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Founded: 1797Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Estonia
Historical period: Part of the Russian Empire (Estonia)
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The Town Hall is actually a whole quarter. Its oldest building, the merchant's house, was built in 1797. In 1806 it served as an accommodation for the Russian Czar Alexander I during his visit to Pärnu. Legend has, that in 1819, on the command of the Czar, the merchant's house was turned into the house of the commandant of the town.
Since 1839, the building was used as Town Hall. In 1911 it acquired an Art Nouveau style annex contained premises of the city council. As of year 2009, the Town Hall accommodated the Visitor Centre of Pärnu. Nikolai street is named after the St. Nicholas Church that used to be located here and was destroyed in World War II. A memorial stone has been placed opposite the Town Hall under the oak trees which are the only remains of the church yard. The chapel of St. Nicholas Church was home for a well known pilgrimage object, the Black Cross. The Black Cross is also depicted on the coat of arms of Pärnu.
Reference: Visit Pärnu
Linderhof is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and the only one which he lived to see completed.
Ludwig II, who was crowned king in 1864, began his building activities in 1867-1868 by redesigning his rooms in the Munich Residenz and laying the foundation stone of Neuschwanstein Castle. In 1868 he was already making his first plans for Linderhof. However, neither the palace modelled on Versailles that was to be sited on the floor of the valley nor the large Byzantine palace envisaged by Ludwig II were ever built.
Instead, the new building developed around the forester's house belonging to his father Maximilian II, which was located in the open space in front of the present palace and was used by the king when crown prince on hunting expeditions with his father.