Facts About Pärnu
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In 2002 a war memorial was erected in Pärnu showing a bas-relief of a soldier in a Waffen SS uniform along with the words: “To all Estonian soldiers who died in the war of liberation for their country and a free Europe in the years 1941–1945.”
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Since 1996 Pärnu has been known as Estonia’s Summer Capital.
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Pärnu is twinned with: Šiauliai, Lithuania; Södertälje, Sweden; Siófok, Hungary; Jelgava, Latvia; Gran, Norway; Helsingborg, Sweden; Helsingør, Denmark; Vaasa, Finland; Oskarshamn, Sweden; Sochi, Russia; Portsmouth, New Hampshire, US & Ocean City, Maryland, US.
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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.
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The Population of Pärnu is 39,620, as of 2017.
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First mentioned in 1251 as a member of the Hanseatic League, Pärnu was successively controlled by the Teutonic Knights, the Poles, the Swedes, and the Russians.
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Pärnu is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Located in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea.
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from 2015 the city of Pärnu hosts the annual Weekend Festival, the largest dance music festival in the Nordic and Baltic region.
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The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga.
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There are nine districts of Pärnu: Kesklinn, Karja alev, Riia alev, Lodja, Raeküla, Rääma, Tammiste, Vana-Pärnu and Ülejõe.