Pärnu

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City in Estonia

title: "Pärnu" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["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"] description: "City in Estonia" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pärnu" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary City in Estonia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
namePärnu
settlement_typeTown
image_skyline{{multiple image
borderinfobox
total_width250
image_styleborder:1;
perrow1/2/1/1
image1Pärnu kesklinn - Aerial photo of Pärnu in Estonia (2).jpg
image2Pärnu - Punane torn (Red tower).JPG
image3Pärnu Eliisabeti kirik.jpg
image4Pärnu main street.jpg
image5Pärnu beach 2023.jpg
image_captionFrom top: Pärnu city centre; Red tower; Elisabeth church; downtown; Pärnu central beach
pushpin_map_captionLocation within Europe##Location within Baltic Sea region##Location within Estonia
pushpin_relief1
pushpin_mapEurope#Baltic Sea#Estonia
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameEstonia
subdivision_type1County
subdivision_name1[[File:Pärnumaa lipp.svg
established_titleFounded
established_date1251
area_total_km232.22
elevation_m10
population_total41520
population_rank4th
population_as_of2024
population_density_km2auto
demographics_type1Ethnicity
demographics1_title1Estonians
demographics1_info183.7%
demographics1_title2Russians
demographics1_info210.6%
demographics1_title3other
demographics1_info35.7%
timezoneEET
utc_offset+2
timezone_DSTEEST
::

| name = Pärnu | settlement_type = Town | image_skyline = {{multiple image | border = infobox | total_width = 250 | image_style = border:1; | perrow = 1/2/1/1 |image1 = Pärnu kesklinn - Aerial photo of Pärnu in Estonia (2).jpg |image2 = Pärnu - Punane torn (Red tower).JPG |image3 = Pärnu Eliisabeti kirik.jpg |image4 = Pärnu main street.jpg |image5 = Pärnu beach 2023.jpg | image_caption = From top: Pärnu city centre; Red tower; Elisabeth church; downtown; Pärnu central beach | pushpin_map_caption = Location within Europe##Location within Baltic Sea region##Location within Estonia | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_map = Europe#Baltic Sea#Estonia | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Estonia | subdivision_type1 = County | subdivision_name1 = [[File:Pärnumaa lipp.svg|border|23px]] Pärnu | established_title = Founded | established_date = 1251 | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 32.22 | elevation_m = 10 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 41520 | population_rank = 4th | population_as_of = 2024 | population_density_km2 = auto | demographics_type1 = Ethnicity | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics1_title1 = Estonians | demographics1_info1 = 83.7% | demographics1_title2 = Russians | demographics1_info2 = 10.6% | demographics1_title3 = other | demographics1_info3 = 5.7% | timezone = EET | utc_offset = +2 | timezone_DST = EEST Pärnu () is a city in southwest Estonia. Pärnu is located 128 km south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and 176 km 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

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Pernau_1554.jpg" caption="Pärnu in 1554"] ::

Pärnu or Old Pärnu (, , ), 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 , ) was founded by the Teutonic 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.

Pärnu belonged to the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire until 1917, when it was transferred to the short-lived autonomous Governorate of Estonia.

The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took control of town between 1560 and 1617; the Poles and Lithuanians fought the armies of the Kingdom of Sweden nearby in 1609. Sweden took control of the town during the 1558-1583 Livonian War and it became part of Swedish Livonia.

The Academia Gustavo-Carolina (predecessor of modern University of Tartu) was relocated from Tartu (Dorpat) to Pärnu in 1699, and operated there until 1710. The university has still maintained a branch campus in Pärnu to this day (1,000 students in the 2004/2005 school year).

During the 1700-1721 Great Northern War, the Kingdom of Sweden then lost Pärnu along with the rest of Livonia to the Tsardom of Russia in the 1710 Capitulation of Estonia and Livonia and the 1721 Treaty of Nystad, following the Great Northern War; the city also bore the name an "adapted" German nameamong the Russians.

The city became part of independent Estonia in 1918 following World War I. During World War II, Estonia was invaded and occupied by the Soviet army in June 1940. Estonia (and Pärnu) was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1941 until 1944. After the war, Pärnu was part of Soviet-occupied Estonia until 1991, when Estonia restored its independence.

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.

|metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan record high C = 9.0 |Feb record high C = 8.3 |Mar record high C = 19.6 |Apr record high C = 26.2 |May record high C = 31.2 |Jun record high C = 32.6 |Jul record high C = 34.1 |Aug record high C = 33.4 |Sep record high C = 28.0 |Oct record high C = 22.4 |Nov record high C = 12.6 |Dec record high C = 10.3 |year record high C = 34.1 |Jan high C = −0.8 |Feb high C = −1.0 |Mar high C = 3.0 |Apr high C = 10.2 |May high C = 16.7 |Jun high C = 20.2 |Jul high C = 23.0 |Aug high C = 21.8 |Sep high C = 16.6 |Oct high C = 9.9 |Nov high C = 4.3 |Dec high C = 1.1 |year high C = 10.4 |Jan mean C = -3.0 |Feb mean C = -3.7 |Mar mean C = -0.5 |Apr mean C = 5.4 |May mean C = 11.4 |Jun mean C = 15.4 |Jul mean C = 18.3 |Aug mean C = 17.2 |Sep mean C = 12.5 |Oct mean C = 6.8 |Nov mean C = 2.2 |Dec mean C = -0.9 |year mean C = 6.8 |Jan low C = −5.5 |Feb low C = −6.6 |Mar low C = −3.7 |Apr low C = 1.2 |May low C = 6.1 |Jun low C = 10.7 |Jul low C = 13.6 |Aug low C = 12.8 |Sep low C = 8.6 |Oct low C = 3.8 |Nov low C = 0.0 |Dec low C = −3.1 |year low C = 3.2 |Jan record low C = −34.8 |Feb record low C = −34.3 |Mar record low C = −28.5 |Apr record low C = −19.7 |May record low C = −5.3 |Jun record low C = -0.1 |Jul record low C = 3.4 |Aug record low C = 2.6 |Sep record low C = −4.7 |Oct record low C = −10.9 |Nov record low C = −22.2 |Dec record low C = −34.5 |year record low C = −34.8 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 61 |Feb precipitation mm = 49 |Mar precipitation mm = 43 |Apr precipitation mm = 40 |May precipitation mm = 39 |Jun precipitation mm = 78 |Jul precipitation mm = 74 |Aug precipitation mm = 84 |Sep precipitation mm = 61 |Oct precipitation mm = 83 |Nov precipitation mm = 73 |Dec precipitation mm = 71 |year precipitation mm = 761 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 12.6 |Feb precipitation days = 10.4 |Mar precipitation days = 9.5 |Apr precipitation days = 8.4 |May precipitation days = 7.7 |Jun precipitation days = 9.7 |Jul precipitation days = 9.6 |Aug precipitation days = 10.4 |Sep precipitation days = 9.6 |Oct precipitation days = 12.2 |Nov precipitation days = 13.5 |Dec precipitation days = 14.0 |year precipitation days = 127.6 |Jan humidity = 88 |Feb humidity = 87 |Mar humidity = 81 |Apr humidity = 73 |May humidity = 68 |Jun humidity = 73 |Jul humidity = 75 |Aug humidity = 78 |Sep humidity = 82 |Oct humidity = 86 |Nov humidity = 89 |Dec humidity = 89 |year humidity = 81 |Jan sun = 38.8 |Feb sun = 69.6 |Mar sun = 148.2 |Apr sun = 210.1 |May sun = 300.3 |Jun sun = 293.5 |Jul sun = 306.4 |Aug sun = 258.6 |Sep sun = 172.8 |Oct sun = 95.5 |Nov sun = 36.5 |Dec sun = 24.3 |year sun = 1950.2 |source 1 = Estonian Weather Service | url = http://www.ilmateenistus.ee/kliima/kliimanormid/ohutemperatuur/?lang=en | title = Climate normals-Temperature | publisher = Estonian Weather Service | access-date = 1 February 2021}} | url = http://www.ilmateenistus.ee/kliima/kliimanormid/sademed/?lang=en | title = Climate normals-Precipitation | publisher = Estonian Weather Service | access-date = 1 February 2021}} | url = http://www.ilmateenistus.ee/kliima/kliimanormid/ohuniiskus/?lang=en | title = Climate normals-Humidity | publisher = Estonian Weather Service | access-date = 1 February 2021}} | url = http://www.ilmateenistus.ee/kliima/kliimanormid/paikesepaiste-kestus/?lang=en | title = Climate normals-Sunshine | publisher = Estonian Weather Service | access-date = 1 February 2021}} | url = http://www.ilmateenistus.ee/kliima/rekordid/ohutemperatuur/ | title = Rekordid | language= Estonian | publisher = Estonian Weather Service | access-date = 19 March 2021}} | url = http://www.emhi.ee/index.php?ide=6,299,303 | title = Kliimanormid-Sademed, õhuniiskus | publisher = Estonian Weather Service | language = et | access-date = 1 February 2021 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120222112141/http://www.emhi.ee/index.php?ide=6,299,303 | archive-date = 22 February 2012 | df = dmy-all}}{{cite web |url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Estonia/CSV/Parnu_26231.csv |title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020 |language = en-us |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |accessdate = December 21, 2023 ::data[format=table]

Coastal temperature data for PärnuMonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYearAverage sea temperature °C (°F)Source 1: Seatemperature.org
-22.0}}"0.4
(32.72)-23.4}}"0.0
(32.00)-23.7}}"-0.1
(31.82)-17.0}}"1.9
(35.42)2.3}}"7.7
(45.86)17.7}}"14.7
(58.46)25.4}}"19.4
(66.92)24.8}}"19.1
(66.38)19.6}}"15.9
(60.62)11.1}}"10.7
(51.26)0.0}}"6.7
(44.06)-11.3}}"3.6
(38.48)4.4}}"8.3
(47.00)
::

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

::data[format=table] | Year || 1881||1897||1922||1934||1959||1970||1979||1989||2000||2011||2012||2017||2021 | Population | |---|---| | 12,966 | 12,898 | ::

::data[format=table title="Ethnic composition 1922–2021"]

Ethnicity1922193419411959197019791989200020112021amount%amount%amount%amount%amount%amount%amount%amount%amount%amount%Total18481100203341001900410036067100463161004962310052389100455001003972810040228100
Estonians1644089.01843690.71837096.72666973.93437074.23674874.13793972.43611279.43300083.13368283.7
Russians4942.674692.313281.73––914619.7967619.51075320.5695115.3507612.8425610.6
Ukrainians––70.03––––10102.1812552.5316313.119662.126711.698872.20
Belarusians––––––––4120.894930.995461.042970.651790.451840.46
Finns––140.07110.06––5171.125431.095341.023310.732540.643240.81
Jews2361.282481.2200.00––1900.411380.28760.15350.08200.05130.03
Latvians––1430.70880.46––1350.291650.331500.29850.19650.161280.32
Germans10305.578714.28––––––1050.211320.25690.15500.13550.14
Tatars––00.00––––––760.151030.20450.10330.08310.08
Poles––340.17260.14––––1080.22810.15600.13350.09370.09
Lithuanians––100.0560.03––600.13800.16830.16820.18600.15580.14
unknown00.00280.1480.0400.0000.0000.0000.002260.50590.151290.32
other2811.52740.361670.88939826.14761.032360.483610.692410.532260.574441.10
::

Economy

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 Estonians, Finns and Swedes. 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. Kursaal hall dating from 1880 which is close by is used for concerts. 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

Honorary citizens

Gallery

File:Lydia Koidula monument1.jpg|Monument to poet Lydia Koidula (by Amandus Adamson) File:Endla teatrihoone 2024.jpg|Endla Theatre File:PärnuKursaal.jpg|Kursaal hall dating from 1880 File:Sunset in Pärnu beach (1).jpg|Sunset in Pärnu beach File:Rüütli Pärnu 3.jpg|Rüütli street in Pärnu File:Pärnu mudaravila 2.JPG|Pärnu mud baths File:Straßenszene Pärnu.jpg|A street view File:Perno Postimees, Nr 1.png|In 1857, the first Estonian weekly newspaper Perno Postimees began to be published in Pärnu. File:Pärnu, Endla seltsimaja.jpg|The building of the Endla Theatre, where the Estonian Declaration of Independence was first publicly proclaimed on 23 February 1918. File:Declaration of Estonian independence in Pärnu.jpg|left|Crowd gathering in front of the Endla Theatre in Pärnu to listen to the Estonian Declaration of Independence in February 1918.

References

References

  1. "Statistikaamet".
  2. [https://www.pc.ut.ee/en University of Tartu Pärnu College]
  3. {{Efron. Пернов
  4. "LINNAOSADE JA -JAGUDE LÜHENDID".
  5. (2023-04-25). "Pärnu Sea Temperature".
  6. "Pärnu moat, Estonia".
  7. (1924). "1922 a. üldrahvalugemise andmed. Vihk I ja II, Rahva demograafiline koosseis ja korteriolud Eestis". Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo.
  8. (1935). "Rahvastiku koostis ja korteriolud. 1.III 1934 rahvaloenduse andmed. Vihk II". Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo.
  9. (1942). "Eesti Statistika : kuukiri 1942-03/04". Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo.
  10. (2005). "Rahvastiku ühtlusarvutatud sündmus- ja loendusstatistika: Pärnumaa 1965–1990". Eesti Kõrgkoolidevaheline Demouuringute Keskus.
  11. (1972). "Население районов, городов и поселков городского типа Эстонской ССР : по данным Всесоюзной переписи населения на 15 января 1970 года". Eesti NSV Statistika Keskvalitsus.
  12. (1990). "Eesti Vabariigi maakondade, linnade ja alevite rahvastik. 1. osa, Rahvaarv rahvuse, perekonnaseisu, hariduse ja elatusallikate järgi : 1989. a. rahvaloenduse andmed". Eesti Vabariigi Riiklik Statistikaamet.
  13. "RL222: RAHVASTIK ELUKOHA JA RAHVUSE JÄRGI".
  14. "RL0429: RAHVASTIK RAHVUSE, SOO, VANUSERÜHMA JA ELUKOHA JÄRGI, 31. DETSEMBER 2011".
  15. "RL21429: Rahvastik Rahvuse, Soo, Vanuserühma Ja ELukoha (Haldusüksus) Järgi, 31. DETSEMBER 2021".
  16. Peter und Rainer Höh: ''Baltikum'', p. 564. Bielefeld 1993
  17. [http://www.suvepealinn.ee/ suvepealinn]
  18. "Short history – VisitPärnu.com".
  19. "Pärnu Seawall".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

pärnucities-and-towns-in-estoniapopulated-places-in-pärnu-countygulf-of-rigapopulated-coastal-places-in-estoniaport-cities-and-towns-of-the-baltic-seaspa-towns-in-estonia13th-century-establishments-in-estoniapopulated-places-established-in-the-1250s1251-establishments-in-europekreis-pernaumembers-of-the-hanseatic-leagueport-cities-and-towns-in-estonia