Red Tower

Pärnu, Estonia

The Red Tower (which is actually white) is the only defence tower left from medieval Hanseatic city of New-Pärnu. It is the oldest city’s architectural monument and was used as the prison. According to the chronics, in 14th century Pärnu was encircled by a fortified wall with many towers: the round Viliand Tower, also know as the White Tower, in the north-eastern corner and Red Tower in the south-eastern corner. There may have been also the Holy Spirit’s Tower. After a well-needed reconstruction in 1893 it acquired its current look.

The tower got it's name by the red lining covering both its inside and outside. In 1624, the tower had four floors and a six meter deep prison floor. Three floors been preserved. Red Tower was restored in 1973-1980 without it's original brick lining.

References: Visit Pärnu, Meeting.lv

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Address

Hommiku 11, Pärnu, Estonia
See all sites in Pärnu

Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Estonia
Historical period: Danish and Livonian Order (Estonia)

More Information

visitparnu.ee
eng.est.meeting.lv
www.inyourpocket.com

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


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Pärnu Kuursaal (1,1 km)
Ammende Villa (0,8 km)


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Kullamaa Church (60,5 km)
Häädemeeste Orthodox Church (33,8 km)
Häädemeeste Lutheran Church (33,9 km)
Audru Church (9,2 km)
Taali Manor (16,8 km)
Lavassaare Railway Museum (16,3 km)
Vigala Church (37,1 km)
Pärnu-Jaagupi Church (25,1 km)

User Reviews

George On tour (4 years ago)
An international exhibition of historical weapons and iron troops has been opened in the defense tower of Pärnu's oldest preserved castle in the summer. The exhibition is worthy of its name, as many items of the collection have belonged to royal families or their bodyguards. On the two floors of the red tower, more than 70 original pieces of the exhibition are exhibited at 750 to 1800. Each item has its own unique story and symbolizes the design of its era. On the first floor of the Red Tower, there is an Oriental display of weapons from Persian, India and Japan, and it is possible to preview the Samurai battle equipment, clothing and weapons. The second floor is in the history of Europe, giving an overview of weapons and ironmongery from the early spring to the beginning of the 1800s.
Johanna Blom (4 years ago)
I expected it to be more well taken care of consider its so old and an important mark for the city.
Matias Mustonen (4 years ago)
A very beautiful exhibition of historical arms and armour
Your assistant in market (5 years ago)
Only good thing there is Lounge Hoov.
kristofer mäger (6 years ago)
Historical place, must visit.Clean and good view.Interesting place.
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Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick. The tower was likely inhabited by the principal family or clan of the area but also served as a last resort for the village in case of an attack.

The broch continued to be inhabited while it began to collapse and the original structures were altered. The cistern was filled in and the interior was repartitioned. The ruin visible today reflects this secondary phase of the broch's use.

The site is surrounded by three ditches cut out of the rock with stone ramparts, encircling an area of around 45 metres diameter. The remains of numerous small stone dwellings with small yards and sheds can be found between the inner ditch and the tower. These were built after the tower, but were a part of the settlement's initial conception. A 'main street' connects the outer entrance to the broch. The settlement is the best-preserved of all broch villages.

Pieces of a Roman amphora dating to before 60 AD were found here, lending weight to the record that a 'King of Orkney' submitted to Emperor Claudius at Colchester in 43 AD.

At some point after 100 AD the broch was abandoned and the ditches filled in. It is thought that settlement at the broch continued into the 5th century AD, the period known as Pictish times. By that time the broch was not used anymore and some of its stones were reused to build smaller dwellings on top of the earlier buildings. Until about the 8th century, the site was just a single farmstead.

In the 9th century, a Norse woman was buried at the site in a stone-lined grave with two bronze brooches and a sickle and knife made from iron. Other finds suggest that Norse men were buried here too.

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