Pärnu is the southern capital of Estonia, the main national
resort and the warmest sea in Estonia, although the city is
interesting not only for this. A good historical center has been
preserved here, surrounded by extensive resort buildings with notes
of wooden architecture and Estonian avant-garde. The areas of
residential buildings, beautiful villas and resort buildings are
moved by cozy parks and excellent seascapes, for which it is worth
visiting Parna even for those who are not too interested in a resort
holiday.
The date of foundation of the Parnu is reliably
unknown. It is assumed that the first settlement at the mouth of the
Pärnu River arose in the 1220s immediately after the colonization of
Estonia by the Crusaders. At some point, the bishop of Ezel, who
moved from Lihula, settled here on the right bank of the river, and
on the left, where the city center is now located, the crusaders
began to build their castle — so the old and new Pernov arose,
respectively. In 1265, they were both destroyed by the Lithuanians,
the bishop was offended and moved to Haapsala, but the crusaders
stayed and did not lose: Pärnu (known at that time as Pernov) grew
rapidly and already in the 14th century joined the Hanseatic League
as a key point on the waterway to Pskov and Novgorod. The Order's
castle was surrounded by a fortress, but we can only judge exactly
how it looked by the only surviving tower standing alone among the
later buildings. Probably, Pärnu was fortified much worse than
Tallinn, since in 1576 the Russian army took the city by fright.
Then Sweden and Poland actively fought here for 40 years, until in
1617 Pernov finally fell to Sweden. The Swedes, in turn, knew a lot
about defense and began to correct the mistakes of their
predecessors. The old walls were demolished, earthen ramparts and
seven bastions surrounded by a moat were built instead, named after
the planets. These bastions have not survived either, but at least
their traces are clearly visible on the ground.
The
Swedish period was favorable for Pärnu and, in a sense,
city-forming. Having destroyed the unnecessary fortifications of the
Order's castle, the Swedes gave the city a regular rectangular plan
that distinguishes the Old Town of Pärnu from Tallinn or Riga. If
only the Red Tower has survived from the Order period, then the
period of Swedish rule has already been marked by several buildings
that are still medieval in spirit and style, but no longer
Hanseatic. In the second half of the XVII century, the university,
or at least part of it, which fled from the troubled Dorpat, even
found shelter in Pärnu: there is also information that the
university moved to Tallinn. Nevertheless, Swedish fortification
efforts proved futile: in 1710, the Russian army occupied the city
almost without a fight, taking advantage of the fact that almost its
entire garrison died of the plague. Then the same story repeats as a
century earlier: the Russian army strengthens fortifications, builds
special powder magazines at each bastion (one of them even survived,
albeit in an insanely rebuilt form), but in the end it all turns out
to be unnecessary, since there was no one else to defend the Pyarna.
In the middle of the XIX century, the fortress was liquidated,
boulevards were laid out on the site of the bastions, and Parnu,
along with Haapsalu and Kuressaare, turned into a resort town.
However, Pärnu did not live as a single resort. In the 19th
century, the textile and pulp and paper industries appeared here,
during the years of the first Republic, the city acted both as a
resort and as an important industrial center. In September 1944, it
was severely destroyed by Soviet bombing, the historical center was
especially damaged. Unfortunately, it was decided not to restore it,
and the oldest cathedral, like Konigsberg Castle, was simply
demolished. The Soviet period supplemented the Pärnu industry with
the production of canned fish and woodworking, especially the skis
produced here were known. Now there is nothing of this anymore, the
port is sluggishly functioning in the city, but otherwise Parnu has
completely entered the status of a quiet and cozy resort town with a
wonderful beach, beautiful buildings and a network of streets, on
which here and there there are cute cafes. There are not so many
antiquities here, but you will have something to see.
The
climate in Pärnu is milder than in Tallinn. In summer, the cold wind
does not blow from the sea, so the temperature rises to 25-28
degrees, the sea warms up well in shallow water. From a climatic
point of view, Pärnu is similar to the shores of the Riga seaside
and is great for a beach holiday — however, only in summer, and even
then not always. The bathing season lasts here for two months at
most, from the end of June to the middle of August, but demand
during this period is the highest; on a hot summer day there will be
nowhere to fall on the beach. If you are not interested in swimming,
it is better to go in late spring or early autumn, when it is
relatively warm in Parna and at the same time quite deserted.
Tourist Information Center, Uus 4, +372 447 3000,
e-mail:
parnu@visitestonia.com.
The old town is, in fact, the New Pärnu on the left bank of the
river. The oldest part of Pärnu was located on the right bank, but it
was destroyed so often that by the 19th century nothing remained there,
and now the building is exceptionally modern. However, the New Parnu is
also not very well preserved. Before World War II, it occupied the
entire territory of the Swedish fortress, from the river in the north to
the semicircle of boulevards in the south. The Soviet bombing of 1944
destroyed more than half of the buildings, so now everything is mixed in
here — stone and wooden buildings; historical, Soviet and even modern —
and the area north of Pikk Street looks entirely like a new building.
However, some kind of cozy and authentic atmosphere in the center of
Pärnu has still been preserved. Unlike Tallinn, where the hyped Old Town
has acquired a strong tourist and museum component, in Parnu it is still
the center of public life: the place where locals come to go shopping
and sit in cafes. The main street is pedestrian Rüütli. A ring of
Swedish bastions is still clearly visible around the Old Town, many of
which have been turned into parks and squares.
1 Elizabeth Church
(Eliisabeti kirik), Nikolai 22. The 1744-1747 Baroque Lutheran Church is
named after the Russian Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, who allocated money
for the construction. The church has a rather unusual angular shape, it
has two halls that seem to merge with each other, and each of them has
its own organ. The interior of the church is completely wooden, with
creaking wooden floors, which, again, is quite typical for Estonian
churches of the New Era.
2 St. Catherine's Church (Katariina kirik) ,
Vee 8. Orthodox church, built in the same Baroque style in 1764-68, only
20 years later than the previous one, but now by decree of Catherine II.
However, the two churches of the Old City are even less similar to each
other than the empresses who gave them their names. The Lutheran church
is simple and even plain, while the Orthodox church is luxurious and is
perhaps the most striking example of Baroque architecture in Estonia,
which would not be lost anywhere in the vicinity of St. Petersburg. The
point here, however, is not in the denomination, but in the rapidly
changing fashion. In the XVIII century, the state promoted the
construction of both Orthodox and Lutheran churches in the Baltic States
(there is a similar pair, for example, in Vyra), but then everything
depended on the specific architect: in Parnu it turned out to be
extremely elegant and harmonious, even if the Baroque church is not
suitable for the medieval Old Town. According to the good Estonian
tradition, the church is most often closed, but if you manage to get
inside, pay attention to the rich iconostasis, the same age as the
temple.
3 Red Tower (Punane torn) , Hospidali 8 (in the courtyard).
Wed–Sun 10:00 – 18:00. €7. Isn't she white? No, in the original version
it is still red, lined with red bricks. The tower dates approximately
from the first half of the XV century and belonged either to the order's
castle or to the fortress surrounding it. When in the XVII century the
Swedes broke down the old fortifications and arranged a new layout in
the city, the tower turned out to be in the depths of the quarter and
was used as a prison for a long time. Then in 1783 it was rebuilt, again
for a prison, used as a museum, city archive, reconstructed in the
1970s, and finally it turned out what we see now - the oldest building
in the city, which really looks very medieval, somewhat resembling the
Tolstaya Margarita Tower in Tallinn (she also has very thick walls). Be
sure to study the location of the tower: it is hidden in the courtyard,
it is almost impossible to notice it from the street. Now the tower
houses a branch of the city museum, which has turned it into a "circular
cinema", where a film about the history of the city is shown on the
walls. There are almost no original exhibits, and ticket prices are
frankly overpriced, taking into account the little that can be seen
inside.
4 Transfiguration Cathedral (Issandamuutmise kirik) , Aia
5. The Orthodox Church of 1904 is made in the pseudo-Russian style of
yellow brick and stands out somewhat from the general row of Parnu
buildings. Its gates look especially strange, decorated with
wrought-iron leaves and flowers in the spirit of those bright and
tasteless artificial flowers that are sometimes placed on graves. Now
the church has a cathedral status and is the main temple of the
Parnu-Saarem diocese.
5 Tallinn Gate (Tallinna värav) , Ehtu. The
gate is the only thing left of the Swedish fortress in Pärnu. Usually
the gates date back to the XVII century, although for Sweden and the
XVII century they look somehow too cheerful. To the north of the gate
there is a fragment of the city rampart and a moat turned into a pond
(pay attention to the beautiful fountains!) A little to the south is
Munamyagi Hill, formerly part of the Mercury Bastion.
6 Powder
magazine, Pühavaimu 19. The last reminder of the Russian fortifications
of the Pernovo fortress after the victory over Sweden in the Northern
War. The reminder, however, is weak, since from the outside it is
absolutely impossible to take this neo-Gothic building for an
18th-century fortress, and the marble plaque hanging on the wall "Gym
(Powder magazine). The XVII century" is completely confusing. In fact,
all the cellars belong to the Russian period (i.e. by the XVIII
century), during the liquidation of the fortress, they were mostly
destroyed, but one was preserved, and in 1906 the Riga architect rebuilt
it into a gymnasium. Now there is an archive here, they are not allowed
inside — it is all the more curious to view the building from the
outside. On one side you will see a blank wall, which is probably
preserved from the original building. The rest is remade in a slightly
playful and impeccably elegant, authentic Riga spirit with a noticeable
neo-Gothic influence. One might even think that this is a slightly
rebuilt church. Also pay attention to the nearby school building (1902)
— another monument of approximately the same style and one of the rare
Neo-Gothic buildings in Estonia.
7 Monument of Independence (Eesti
Vabariigi iseseisvuse väljakuulutamise mälestusmärk) , Aia 2. The most
unusual monument of Estonian independence is a granite structure
symbolizing the balcony of the city theater, from which the
establishment of the Republic of Estonia was announced on February 23,
1918. This theater, like many buildings in the city center, was
destroyed during the Second World War. They did not restore it for
obvious ideological reasons, and only in 2005 the balcony was recreated;
the Soviet concrete box of the Pärnu hotel now stands on the site of the
theater.
8 Lydia Koidula monument. The main Estonian poet was born
in Pärnu — her native house was even preserved across the river, and in
the city center in 1929 a monument by Amandus Adamson, the most famous
Estonian sculptor, was erected in her honor. As always with this author,
the figure organically grows out of stone and looks very lively,
naturally. There is a park around, where there are stands with
translations of Koidula's poems into a dozen European languages.
9 Malls. Two jetties at the mouth of the Pärnu River were built
almost at the end of the XVIII century (in wood), and in 1863-64 they
were replaced by stone ones stretching into the sea for almost two
kilometers. It is inconvenient to go to the left pier, you will have to
bypass the port — but the right one is quite accessible, it starts at
the northwestern edge of the city beach. The path along the jetty to its
far end will take a good half hour, since jumping on the rocks is very
inconvenient — the reward for your efforts will be complete loneliness
and unity with the sea. In summer, it is better to look at the Baltic
Sea from here, since the beach is overloaded with vacationers.
10
Villa Ammende (Ammende Villa) , Mere pst. 7. A magnificent villa in the
Art Nouveau style (1905), which was practically not built in Estonia —
the harsh Northern Art Nouveau is much more common here, and the villa
tends more towards the light Riga. There are many interesting details
both outside and inside. Now there is an expensive restaurant and an
elite hotel in the building, but it's still worth looking inside to see
at least a small glimpse of the beautiful interiors.
11 Mud Baths
building (Pärnu mudaravila) , Ranna pst. 1. A beautiful neoclassical
building was built in 1926-27. next to the city beach. Curiously, its
author was Olev Siinmaa, who later designed many of the functionalist,
much more radical in design buildings of the Parnu, which now adorn the
marine "facade" of the resort. Unfortunately, the interiors of the mud
baths were not preserved and were replaced with modern ones during the
reconstruction of 2013-14. Jan 2024
12 Kurzal (Pärnu kuursaal), Mere
pst 22. The wooden building built in 1880 with a carved roof is a
characteristic Estonian design of the turn of the XIX-XX centuries.
Inside, as before, there is a restaurant, but the interior,
unfortunately, has not been preserved.
13 Beach cafe building (Pärnu
rannakohvik) , Ranna pst 3. The marine "facade", stretching along the
beach line, is completed by two functionalist buildings designed by Olev
Siinmaa — a squat cafe from 1938 with round porthole windows and a hotel
built in 1937 (now Scandic Rannahotell) standing next to it.
As the main Estonian resort, Pärnu was actively built up during the
first Republic, so angular villas from the 1930s are constantly found in
the city. There are many of them, for example, in the area of Sadama
Street near the Old Town, and right at the beginning of the pedestrian
street Rüütli stands the house of Olev Siinmaa, built in the same
functionalist style.
14 Alevi Cemetery (Alevi kalmistu) , Riia
mnt. The old cemetery, opened in 1773 after the decree of Catherine II
prohibited burials in churches. There are many graves of Baltic Germans
here (the richest of them built entire chapels for themselves), as well
as an expressive monument to those who died in the war for Estonian
independence. It was designed by the indefatigable Amandus Adamson and
opened in 1922.
15 Eco-trail (Pärnu rannaniidu matkarada) , Side. A
600-meter walking trail is laid along wooden bridges at the place where
the Pärnu beach turns into a coastal swamp. Of the animals here, you can
only see ducks, but it's still nice to walk, especially in early summer,
when flowers bloom in the glades.
16 Observation tower (Mai
linnuvaatlustorn). A quieter and more secluded place is a bird—watching
tower a kilometer east of the eco-trail.
17 Kuldne Kodu (Kuldne
Kodu). One of the most striking monuments of Estonian modernism is a
housing complex built on the northern outskirts of Pärnu in 1974-84. It
includes two "terraced" houses stretched along the street with a length
of 300 meters each, which is incredibly large for Estonia, but in a
chamber Parnu it seems simply unthinkable. Externally, the buildings are
very reminiscent of pre-war Finnish architecture, which was the focus of
the authors who worked for the local construction cooperative (Pärnu
KEK), where similar experiments were allowed. The buildings were also
experimental in their layout: for example, they implemented the now
popular, but for the Soviet era completely radical idea of connecting a
living room and a kitchen in one room.
1 City Museum (Pärnu Muuseum) , Aida 3 (north of Pikk Street). 10:00
– 18:00 except Mon. €13. A large, though not very substantial museum of
local lore, in which form confidently prevails over content. Everything
is brand new and stylish, signatures in two languages (Estonian and
English), a bunch of interactive screens with videos and illustrations,
but there are few exhibits themselves, and the entire exposition boils
down to the history of Pärnu from ancient times to the present day, and
the most ancient times begin with a detailed story about the Estonian
fortress of Soontaga, which was, in fact, in the vicinity of Lihula. The
most interesting thing here is the layout of the 17th-century Parnu,
although there is not even detailed information about individual
buildings in the museum.
2 Lydia Koidula House Museum (Koidula
Muuseum), Jannseni 37. Wed–Sat 10:00 – 18:00. €7. The branch of the
previous one is located a kilometer from the city center in an old
wooden house on the opposite, right bank of the river. The most
interesting thing here is the house itself — squat, one-story and at the
same time quite spacious. The museum is equally dedicated to the main
Estonian poetess and her father Johan Jannsen, a well—known public
figure who first published a newspaper in Estonian: since 1857, the
Pärnu postman (Perno Postimees), since 1863 the Estonian Postman (Eesti
Postimees), and since 1886 - simply Postimees, which, by the way, to
this day The day remains one of the main Estonian print publications. It
cannot be said that the museum tells in detail about Koidula's
biography, although you will get some information here: for example, you
will see that with another propagandist of the Estonian language,
Friedrich Kreutzwald (see She corresponded in German, and lived in
Kronstadt, having married a man of non-Estonian origin, after which she
was criticized by some of her fans. There are explanations in English
for the stands, but in general the museum is more intended for
connoisseurs of Estonian culture, to whom the name Koidula means
something.
3 The beach (Pärnu rand). As is often the case in the
Baltic, the beach in Pärnu is not very large — from the mouth of the
river it stretches for about 2 km and turns into a swamp; there is a
piece of the same swamp right next to the center, where it is separated
from the sea by a wide strip of sand. Pärnu beach is ideal in the cold
season; it is good to walk along it, looking at the sea, since the sand
is hard and does not fit into shoes. In the short summer season, the
beach is filled with people, infrastructure like umbrellas and sun
loungers are everywhere, and vacationers are usually grouped by
interests. For example, part of the beach is reserved for swimming
without clothes: for some reason, the border of this zone is marked with
signs "Women's Beach", although in fact everyone swims there, both in
clothes and without.
4 Water Park (Tervise Paradiis) , Side 14 (SPA
Tervise Paradiis Hotel). Ticket for 3 hours: about €20, for the day:
€25-28. If the sea seemed too cold to you, you can take a look at the
water park, which is called "the largest in Estonia". There is a 4-meter
diving tower and a variety of water slides. After paying a couple of
euros, you will also get access to a regular swimming pool and sauna.
5 Endla Theater (Endla Teater), Keskväljak 1. An Estonian city is
unthinkable without a theater. Its current building was built in 1967
and modernized in the early 2000s. On the ground floor there is a good
cafe with inexpensive weekday lunches and delicious desserts at any
time. Performances are played almost every day, mostly local productions
— of course, in Estonian.
By plane
The tiny Pärnu Airport is mainly used for seasonal
flights to Ruhnu Island, which are usually operated from October to
April. From the crash, the same plane then flies to Kuressaar. A trip
between Pärnu and Saaremaa with a stop at Ruhnu can be an interesting
and rather non-standard route, but it is more suitable for the warm
season, when there is a ferry instead of planes.
There are direct
flights to Helsinki in summer.
1 Pärnu Airport (Pärnu lennujaam,
IATA:EPU). Due to the short runway and small size of the passenger
terminal, it accepts exclusively turboprop aircraft. The airport is
located 6 km northwest of the city, bus No. 23 runs here twice a day
from the bus station, but it is not tied to any flights, but simply
brings and takes away employees.
By bus
Buses from Tallinn
come to Parna (on average once an hour, 2 hours on the way), buses to
Riga also stop here (from Riga 2.5 hours and 8-10 buses per day). There
is a regular connection from Tartu (3 hours) via Viljandi (1.5 hours),
buses run less frequently on average every 2 hours In other directions;
however, 1-2 times a day you can go directly to Kuressaare (3 hours),
Haapsala (2.5 hours) and Valga (2.5 hours), and also, cross Estonia
diagonally using the preserved direct bus to St. Petersburg via Narva (5
hours).
2 Bus Station (Pärnu bussijaam), Pikk 13. 6:30 – 21:00. A
modern building with integrated R-kiosk (Mon–Fri 6:30 – 21:00, Sat–Sun
8:00 – 20:00) and bakery Pagaripoisid (Mon–Sat 7:00 – 18:00, Sun 8:00 –
17:00), and in the latter soup and one hot dish are prepared every day.
By evening, the bakery closes, but there remains a waiting room at the
bus station itself, where there are several tables with sockets. Luggage
storage: €2 per day. Next to the bus station, do not miss the funny
steam train — a monument to the first narrow-gauge railway in Estonia,
which connected Valga and Pärna in 1913.
By car
Roads to
Tallinn (130 km) and Riga (180 km), Rakvere (170 km), Valga (140 km)
converge in Pärnu with turns to Viljandi (90 km) and Tartu (170 km).
Parking in the center of Pärnu is paid on weekdays from 8 to 18, €1
per hour or €5 per day (2024), the first hour is free. In the summer
months, you also need to pay in the resort area next to the beach: €4
per hour or €12 per day, daily from 10 to 18.
3 Parking (Silla
parkla), Kalda 4. Free parking 5 min walk from the Old Town.
On
the ship
The port of Pärnu is predominantly a cargo port. In summer,
ferries depart every other day to Ruhnu Island, while ferries to Kihnu
run mainly from Munalaid Harbor 35 km west of Pärnu.
4 Passenger
pier, Kalda 2 (near the Old Town and the automobile bridge). There is no
infrastructure, a ferry ticket must be taken directly on board or in
advance via the Internet.
There are 23 bus routes in Parnu, which may be needed by those who
have settled in some remote hotel. To find routes, use peatus.ee It is
more convenient to walk between the Old Town and the beach, looking at
the beautiful wooden villas.
Payment for travel with smart cards.
There are local, light blue maps of Pärnumaa county; maps from Tallinn
and other Estonian cities are also available. One trip costs €1.50, four
trips automatically turn into a day ticket for €6, and after spending
€15 in this way, you will receive a ticket for 5 days. You can buy a
one-time ticket from the driver for €3 (2024).
Taxis are on duty
in all popular places, and the Bolt app is running.
1 The Centre, Aida 7. пн–сб 10:00 – 20:00, вс 10:00 – 18:00. Торговая
территория в центре Пярну состоит из нескольких зданий, которые устроены
по одному принципу: в каждом свой продуктовый супермаркет, бутики,
магазины хозтоваров и электроники. - Port Artur 2, - Portal-piano cafe,
-. Продуктовые супермаркеты открыты с 9 до 22.
2. (market), Suur-Sepa
18 (Uge). 8:00 – 15:00 кроме пн. Уличный рынок с овощами-фруктами плавно
переходит в крытый павильон, где, кроме прочего, расположен обычный
супермаркет Rimi (8:00 – 21:00) — на тот случай, если сам рынок уже
закрылся.
3 New Use Centre, Wide 10. пн–пт 10:00 – 18:00, сб
10:00 – 16:00. Блошиный рынок в магазинном формате. Кроме одёжного
секонд-хенда тут можно найти любопытные старые штуки, в том числе
предметы обихода советского времени — ностальгические игрушки, сервизы и
многое другое.
4 Department Store, Papiniidu 8/10. пн–сб
10:00 – 20:00, вс 10:00 – 18:00. ? 4. -.,. Riga MNT. - , Hi Hesburger.
Rimi (8:00 – 21:00).
There are many restaurants in Pärnu, so, unlike in the usual Estonian
province, it will not be difficult to find a late dinner here, although
prices are mostly above average.
Cheaply
1 Aleksandri Pubi,
Vana-Rääma 8 (across the Pärnu River). 11:30 – 23:30, Fri and Sat: until
1:00. Hot: €7-10. A classic Estonian pub where the menu is written in
Estonian with chalk on a blackboard, although it is duplicated in print
and even in English. A nice informal atmosphere, and affordable prices
fully justify a 15-minute walk from the center.
2 Gremanee köök,
Riia mnt 64. 7:00 – 19:00. Cafe with 4 tables with homemade food;
located 15 minutes walk from the center in the direction of Riga and is
designed mainly for locals who come here for lunch. The menu includes
soups and hot dishes, as well as breakfasts; for sweets, mainly
pastries.
3 Pappa pizza, Kuninga 34 (center). Mon–Thu 11:00 – 21:00,
Fri–Sun 11:00 – 22:00. Small pizza or pasta: €6-7. A chain cafe with
inexpensive pizza and pasta served on normal plates with metal
appliances. The cheapest place in the Old Town.
During the day,
on weekdays, you can have lunch at the cafe at the city theater — it is
cheaper than at any other institution in the center of Parnu.
Average cost
4 Edelweiss, Kuninga 15 (Old Town). ☎ +372 (44) 2-06-00.
11:00 – 22:00, Fri and Sat: until 23:00. Hot dishes: €10-15. By and
large, this is a tavern in an old half—timbered house, but neither the
half-timbered nor the German name should confuse - everything inside is
Estonian in the most national style: up to the Russian stove, which,
however, can also be considered Estonian. The cuisine is ordinary local,
on weekdays at lunch an inexpensive business lunch.
5 Nikolai Lehtla
kohvik, Nikolai 7 (Old Town). ☎ +372 (44) 7-73-66. 11:00 – 23:00, Fri
and Sat: until 1:00. Hot: €8-15. The most inexpensive of the restaurants
in the Old Town offers ordinary Estonian food — carbonade, schnitzel,
dumplings. Among other things, there is pasta for only €8 per serving.
6 Steffani, Nikolai 24. 11:00 – 24:00. Pizza and pasta: €10-12. An
Italian restaurant where, in addition to pizza and pasta, burritos are
being prepared for some reason, and perhaps the most interesting thing
here is the retro interior with pretty old furniture.
7 Trahter
Postipoiss, Vee 12 (Old Town). ☎ +372 (44) 6-48-64. 12:00 – 24:00, Fri
and Sat: until 2:00. Hot: about €15. A tavern in the old post office
building — what could be more authentic? The menu features a mix of
Russian and Estonian dishes, including numerous pancakes and dumplings.
It is beautiful and atmospheric, but you will have to sit on a hard
wooden bench, since the post stations did not provide chairs and sofas.
Live music on weekends.
Expensive
8 Supelsaksad , Nikolai 32
(in the block south of the Old Town). ☎ +372 (44) 2-24-48. Tue–Thu 11:30
– 21:00, Fri 11:30 – 23:00, Sat 9:00 – 23:00, Sun 9:00 – 21:00. Hot:
€15-25. A cozy cafe in an old wooden house, where it seems that now a
grandmother will enter the room and offer a supplement. At the same
time, the kitchen is quite modern, in a European style — from Italian
salads to generalized French cream soups with magnificent cakes that can
be taken for dessert or just for coffee. If financial circumstances do
not allow you to join the beautiful, look here on weekdays at lunch,
when there are special offers for € 10 per serving.
The most
expensive and pretentious Pärnu restaurant is located inside the villa
Ammende, where you will be offered a gourmet breakfast for €25 and other
fine cuisine.
9 Elleni Pagariäri, Rüütli 45. Mon–Fri 8:30 – 18:00, Sat–Sun 9:30 –
16:00. Bakery with the interior of a good cafe — soft sofas, cozy floor
lamps and colored wallpaper on the walls. Pastries cost €1-1.50, cakes
are also traditional and inexpensive. Elderly local women often come
here to exchange the latest news over a cup of coffee.
10 Leivakas,
Lai 10-3 (north of the bus station). 9:00 – 20:00. An advanced bakery on
the banks of the Pärnu River combines the incongruous: dough rolling
tables and tables for customers, a wood-burning stove and a piano, boxes
of fresh pastries and for some reason a traffic light hung on the wall;
the prog metal sounding from the speakers complements all this visual
"cacophony", as if you did not come to a bakery, but to a harsh craft
bar. The prices are higher than in other city bakeries, but against the
background of pretentious Tallinn bakeries they are more than justified.
Pizza can be prepared for the hungry, while the pastries are mostly
sweet.
11 Sõõriku, Pühavaimu 15 (Old Town). ☎ +372 (44) 4-53-34.
Mon–Fri 9:00 – 17:30, Sat 9:00 – 17:00, Sun 9:00 – 15:00. Nothing more
than a lush room with a rough, heavy interior — massive wooden tables
covered with tiled tiles. In addition to the actual doughnuts, there are
a lot of pastries and even cakes. Very colorful and cheap.
1 Veereverlu , Uus 3 (Old Town). Mon–Thu 14:00 – 1:00, Fri 14:00 –
2:00, Sat 11:00 – 2:00, Sun 13:00 – 1:00. A colorful pub with wooden
tables and rude benches. It is located in the very center of Pärnu, but
hidden in the courtyards as a real "place for your own" — however, the
signs will help you find the way. It's noisy and fun inside: songs,
dancing and even playing musical instruments are highly welcome. Don't
expect a large selection of drinks, but a hearty snack like schnitzels
with a generous portion of fried potatoes is always available.
Inexpensive.
2 Willy Baar, Riia mnt 56. Mon–Thu 8:00 – 21:00,
Fri–Sat 8:00 – 2:00, Sun 8:00 – 17:00. This is the case when people go
to the bar for lunch and breakfast, although the choice of food here is
very small, but there are a lot of drinks. However, the nightlife in
this bar is limited to Fridays and Saturdays — on other days it closes
early, sometimes even before the stated opening hours.
The holiday season lasts in Parnu from the beginning of June to the
end of August, during this period, housing prices soar 1.5-2 times. At
any other time, it will not be difficult to find a hotel here. Below are
the prices in the low season.
Cheaply
1 Tammsaare Hotell,
A.H. Tammsaare pst 24B. Double room: from €45. A small and modern hotel,
where prices are surprisingly low in the off-season. At the same time,
the comfort level is at least three-star.
Average cost
2
Hestia Hotell Strand, A.H. Tammsaare pst 35 (eastern part of the beach).
☎ +372 447-53-70. Double room: from €75. The spectacular building is
sure to interest fans of modern architecture — it is a very unusual
project, one of the most interesting buildings of Soviet Estonia
(1978-80). The reconstruction of the post-Soviet period has brought the
hotel to a modern standard, while changing most of the interiors,
although an excellent curved staircase has been preserved in the lobby,
which is worth visiting if you are passing by or came here walking along
the beach.
3 Hotel Victoria, Kuninga 25. ☎ +372 444-34-12. Double
room: €70. Riga Art Nouveau outside and quite comfortable rooms inside.
The history of the building (built in 1926) is recalled by the Cafe
Grand located on the ground floor with interiors of the first half of
the XX century — the oldest in Parnu and at the same time one of the
most expensive.
4 Pärnu Hotell, Rüütli 44. ☎ +372 447-89-11. Double
room: from €70. A typical Soviet-era box has been well renovated from
the inside, although some furniture here seems to have been preserved
from the Soviet era or at least was lying around somewhere in
warehouses. The hotel is located in the very center, two steps from the
bus station.
Expensive
5 Scandic Rannahotell, Ranna Pst 5. ☎
+372 444-44-44. Double room: from €100. The hotel was built in 1937
right on the city beach and is one of the best monuments of Estonian
functionalism. In Soviet times, it was a sanatorium, and in the 1990s it
came under the wing of an international network and was brought to
modern standards. Wonderful view from the window.
It is convenient to stop in Pärna for half a day on the way from
Tallinn or Kuressaare to Riga. If you are staying in Pärnu for a few
days, then in the format of a short round trip you can go to Viljandi -
a picturesque and extremely patriarchal town, from which Southern
Estonia begins with its picturesque nature. You need to go to the
Estonian islands with at least one overnight stay.
It is about an
hour's drive from Pärnu to the Latvian border through dense, almost
uninhabited forests. From the Latvian side, the landscape does not
change much — except that there are places where the sea and the strip
of sandy beach stretching along it are visible directly from the road.
There are almost no attractions here, and most travelers pass this
section without stopping in order to get to Riga faster.
1
Railway Museum (Eesti Muuseumraudtee) , village Lavassaare (23 km north
of Pärnu). ☎ +372 527-25-84. June–August: Mon–Sat 11:00 – 18:00, Sun
11:00 – 17:00. Entrance fee: €10, together with a ride on the train:
€18. A private museum created by Estonian railway enthusiasts on the
basis of a dismantled narrow-gauge railway of a local peat enterprise.
By itself, this narrow-gauge railway was very unusual: after the war it
was electrified and even a fundamental bridge was built for it over the
Pärnu highway, which still stands and is clearly visible from the road.
However, the museum is not limited to one local narrow-gauge railway:
the collection includes equipment from all over Estonia, including an
electric mine locomotive from Kohtla-Jarve, as well as units purchased
by Estonian enthusiasts in Russia. In total, there are several dozen
electric locomotives, diesel locomotives, wagons, snow removal equipment
in the open exhibition, and in the former depot building, railway
workers' tools, historical photographs and station signs are shown: all
this is very cozy and nostalgic. In the summer months, but only on
weekends, the old narrow-gauge train runs a symbolic two kilometers from
the museum to the village of Lavassaare and back; if this did not seem
enough, with some desire, you can ride a mechanical trolley. In
September, the museum is open only on weekends, in May — only by prior
arrangement, in the remaining months it is completely closed, although
it may make sense to talk with the owners. The museum is a must-visit
for anyone who is not indifferent to railways.
How to get there:
buses No. 54 in Lavassaar run every 2 hours and drive directly to the
museum.
2 Cave "Tori Pyrgu" (Tori pyrgu) , village Tori (30 km
northeast of the city). A sandstone outcrop 400 m long and up to 8.25 m
high on the left bank of the Pärnu River. Once there was a large cave
here, from which the name põrgu (est. abyss) came, but now only a side
canyon remains. It is convenient to go down to the cave and the cliff
near the parking lot in front of the Tori cemetery, where there is a
sculpture of a Devil in a clearing. How to get there: commuter buses
every 1-2 hours.
3 Riisa Raba Swamp. One of the most
interesting marsh reserves in Estonia is located 40 km northeast of
Pärnu in a rather remote corner, which is difficult to get to without a
car. The five-kilometer ring trail runs entirely through the swamp and
is laid mainly on bridges, leading to a small observation tower. There
are very beautiful mists and amazing ringing silence. The swamp belongs
to the Soomaa National Park, inside which there are several shorter
swamp trails, as well as a visitor center and an adjacent beaver trail
(Koprarada kopperada), where you can see if not the beavers themselves,
then traces of their activities.
4 The Rannametsa-Tolkuse trail
(Rannametsa-Tolkuse looduse trapperada) (30 km towards Riga). Another
swamp trail, and more conveniently located, since it starts right on the
Riga highway; buses No. 74 and 76 pass by towards the Latvian border
(Ikla piiripunkt), on average every 2 hours. The swamp here is not the
same as in the depths of Estonia, but comes close to the sand dunes, so
the trail is a total length of 2.5 km away allows you to first walk
along the bridges over the backwaters, then climb the dune, topped by a
high observation tower, from where the swamp is viewed entirely; In good
weather, the Baltic coast is clearly visible from the same tower.
The official year of the city's foundation was 1251. This year, the
Bishop of Saare-Lyaenes (Ezel Viksky) moved from the old residence of
Lihula to Perone Castle on the right bank of the Pärnu River. In the
same year, Perone received city rights. But already in 1263, during the
Lithuanian military campaign, Perone was destroyed. The new city began
to grow mainly on the left bank of the river on the territory of the
Teutonic Order, in connection with which the German form of the name
Pernau was fixed. It was a member of the Hanseatic League and was of
great importance for the whole of Livonia as a non-freezing seaport.
In 1581, Pernov and Rugodiv were named Ukrainian cities in the royal
charter.
After the Livonian War, it came into the possession of
Sweden. According to the results of the Polish-Swedish War (1600-1611),
the city was under the rule of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from
March 1609 to June 1617, and then again fell to Sweden. These events are
described in more detail in the article The Capture of Pernau.
As
part of the Russian Empire
During the Northern War in 1710, it came
into the possession of the Russian Empire and became known as Pernov,
which was fixed by the Nishtadt Peace Treaty of 1721. In 1710, the first
Orthodox parish was founded in the city. Abram Petrovich Hannibal, an
associate of Peter the Great and Pushkin's great—grandfather, lived in
Pernov. The poet David Samoilov wrote a poem about Hannibal's life in
Pernov.
The next 200 years were peaceful in the history of the
city. Pernov became one of the main Russian ports on the Baltic Sea — in
the XVIII century, more goods were exported through it than through the
Reval (Tallinn) port. In the 1860s, stone piers (jetties) were poured
into the mouth of the river to prevent clogging of the river mouth. In
1843, Pernov ceased to be a fortified city. Many of the fortress
buildings were demolished, and the remaining ones began to be used for
walking around the city. At the same time, the transformation of Pernov
into a resort town began. The first baths were built in 1837.
Administratively, it was a county town in the Livonia province.
Industry was also developing in the city. In 1913, there were 15
enterprises in Pernov (the largest was the Waldhoff pulp and paper
mill). During the First World War in 1915, German ships appeared on the
Pernov raid and, due to fears of a German landing, the Waldhoff factory
was blown up by order of the commandant of the city. The attempt to
establish Soviet power was thwarted due to the occupation of the city by
German troops on February 25, 1918.
Estonia during the period of
independence in 1919-1940.
In 1919, Pernov was renamed Pärnu. The
textile industry was developing in the city. A linen factory was
founded. In 1924, the Estonian Communist Party attempted an uprising.
However, due to the suppression of the main focus of the uprising in
Tallinn, the plans of the conspirators in Pärnu remained unfulfilled.
Villas, hotels were built in Parnu, cafes, restaurants, casinos were
opened. In 1937, about 7 thousand people vacationed in Pärnu, more than
4 thousand of them foreigners.
In 1939, the 100th anniversary of
the Pärnu resort was celebrated. A special series of postage stamps was
issued on this occasion.
World War II
In accordance with the
secret additional protocol on the delimitation of spheres of interest to
the Non-Aggression Treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union of August
23, 1939, Estonia entered the zone of interests of the USSR. Soon, at
the request of the USSR, Soviet military bases were located on the
territory of Estonia. On June 20, 1940, Soviet power was proclaimed in
Pärnu. Repressions against the residents of the city began. Industrial
enterprises were nationalized.
At the very beginning of the Great
Patriotic War, on July 8, 1941, German troops occupied Parna. About a
thousand citizens, including 137 Jews, of whom 34 were children, were
shot by the German occupation authorities and members of the Estonian
paramilitary organization Omakaitse.
The Second World War
interrupted the development of the resort.
On September 23, 1944,
Pärnu was liberated during the Tallinn operation from the German
occupiers by the troops of the Leningrad Front under the command of
Marshal L. A. Govorov. Moscow saluted the liberation of Parnu on
September 23, 1944 at 23 o'clock with twelve volleys from 124 guns.
The Soviet period
In the post-war period, a large fish cannery
was built in the city. The textile and woodworking industries were
developing.
The resort was also developing rapidly. Health
resorts "Estonia", "Syprus", "Rahu", "Tervis" were opened. Tens of
thousands of people from all regions of the USSR vacationed in Parnu
every year. There was a special sanatorium in the city where Soviet
cosmonauts rested and improved their health.
In 1950-1956 and
1962-1991, Pärnu was the center of the Pärnu district.
A resort
in modern Estonia
After the restoration of Estonian independence,
many streets in Pärnu were renamed (those names that were associated
with Communist Party figures and Soviet concepts).
The sanatorium
system that existed during the Soviet period has collapsed. Some of the
buildings were privatized, some remained under the jurisdiction of the
city authorities. The further development of the resort depended on the
initiative and ability of the local government. In 1996, the city was
awarded the title of the summer capital of Estonia.
The city is located on the shore of the Pärnu Bay, which is part of the Gulf of Riga. Pärnu is located at the mouth of the river of the same name. Within the city limits, its tributary, the Sauga, flows into the Pärnu River. Not far from Pärnu, there is a small island of Kihnu in the waters of the bay. The distance from Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is about 128 km, to Riga, the capital of Latvia — about 175 km.
According to the 2011 census, 39,728 people lived in the city, of
whom 33,000 (83.1%) were Estonians.
The population of the city by
year (since 2011 — according to the Department of Statistics).
The climate of Pärnu is characterized by mild winters and rainy, cool summers. The relative humidity is 81% (from 71% in May to 88% in November—December).
According to official data from the Estonian Tax Administration,
there were 4,343 private enterprises operating in the city (as of
January 1, 2005). The average salary was 8,256 kronor (as of December
2005). 376 new jobs were created in 2004.
Distribution of
businesses by industry in 2004: trade — 28%, Finance and real estate —
23%, Industry — 9%, Transport and communications — 8%, Construction —
6%, Hotels and restaurants — 4%, Education and culture — 5%, Forestry —
3%, Energy and fuel — 0.3%.
The Pärnu Brewery was founded in 1879
and was one of the largest in Estonia. In 1994, the plant was privatized
and received a new name "JSC Puls Brewery". During the Soviet period,
the Pärnu industry was famous throughout the country for the production
of furniture and skis. The Pärnu fish processing plant (the largest in
the Baltic States) produced the best sprats in the USSR.
There were 23 intercity bus routes in Parnu. 24,209,000 passengers
were transported per year (data as of January 1, 2005).
Pärnu
Airport served about 5,000 passengers annually, the number of flights
increased slightly from 2000 to 2004 (from 928 to 1155 per year).
As of January 1, 2005, 14,075 passenger cars, 228 buses, 2,454
trucks, 336 motorcycles and 1,443 heavy trucks were registered in the
city. As of 2022, the city lines are served by AS SEBE and ATKO Group.
Intercity transport is represented by the railway (the dead-end stop
point of Pärnu, from which a diesel train to Tallinn departed twice a
day, passing through the Lelle junction station, where it was possible
to transfer to a diesel train to Viljandi). In 2018, on December 8, the
train service to the Pärnu station was stopped. According to official
information from the train operator Elron, this is due to the poor
condition of the railway track on the Lelle-Pärnu section and the lack
of funds for repairs. It is expected that rail communication with the
city will resume again in 2026, when the Rail Baltica line will be laid.
As compensation, a bus route was launched from Lelle station to Pärnu.
Football
The Parnu football team Vaprus made its debut in the
Estonian top league in 2006 and took seventh place. The team, according
to the newspaper "Pärnu Express", is experiencing financial
difficulties. In Soviet times, the Kalev Pärnu football team performed
no less successfully and constantly participated in the highest league
of the republic.
Volleyball
The Pärnu ESS Falck Pärnu team,
competing in the 2007 United Baltic Countries Championship, takes sixth
place.
Pärnu Chess tournaments
Tournaments with the
participation of the leading chess players of the USSR were regularly
held in Parnu. Among the participants are ex-world champion Mikhail Tal,
ex-world champion Nona Gaprindashvili, world champion contenders David
Bronstein and Paul Keres, leading grandmasters, ex-USSR champions Leonid
Stein and Boris Gulko.