The town of Pӓrnu is a picturesque costal town situated in the southwest of Estonia, approximately 130 km from the capital Tallinn. Pӓrnu has a population of around 41 000 and is commonly known as a summer resort which attracts thousands of visitors every year.

The town of Pӓrnu was established in 1251 and got is named after the river of Pӓrnu which flows through the town. In the Medieval period it became a wealthy hanseatic city. During the 18^th and 19^th century Pӓrnu served as an important port exporting and trading mainly wood and linen. In the same period the town also became the centre for Estonian national revival. In 1857 two important revivalists, J. V. Jannsen and F. W. Borm, started to publish the first Estonian language newspaper. There is a statue of J. V. Jannsen in one of the main streets of Pӓrnu.

Culture and Tourism

Further growth at the end of 18^th century and in the period between the Great Wars was mainly connected with the spa industry and Pӓrnu has kept this tradition even until the present day. The town is a member of European Spas Association and since 1996 it has been known as the Estonia´s Summer Capital. Besides its numerous Spas, Pӓrnu also offers stunning white sandy beaches which stretch for many kilometers. The water temperature reaches 20-25º in summer.

During summer the town is also the venue for many musical, film, art and cultural festivals. A possible future participation of the Czech Republic in some of them was discussed during the meeting with the mayor T. Kivimӓgi.

The list of this year’s events can be found here.

Essential part of Pӓrnu cultural identity consists of art since according to local people „In Pӓrnu everyone and anyone can become an artist.” The outstanding atmosphere of green parks, many galleries and versatile architecture can be experienced all around the town. The Ambassador R. Kadlčák visited the City Gallery, The House of Arts, The Museum of New Art as well as the Central Library to discuss possibilities to host exhibitions of Czech artists, to introduce Czech culture and to foster cooperation between Czech and Estonian institutions.

In 1838 the first spa and bathing establishment was opened and nowadays Pärnu is a health resort of international stature and welcoming its guests from around fifty countries. During his visit, the Ambassador also saw the last preparations made in the newest wellness center of Pärnu the Hedon SPA&Hotel which will be opened in coming months.

The last stop at the Ambassador´s visit to Pӓrnu was the Oshino Electronics Estonia factory, where he, together with the manager of the factory Mr. I. Kuusk and the representative of the Business and Development Centre of Pӓrnu County Mr. S. Alajõe, discussed the economic position of Pӓrnu and cooperation as well as business opportunities for Czech entrepreneurs.

Economy

Pӓrnu County covers an area of 4807km²,making it the biggest county of Estonia. The region is economically balanced with a comprehensive range of industries. The most important ones being: metal works, engineering and the electronics industry (40 % of the turnover), chemical and plastics industry (25 % of the turnover), textile, clothing and footwear industries (17 % of the turnover), timber and furniture industries (15 % of the turnover) and food industry – mainly fish processing. Small companies (with up to 10 employees) make up to 80 % of the overall total in the county. However, several big foreign investments have been made here too recently.

Further information with regards to business opportunities in Pӓrnu County can be found at:

http://www.investinparnu.com/index.php?id=6

http://issuu.com/investinparnu/docs/investinparnu2013.