Pärnu, city and port in southwestern Estonia, capital of Pärnu District, on the Gulf of Riga. The city is an industrial center producing fishing ships, textiles, shoes, wood, and food products. Pärnu is also a tourist center featuring a health spa that uses local mud in therapeutic treatments. Within the city's present boundaries lies a well-preserved fortified old town dating from the 18th century.
The city was founded in 1251 by Germanic Teutonic Knights and until the 18th century was called Pernau. It flourished as a port of the Hanseatic League, a commercial federation of German cities. From 1629 to 1710 it belonged to Sweden, later to Russia, and after 1918 to Estonia. During World War II (1939-1945) Pärnu was occupied first by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and later by Germany. From 1944 until Estonia's independence in 1991, Pärnu was part of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic of the USSR. Population (1997 estimate) 51,807.
