve Aoki Steven Hiroyuki Aoki (, ; born November 30, 1977), best known as Steve Aoki, is an American DJ, record producer, music programmer, and record executive.

, The Chainsmokers, Tiësto, Armin van Buuren,

Hardwell Robbert van de Corput (; born January 7, 1988), known professionally as Hardwell, is a Dutch DJ and music producer from Breda. He was voted the world's number one DJ by '' DJ Mag'' in 2013 and again in 2014. In 2022, he was ranked at number 43 ...

, Robin Schulz,

Afrojack Nick Leonardus van de Wall (; born 9 September 1987), better known as Afrojack, is a Dutch DJ, music producer and remixer from Spijkenisse, South Holland. In 2007, he founded the record label Wall Recordings; his debut album '' Forget the Worl ...

, 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.

Gallery

File:Endla teatrihoone 2020.jpg, Endla Theatre File:St. Elizabeth's Church, Pärnu 4.jpg, Nikolai street with St. Elizabeth's Church File:Pärnu rannapromenaad 2014.jpg, Pärnu beach promenade File:Sunset in Pärnu beach (1).jpg, left, Sunset in Pärnu beach.

Honorary citizens of Pärnu

* 1886 Konstantin Possiet * 1901 Friedrich Fromhold Martens * 1934 Konstantin Päts * 2007 Neeme Järvi *

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

Valter Ojakäär Valter Ojakäär (10 March 1923 Pärnu – 27 October 2016 Tallinn) was an Estonian composer, instrumentalist, music publicist and author. In 1956 he graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (''Eesti ...

* 2009 Jüri Jaanson

Notable residents

* Gustav Fabergé, jeweller *

Johann Voldemar Jannsen Johann Voldemar Jannsen ( in Vändra, Kreis Pernau, Livonia, Russian Empire – , in Tartu) was an Estonian journalist and poet active in Livonia. He wrote the words of the patriotic song "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm", which later became t ...

, Estonian journalist and poet * Lili Kaelas, archeologist *

Tõnis Kasemets Tõnis Kasemets (born March 17, 1974 in Pärnu, Estonia) is an Estonian racing driver and a former competitor in the CART Champ Car World Series. He won the 2022 IMSA Prototype Challenge championship. Career Kasemets emigrated to the United Sta ...

, race-car driver who has competed in ChampCar and IMSA * Paul Keres, chess grandmaster * Lydia Koidula, poet * Kaie Kõrb, prima ballerina *

Karin Luts Karin Luts (29 April 1904 – 14 May 1993) was a Estonian female painter and a graphic artist. Biography Karin Luts was born in Riidaja in Valga County to parents Andres and Juuli Mari Luts (''née'' Gentalen) in April 1904 where she was one of ...

, Estonian artist * Friedrich Martens, lawyer *

Kaili Närep Kaili Närep (born 16 August 1970) is an Estonian stage, television and film actress whose career began in 1991. She has been engaged at the Ugala theatre in Viljandi and the Endla Theatre in Pärnu, where she also worked as a makeup artist. Näre ...

, actress * David Oistrakh, violinist *

Liisa Pulk Liisa Pulk (born 12 June 1985) is an Estonian stage, television, voice, and film actress whose career began in 2010. Early life and education Liisa Pulk was born in Pärnu, where she attended primary and secondary schools. She is a 2004 graduat ...

, actress * Rasmus Rändvee, singer *

Salme Reek Salme Reek (10 November 1907 – 9 June 1996) was an Estonian stage, film, radio, and television actress and stage director whose career spanned nearly seventy years; sixty-six of which were spent as an actress at the Estonian Drama Theatre. ...

, actress *

Georg Wilhelm Richmann Georg Wilhelm Richmann () (22 July 1711 – 6 August 1753), (Old Style: 11 July 1711 – 26 July 1753) was a Russian Imperial physicist of Baltic German descent. Richmann did pioneering work on electricity, atmospheric electricity, and calorimetr ...

, German physicist *

Erika Salumäe Erika Salumäe (born 11 June 1962) is an Estonian track bicycle racer who won the first Olympic gold medal for Estonia after the country regained independence in 1991. Salumäe was born in Pärnu, Estonia. She trained at VSS Kalev in Tallin ...

, track bicycle racer *

David Samoylov David Samoylov (russian: Давид Самойлов), pseudonym of David Samuilovich Kaufman (russian: Давид Самуилович Кауфман; 1 June 1920 — 23 February 1990) was one of the most notable representatives of the War gener ...

, poet *

August Sang August Sang (27 July 1914 – 14 October 1969) was an Estonian poet and literary translator.Marcel Cornis-Pope, John Neubauer, ''History of the literary cultures of East-Central Europe: junctures and disjunctures in the 19th and 20th centuries, ...

, poet *

Olev Siinmaa Olev Siinmaa (November 12, 1881 – March 29, 1948), was an Estonian architect who is perhaps best recalled for his work in the style coined "Pärnu Resort Functionalism". Olev Siinmaa was born Oskar Siimann in Pärnu into a joinery shop own ...

, architect * David Shrayer-Petrov, poet, fiction writer, translator, medical scientist *

Maxim D. Shrayer Maxim D. Shrayer (russian: Шраер, Максим Давидович; born June 5, 1967, Moscow, USSR) is a bilingual Russian-American author, translator, and literary scholar, and a professor of Russian, English, and Jewish Studies at Boston ...

, author and literary scholar *

Avo Sõmer Avo Sõmer (born 1934) is an American musicologist music theorist, and composer, of Estonian birth. Sõmer was born in Tartu, Estonia. He emigrated from Estonia with his parents in 1944, when he was ten years old, first to Germany and then t ...

, musicologist, music theorist, composer * Kristin Tattar, athlete, disc golf world champion

Sister cities

Pánd Pánd is a village in Pest county, Hungary. Location Pánd is located between the towns of Káva and Tápióbicske along the minor road connecting Nagykáta and Monor. It is almost entirely located in the valleys of Őr Hill and Dobos Hill ...

References

Dunes of Happiness: Fifteen Summers in Estonia
Baltic Worlds (September 2013).

External links

The Official Tourist Information Centre Foundation of Pärnu

Parnu tour overview

MERKO: 2010–2011 Pärnu moat and park area reconstruction, land reclamation and landscaping
with 6 photos {{DEFAULTSORT:Parnu 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