STORIES OF THE RED TOWER. The history of medieval Pärnu and the local area

Описание

The Red Tower, a corner tower of the medieval town fortifications built in the 15th century, is home to an innovative small museum introducing the story of the former prison tower and medieval Pärnu. On the tower’s attic floor, visitors can experience a circular panoramic cinema showing an animated film about the development of the local area over the past 15,000 years.

In the courtyard gallery, visitors can explore a panel exhibition on local history. In warmer weather, the courtyard also offers a free oversized Mill Game.

On the tower’s first floor, or reception floor, the museum visitor guide introduces the history of the Red Tower: visitors can see what the tower may have looked like shortly after it was built, according to historians, in the early 15th century, and learn about its long history as the town prison.

We then recommend going straight up to the tower’s attic. The tower’s former defensive floor, once closed to visitors and now used as the attic floor, has become an innovative circular panoramic cinema. A 10-minute animated film, “Merciless and Merciful History. 15,000 Years in the Red Tower”, was created especially for this space. The film centres on the view from the viewer’s location, from the Ice Age to the present day. We see the geographical changes that have taken place on the site of the town, follow the town’s development, and find ourselves in the midst of significant or intriguing historical events.

On the tower’s second floor, we introduce the medieval Livonian small town of New-Pärnu as it was a century later, in the mid-16th century. Of this town, only the Red Tower remains in today’s streetscape. The model and the screen above it help visitors understand the size and layout of the medieval town and imagine the buildings that have disappeared forever. The display cases contain a small exhibition of objects introducing the everyday life of a medieval burgher.

PLEASE NOTE THAT...

... the small building can accommodate only a limited number of visitors at a time, and the cinema hall seats up to 10 people. We kindly ask you to buy tickets in advance whenever possible. Group visits should be arranged beforehand so that we can find the most convenient solution.

... the Red Tower courtyard can only be accessed from Hommiku Street. When you see the open gate, the courtyard gallery and the tower are ahead of you — please feel free to step inside.

... the architecture of the medieval tower places significant limits on accessibility. Before purchasing a ticket, we recommend making sure that the narrow and steep stairs and high thresholds will not prevent you from visiting the Red Tower.

OPENING HOURS:

Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00

CONTACT US:

Tel: +372 443 3488 during opening hours
Email: visit@pernau.ee