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History
The decisive factor contributing to the foundation of the City of Pärnu was the presence of rivers.
The people who chose to live at the river mouth thousands of years ago stayed here permanently.
It is known that in 1154 the Arabian traveller and geographer Abu Abdallah Muhammed al-Idrisi serving the King of Sicily mentioned a river named Bernu.
Embecke ("Emajõgi" in Estonian) is the same River Bernu referred to by al-Idrisi and later renamed as the River Pärnu.
Also, the Livonian Order was fond of the favourable port location at the mouth of Embecke.
Thus, in the 13th century, two settlements appeared on the shores of River Pärnu - Perona (Old Pärnu) on the right shore, at the mouth of River Sauga,
and Embecke (New Pärnu) on the left shore. The history books mention the City of Pärnu for the first time in 1251.
Pärnu's first period of prosperity was the time from the beginning of the 14th century up to the end of the
15th century while it was a port on the route to the Hanseatic City of Novgorod.
9000 BC The first settlement at the mouth of the Pärnu River and, according to the information available so far, in Estonia
1251 The Episcopal dome church of the Osilian Diocese was inaugurated by Bishop Henrik in the town of Pärnu by the Sauga River (then called Perona).
1263-65 Episcopal town of Pärnu was destroyed by pagan Lithuaniansand Uus-Pärnu was established on the banks of the River Pärnu (then Embecke) in front of the castle of the commander of
the Teutonic Order.
1318 Gerhard van Joeck, the Livonian master of the Teutonic Order frees the local government of Uus-Pärnu from the direct subordination to the commander.
1560-1617 Collapse of the state of the Order, Pärnu belongs to Poland, Russia and finally to Sweden, liquidation of Vana-Pärnu, which was established near the former Pärnu Dome Church around 1330.
1699-1710 Academia Gustavo Carolina (Academia Pernaviensis) was operating in the former castle of the commander of the order.
1803-1811 The mouth of the River Pärnu was dredged and it became navigable, Katarina breakwaters and floating bridges up to the new section of the postal road at Ülejõe were built of timber.
1838 The first bathing establishment was opened in Pärnu
1857 Perno Postimees, a weekly newspaper in Estonian was founded in Pärnu by Johann Voldemar Jannsen.
1896 Railway connection to Valga was opened; consular representations of nine countries worked in Pärnu.
1900-1915 Waldhof, the biggest cellulose mill of the imperial Russia operated in Pärnu.
On 23 February 1918, Estonia's Independence Manifesto was first read out on the balcony of the theatre Endla in Pärnu.
1937-39 Rannahotell, concrete bridges and café Rannakohvik with its mushroom-like balcony were completed by the anniversary of the resort Pärnu, the holiday-making and treatment place of national importance in Estonia; the ferry line to Stockholm was opened.
1940 The Soviet occupation rule closed the port of Pärnu for foreign vessels and the port remained only a fishing harbour for 50 years.
1952-53 The town becomes the centre of Pärnu Oblast; planning of the central square and Lenin avenue. The buildings of the old town and St. Nicholas Church were blown up and levelled; largest fish cannery factory in the Baltic States was established.
1976 The 50 000th inhabitant was born and the third bridge was completed.
1994 The marina of Pärnu fulfilled the requirements of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and was given the first Blue Flag in Eastern Europe; the World Championship for Finnclass yachts was held in Pärnu.
1996 Pärnu was declared the Summer Capital of Estonia. Pärnu College of the University of Tartu was opened.
2003 At the site of the historical old town destroyed 50 years ago, first public buildings were opened between blocks of flats (the central library and the concert hall).
2004 Tervis Spa, then the largest (11,500 m2) water park in the Baltic States was opened in Pärnu.
2006 The beach promenade was opened
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+372 444 8200| 
+372 444 8201 | E-mail: linnavalitsus[at]lv.parnu.ee