Parnu Travel Guide

 antistar Says:  Like it's older sister, St Elizabeth, the baroque church of St. Catherine was built at the behest of another Russian Empress, Catherine the Great. She visited Parnu early into her new reign, in 1764, and probably wanted to impress, so built a church even more impressive than... 

 antistar Says:  The Classical buildings that make up the town hall were originally the home of a rich local merchant, a man influential enough to host Alexander I when he visited the town. When the merchant died, the buildings fell into the hands of the authorities, finally being... 

 antistar Says:  Parnu's oldest building, boasts the tourist literature. Unlike much of the rest of the town, this famous 15th century building is a shabby wreck. Tucked away down a dark alley filled with trash and drunks, it's almost been forgotten about. When I arrived at the Red Tower I... 

 antistar Says:  Originally built in the 13th century, it was converted into an Almshouse (a hospital and workhouse for the poor) in 1658. Today it is a hotel and restaurant, which might sound sad, but at least it means the place is very well looked after, unlike it's sorry neighbour, the... 

 antistar Says:  Lydia Koidula's father, Johann Voldemar Jannsen, wrote the words to the Estonian national anthem. His daughter went one step further, penning the first play in the Estonian language - a part of the Estonian National Awakening. Koidula lived until 1886, and they built a... 

 antistar Says:  Parnu's old town is very small and quite a way from its famous beach. It's close to the bridge across the river, and where you will find all the best shopping. In fact it's where all the shops are - there's almost nothing at the beach. It's also the best place for eating and... 

 antistar Says:  This is what everyone comes to Parnu for, well that and the parties. It's a small strand of golden sand facing south into the Baltic sea. It's built for tourists and the sand is so fine it feels like it might be shipped in from somewhere. There's plenty of activities and... 

 antistar Says:  The vermilion baroque church on Nikolai was named in honour of Empress Elizabeth of Russia, who funded its construction. These were early days in the Empress's life, and early days in Russia's rule over Estonia, so she was probably trying to influence the local's with... 

 Openseas Says:  The best tour available is hiring a bike and exploring Parnu at leisure. Bikes can be hired from tourbicycles in summer at the corner of Supeluse and Ranna Blvd. They will bring the bike to your hotel.Walking tours are available in summer. Every Saturday at 10am and starts... 

 Thoomuch Says:  You can in the summer sit outside as well as inside in this restaurant. Friendly and serviceminded staff...we did have two small children (2 and 4 years old) with us, and for them there are a special (and cheap) childrens menu also they do get pens and paper to have fun with... 

 King_Golo Says:  Lahke Madjar is a Hungarian restaurant situated in Pärnu's centre. The food is very good and tastes really Hungarian (I went there with a girl with Hungarian ancestors, and she confirmed this!). Prices are above average. the goulash soup was superb - spicy (which is rare in... 

 antistar Says:  There are only 2 trains a day from Tallinn, one in the very early morning and one in the evening. The station, perhaps better described as a piece of bulldozed ground, is about 5 kilometers from Parnu's town centre, and so probably isn't worth bothering with when buses are...