Pärnu - tourist attractions

Pärnu , primarily a resort town; Despite this, there is something to see in Pärnu, in addition to the beach. The city is known since the XIII century. and experienced not one turbulent period of history, the names of many Soviet cultural figures are also associated with it, which is reflected in the city buildings and monuments.

The oldest part of the city was located on the right bank of the river Pärnu , but the castle that was there, destroyed already in the XIII century. Then the city began to grow on the left bank of the river. Practically all the sights of Pärnu are now concentrated here, between the river and the sea coast.

Architectural monuments

1. Town Hall . The building was built in 1797 as an apartment house - it is known that in 1806 Alexander I stayed here. In 1839 it turned into the Town Hall building. In 1911 an extension had appeared at the Town Hall. The house is located at the intersection of the streets of Uus and Nicholas.
2. The Red Tower . The oldest building in Pärnu dates back to the 15th century. At first it was part of the Order Castle, then served as a prison. Was faced with red brick. Now the veneer is not preserved and the tower rather I want to call it "white". At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. here was the archive. From the street you will not see the tower, for this you need to look into the yard.
3. The Tallinn Gate . Part of fortifications of the XVII century. Once upon a time a polished road leading to Tallinn began from the gate. City fortifications were demolished in the 19th century, but the gates, like the ramparts, the bastions of Mercury and the Moon, were abandoned.

Museums

1. Pärnu City Museum . More than 100 years of its history, the museum moved several times from one building to another. In 2012, he settled at the address. Aida, 3. The museum exposition covers the history of Pärnu from the settlement of the Stone Age and ending with the period of Soviet power - in all, it is divided into five parts corresponding to different historical epochs. Everywhere interactive screens, the museum is decorated stylishly and modern.
2. Pärnu Museum of Modern Art . Opened in 1992 in the building of the former city committee of the CPSU. The museum is named after Charlie Chaplin. There are more than 400 works of art. In the collection of the museum of the work of Pablo Picasso, Yoko Ono. Jean Roostin, Judy Chicago, Estonian artists. The museum is located at ul. Esplanaadi, 10.
3. House-museum of Lydia Koidula . With the name of Lydia Koidula - the poetess and founder of Estonian drama - a number of places are connected in Pärnu. The memorial museum is opened in the building of the former school on the street. Yannseni (Yannsen - the real name of the poetess). In this school lived the father of a poetess, by profession a school teacher.
4. Railway Museum . The attraction is twenty kilometers to the north of the city, in the village of Lavassaare. The museum was created on the basis of a dismantled narrow gauge railway. Here, the elements of the rolling stock are collected from all over Estonia and not only: locomotives, electric locomotives, diesel locomotives, wagons, special equipment. Some exhibits can be viewed from the inside. In the building there is an exposition of tools of railwaymen, railway form, historical photos, tickets, station plates are collected. The museum works only in the summer months, from June to August, in September it is open on weekends. You can get there by bus, from the bus station of Pärnu is the route number 54.

Churches

1. The Church of Elizabeth . Lutheran Church in the Baroque style, built in 1744-1747. The construction was financed by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. The church is on the street. Nikolay, 22.
2. Church of Catherine . The Orthodox Church, built in 1764-1768. by order of the Empress Catherine II. The church was built by Russian architect Peter Egorov. It is an example of a luxurious Baroque architecture.

Monuments

1. The monument to Lydia Koidula is a monument to the Estonian poetess, a sculpture by Amandus Adamson. Located in the park Lydia Koidula, in the center of the city, opened June 9, 1929.
2. Monument to Johann Voldemar Jahnnsen - a monument to the father of Lydia Koidula, a journalist and educator, the founder of the newspaper "Pärnu Postman". The monument was opened on June 1, 2007 on the pedestrian street. Rüütli. Jannsen is holding a newspaper in his hands - touch it, and on the same day you will hear good news!
3. Monument to Paul Keres - a monument to the famous Estonian chess player, a sculpture by the artist Mare Mikkov, was installed in 1996. The monument stands on the street. Kuning, in front of the building of the former Pärnu male gymnasium, where the grandmaster studied.
4. The monument to Raymond Valgre is a monument to the composer and musician who performed in Pärnu in the 1930s. The sculpture was installed in 2008, stands in the Beach Park, in front of the kursalom.
5. The monument to Gustav Faberge is a monument to the jeweler, the father of the famous Karl Faberge, who was born in Pärnu. Established January 3, 2015 in front of the Pärnu Concert Hall. The sculpture was presented to the city by Alexander Tenzo, the founder of the jewelry house TENZO.
6. Monument of declaration of independence of Estonia . The monument stands on the Rüütli Square, in front of the hotel "Pärnu". The solution of the unusual appearance of the monument (and it looks like a theatrical balcony) lies in its history. Before the Second World War, the "Endla" theater was located on the site of the "Pärnu" hotel, with which an important event for the whole of Estonia is connected - it was from the balcony of the theater that the "Manifesto of the whole Estonian people" was read on February 23, 1918, declaring the independence of the Republic of Estonia. On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Estonia's independence, the opening of the monument was timed - it was held on February 23, 2008. The full text of the manifesto is recorded on the monument. The theater "Endla" is now located in the central square of Pärnu.

Seaside attractions

1. Pärnu Mol . Two wooden piers were built at the mouth of the Pärnu River in the 18th century, stone ones were replaced in 1863-1864. The moles go to the sea for 2 km. The pier on the left bank of the river is one of the symbols of the city.
2. Coastal promenade . Along the shore of the Gulf of Riga, there is a pedestrian zone with fountains, benches, street lamps and street cafes. The promenade starts from the "main beach building" "Rannahonye", where the night club Sunset is located, and ends at the water park Tervise Paradiis.
3. Coastal (Beach) Park . The location of the park corresponds to the name - one side it goes to the river Pärnu, the long side stretches along the shore of the sea. In the park there is an Alley of Sculptures, where the works of artists from different countries are represented, here is the Kurzal and the former mud baths, and a playground and a playground are built.