Pärnu - one river, two towns, three bridges!

Apparently everyone knows Pärnu as the summer capital with its beautiful beaches! This time, however, we will leave the seaside stories aside and head instead into medieval Pärnu, where Hanseatic trade flourished and tavern life buzzed - yet crime was also present, and even Christian morals began to waver! Did you know that medieval Pärnu was a border town much like Narva today? On one side of the river ruled the Teutonic Order, on the other the Bishop’s state, creating the twin towns of New Pärnu and Old Pärnu! But what made this place so special that Estonia’s oldest traces of human settlement are found along the banks of the Pärnu River, and later both military force and political cunning were used to claim it?!? And we do not wish to speak only about distant times during this tour. Naturally, we will also explore some of the more exciting landmarks from later eras along the way: we will search for the site where the famous Manifesto of Independence was first read aloud, discuss Soviet-era plans for the district centre, admire magnificent urban villas, and listen to city gossip from different periods of history! P.S. If you have not yet set foot on Pärnu’s brand-new bridge, we will correct that mistake as well!