Otepää is a small town located in the southern part of Estonia and inhabited by only two thousand inhabitants. You cannot call it a quiet and calm provincial town. This is the most famous center in the Baltics winter species sports proudly bearing the status of the winter capital of Estonia.
Bishop Herman once built Stone Fort, the first castle in Estonia, on one of the hills, resembling a bear's head in its shape. It was from this castle that the history of the city of Otepää began in 1224, the name of which is translated from Estonian and means “the head of a bear”. But according to archaeological research, a settlement in this area arose much earlier. Since the second half of the first millennium, there has been a settlement of Estons - the ancient ancestors of Estonians.
Modern Otepää is part of the Valga County and lies 42 km south of Tartu on a hill, where the hillsides are covered with coniferous forests, and the lowlands are covered with meadows and swamps. It would seem that there is nothing remarkable in this corner of Estonia, of which there are many. But it only seems at first glance.
Picturesque landscapes that open from the tops of the hills, pearl lakes, one of which is Lake Pühajärv, crystal clear air, ideal conditions created for lovers of snow and winter sports, ancient monuments revealing interesting pages of history - all this attracts tourists to this glorious a small town, and not only local residents, but also foreigners.
Many people call Otepää “Estonian Switzerland”, since in summer you can relax here in campsites on the lakes, and in the winter months go in for skiing.
How to get there
Unfortunately, and maybe, fortunately, neither railroad, there is no airport here, so you can get here only by bus or private car. If it’s important for you to fly by plane, then you can land in Tartu, and then take the bus to the city of Otepää, good, they run all the time.
If you use the railway, then on the Tartu-Valga line, 15 km from the city there is railroad station Palupere.
Weather
The temperate continental climate with frosty winters and mild summers guarantees tourists the opportunity to engage active species Sports all year in Otepää. It is comfortable here in winter: the average air temperature during the day is about + 2 ... + 8 degrees, and at night there are small negative temperatures. Therefore, the skiing season lasts from December to early March, in general, as long as it is possible to shoot snow from snow cannons.
The summer is warm, usually the thermometer in the daytime rises to + 19 ... + 21 degrees, dropping to + 14 ... + 16 degrees at night. Not very warm nights do not prevent tourists from spending time in campsites on the lake.
Accommodation
Otepää is a small city, but in tourist season Thousands of travelers come here. For their convenient accommodation, guesthouses and hotels, hotels and recreation centers are open, rental of houses, cottages, apartments and apartments is available. Depending on personal preferences and capabilities, you can book a room in a business or economy class hotel for 25-45 euros per day with a standard set of services and small rooms of various types. Young people mostly prefer to stay in hostels for 14-16 euros, where they are usually provided only sleeping area in the dormitory room. The city has developed a network of inexpensive mini-hotels in which from 10 to 40 guests can simultaneously stay, “laying out” for a room from 20 to 40 euros.
However, Otepää would not be called a climatic resort if it did not have hotels that provide spa services to its visitors. One of them is a SPA hotel on the shore of Lake Pühajärve, equipped with massage rooms, salt chambers, a jacuzzi and pools, a steam, Finnish, infrared baths. Or the luxurious 4-star Hotel Villa Saskia, which costs € 500 per night.
Beach vacation
If you decide to meet Otepää’s “winter resort” in summer time, then, believe me, you will not regret it. The pride of the city is Lake Pühajärve, popularly called Holy, whose beach for the purity of water received the international Blue Flag award. The lake is characterized by a meandering coastline with an abundance of springs, five islands and equipped with an excellent beach with a boat station. Fans of outdoor activities here can not only play sports, but also just travel around the area, go fishing or go sailing along the lake. By the way, one who believes in the supernatural should definitely visit the “energy pillar” in the city. They say that if you touch it, you will get a tremendous charge of health and energy. "
Leisure
AT winter time year, the mountain turns into a ski resort, where there are:
- ski and roller ski tracks;
- snowboard tracks;
- ski slopes;
- snowmobiling, sledding and ice skating;
To a greater extent, Ottepa is popular among those who love outdoor activities. Unlike many ski resorts in Poland or Latvia, it is possible to combine downhill and cross-country skiing. The peculiarity of Ottep, as a sports resort, is that there are several racing and walking routes, all of which correspond to a high European level and various categories of difficulty. Tehwandi Sports Center hosts national teams from many countries all year round, while the World Cup in cross-country skiing is held in the center of Käiriku. The opportunity to use the ski-roller track in the winter will cost only 6 euros / day or 25 euros / week.
At the Kuutsmae Ski Center you can ride skiing. Here you will find 7 prepared tracks of different difficulty levels with lifts with a total length of 2 kilometers. The prices for ski rentals and skype passes, however, are quite European. For 3 hours of using the lifts you will have to pay 15 euros and the same amount will have to be paid for renting a ski kit (skis, helmet, poles).
An adventure park has been built especially for outdoor enthusiasts in Tehvandi, which has hiking trails, a climbing wall, a catapult and an observation platform, which is part of the ski jump. And 12 km from the resort there is another sports center - Kääriku with a ski stadium and an athletics stadium, a sports hall, ball games, lakeside saunas, ski slopes and hiking trails.
What to visit
Tourists who are not interested in sports will also find something to do in the city. After all, near the city there are ruins of an ancient bishop's castle. Of particular interest is the Otepää Nature Park - the second largest reserve in Estonia with a rich variety of flora and fauna. And you can visit the Sangaste estate, notable for its chic old castle with 149 rooms open to visitors.
If you are hungry, you will be offered food and drinks in restaurants, cafes or pubs. AT local restaurants should order soup with dumplings and blueberries, stew with barley and sauerkraut meat, smoked trout, various desserts and other delicious dishes of national cuisine.
In memory of have a great vacation in this unique corner of Estonia you can make of wood or amber, clothes made of fur, leather, cotton or linen, various souvenirs and even antiques.
Otepää is perfect place for active young people interested in sports. Families with children can relax here, however, it is better to go with the kids in the summer, since not every child can be taken to the mountains. But in the summer there will be a real expanse for them.
Useful information for tourists about Otepää in Estonia - geographical position, tourist infrastructure, map, architectural features and attractions.
Otepää is a district and town located on the hills in southern Estonia. The city received its name for the similarity of the hill on which the castle stands, with a bear's head. The name of the city in Estonian means "the head of a bear." In written sources, the city was first mentioned in 1116, when the Russian prince Mstislav seized the hillfort, mentioned in the Novgorod annals under the name "Bear's Head".
Otepää is a kind of winter capital of Estonia, the city is the center of the winter games in the Baltic states. Winter holidays in this Estonian town are diverse. Due to the climatic features of the region, you can take part in winter activities even in early April. You can participate in winter events. Here there are hills that ski lovers and snowboarders will love. Great opportunity to get acquainted with the picturesque natural landscapes Otepää is, of course, winter hiking.
Other winter activities, such as ATV riding and motor sleigh trips, are also gaining popularity. In addition, if you wish, you can take part in a night safari or a sleigh ride.
In order to truly feel and love the city, you must go on a hike, observe the animals living here, and explore the diversity plant world, capture unique moments and picturesque landscapes on the camera. Hikers are offered nature trails of various lengths and complexity. Walking and hiking can be done both on foot and by bicycle. You can rent boats, canoes, catamarans for walking along rivers and lakes in the city and the surrounding area.
In summer, roller skis are held in Otepää. The competition also provides entertainment for the audience. Roller tracks are also available for amateur athletes.
The city has an excellent golf course, which is unique both in surface shape and in the diversity of its natural environment. There are all kinds of attractions in the adventure park, fans of extreme sensations will definitely remember flying on a catapult to a height of 20 meters.
The most beautiful lake in Estonia is Pühajärve, with a maximum length of 3.5 km, a width of 1.6 km and a depth of 8.5 km. The lake is fed by numerous coastal springs, of which the most famous is the Armuallikas spring in the coastal bend near the village of Poslovitsa. There are five islands in the lake. According to one legend, the lake arose from the tears of a grieving mother, who mourned the 5 sons who fell in the war. According to legend, their grave hills are today the 5th islands of Pühajärve.
25 km from Otepää is the Sangaste Castle, built in 1874-81. The castle is an exact copy of the English castle of Windsor. Currently in Sangast there is a hotel, a hall for festivals and a conference room. Near the castle is an old oak tree, which, according to legend, was planted by Peter I.
In the eastern part of the city are the ruins of a 13th century episcopal castle. The castle was built by Bishop Herman in 1224. In the 13th century, a settlement arose in the vicinity of the castle, in which merchants and craftsmen mainly lived.
Otepää is recognized by psychics as a region that provides energy. You can scoop it both in outdoor activities, and under the crowns of the ancient oaks of Mäe Street, which are indicated by the Energy Pillar.
The peculiarity and advantage of Otepää is that you can relax here both in winter and in summer. In winter, until the beginning of April, this is a great place for people who are fond of skiing and snowboarding, and in the summer it is all kinds of hiking, cycling or boat trips. Also in summer, marathons on roller skis and running are held. Equipped a large number of trails for runners and cyclists.
Unrestrained winter fun with major international competitions and a bath marathon is expected in January-February 2015 in Otepää. In our material - a list of what will attract a real winter traveler in this modest Estonian town.
Otepää is located in the southern part Of Estonia, and its name is literally translated from the local language as "the head of a bear." It's all about the hilly terrain - one of the largest hills just resembles this very head of a bear. The resident population here is just over 2 thousand people, and tourism is, of course, the main local occupation. In summer, they also relax here, for example, on the beach of the main Estonian lake Pühajärve, but still the biggest influx of tourists happens in January-February. Unofficially, Otepää is considered the country's winter capital.
In January-February 2015, the cultural program in Otepää will turn out to be extremely saturated. A big biathlon finally got to the town, who joined the skiing races already familiar here. The importance of Otepää for skiers is gradually increasing, as the importance of the resort on tourist map Of Europe.
The program of big holidays in Otepää in 2015 will be opened by two ski races on January 17 and 18 - these are intermediate competitions between the famous Tour de Ski and the World Ski Championship, which will be held this year in the Swedish Falun.
Skier runs will flow smoothly on World Snow Day - a holiday that has been held by the International Ski Federation since 2012. In 2015, it fell on January 18th. The main goal of this event is to attract as many people as possible to winter sports, therefore, mass competitions in mountain and plain skiing, ice-skating and snowboarding are held on this day.
After a short ten-day respite, the town will host the European Biathlon Championships. In Otepää, biathlon teams often had their training camps and not the most important stages of biathlon cups, but such a large-scale event will be held for the first time. The European Championship will last a whole week and will include 9 big races: men and women will run in the individual race, sprint, pursuit and relay race, and on February 2 there will be a mixed relay.
At the end of February, the most original competition from the 2015 sports program will be held - the European Bath Marathon. The essence of the competition is visiting as many local baths as possible, and in each of the steam rooms you need to spend at least three minutes. To participate in the marathon, you must first register, and you can compete both in the individual competition and in the team. To add competition to the competition, the organizers came up with a number of additional contests, for participation in which additional points are awarded in the overall standings. The most severe of them is swimming in the ice holes.
Conducting large-scale competitions makes the town recall old and come up with new attractions so that tourists have something to do in free time. In the local museum you can trace the history of biathlon and cross-country skiing and other winter sports, take a look at the very first wooden skis with fancy mounts and explore a large collection of awards from various competitions.
Locals They are trying to introduce visitors to Estonian culture, and one of the best places for this is the Estonian Flag Room. It was in Otepää in 1884 that the modern blue-black-and-white flag of Estonia was consecrated and blessed. A special room dedicated to the history of the flag is located in the Otepyansky church.
In Otepää you can recharge with positive energy. In 1992, a monument was opened in the town called “Energy Pillar”. Local residents claim that it is at this place that the positive energy fields found by a group of psychics are located. To get a boost of energy, you just need to sit on one of the many benches around this outlandish structure.
In the vicinity of Otepää on the Linnamägi hill there is a bishop's castle of the 13th century, or rather its ruins. Guides will tell a lot of interesting things about its centuries-old fascinating history, but there’s nothing to see here especially, especially in winter. But there is something to see in the Sangaste estate, 25 km from Otepää, where there is a huge 1874 castle with 149 rooms.
It is interesting that in Otepää there is a trace of eastern cultures. In 1991, the Dalai Lama himself visited here and consecrated Lake Pühajärve. In honor of this momentous event, a wooden sculpture was erected on the shore.
But speaking of winter holiday, then, naturally, the main place here is occupied by the Tehvandi sports center, where there is a huge ski slopesincluding FIS certificates, six ski jumps, a ski stadium, biathlon shooting ranges for 17 and 30 seats, an alpine room and a host of other sports facilities.
Otepää (est. Otepää, formerly est. Nuustaku; until 1917 - Odenpe, German Odenpäh) is a city without a municipal status in Estonia, in the county of Valgamaa, the center and component Otepya volosts. Known as an international center for winter sports and tourism, where the qualifying rounds of the European Championships and the stages of the World Cup are held. Otepää has the unofficial title of the winter capital of Estonia (unlike Pärnu, the “summer” capital of the country).
In the eastern part of the city, on the Linnamägi hill (est. Linnamägi, City Mountain) are the ruins of the 13th century Odenpe Castle. Originally, a wooden castle was built in 1215 by the Bishop of Leal (from 1224 - Derpt) German Buksgevdenom on the site of the Estonian settlement, which was first mentioned in Russian chronicles in 1116 under the name Bear Head. Later it was destroyed by the Slavs, and then rebuilt by the Germans, but in 1223 it was destroyed again by the Slavs, and after them the revolted ests. The first owner of the castle after its restoration in stone in 1224 was the son-in-law of Bishop Engelbert Tiesenhausen. Thus, Odenpe is the first documented possession of flax in Livonia. Scientists believe that the human site on Linnamägi already existed 2,000 years ago, and archaeological finds on the site date back to the second half of the first millennium BC. e. The original name of the settlement is unknown, but scientists are inclined to believe that the name was associated with the head of a bear. The Germans in their chronicles did not translate the name of the settlement and until the 20th century as the name of the castle, and later the village, used the German transcription of Odenpe (German Odenpäh), which did not reach the ancient Estonian name of the place. Denmark and Sweden sought to take these lands from Livonia. The Great Northern War led to the devastation of the region. In 1841, a peasant uprising broke out in Odenp, known as the Pühajärv War. Odenpe is the birthplace of the Estonian national movement. On September 20, 1876, the Derpt Estonian Agricultural Society held the first Estonian agricultural exhibition at the church estate. A student society was founded here, on June 4, 1884, the first blue-black-white Estonian flag was consecrated in the Odenpe church. Therefore, the “Room of the Estonian flag” and a commemorative plaque about this event were framed at the church. In addition, pastors who actively participated in the national movement also served here - these are Adrian Virginius and Jacob Hurt (1839-1907). Near the church there is a monument to Jacob Hurt, who is also known as an Estonian folklorist and linguist. Public education in Otepää has a rich history: the first public school was opened in Odenp in 1686. From 1872 to 1880, when Jacob Hurt was the pastor in the village, a significant increase in the level of education and the economic condition of educational institutions was noted. While working in Odenpe, Jakob Hurt also chaired the Estonian Literature Society General Committee on Establishment of the Estonian Alexander II School. In 1906, the Odenpe was founded ...
Otepää is a small town located in the hilly part of South. AT winter season the city takes on the status of the capital of the country. Otepää, despite its small territory, is the most famous resort center for winter sports in the entire Baltic.
Otepää: history and modernity
Otepää is literally translated from Estonian as “a bear’s head”. The city owes its name to the shape of the hill, resembling nothing more than the head of this wild animal.
The historical significance of this place is documented: it was here in 1224 that Bishop German built the famous Stone Fort, the first castle on the territory.
The Stone Fort was located in the safest place of the settlement - on the top of a steep hill surrounded by water. The castle was built in the Gothic style, using materials such as brick and granite. However, after a little less than two centuries, in 1396, the castle was destroyed during a fierce war between the high clergy and the knights of the Livonian order.
Those who believe in the supernatural will be interested in visiting the otepyatsky “energy pillar”. An ancient dowry says that a tremendous charge of powerful health and endless energy can be obtained by touching this pillar for only a few seconds.
Otepää: “pearl” of sports tourism
In the winter time, the city of Otepää becomes a real paradise for all who are not indifferent to outdoor activities. Excellent conditions for winter sports lovers make this place one of the most popular not only in the Baltic States, but throughout Western Europe. Fans of cross-country or downhill skiing, courageous snowboarders, snowmobile riders, skaters, as well as just people who are not indifferent to the ancient fun “sledding” - they all find this place one of the best in the whole Baltic. Otepää is a sports center designed for both experienced athletes and beginner sports tourists. Otepyatsky tracks, divided into different levels and complexity categories, strictly correspond to the highest European quality standards.
Since the late fifties of the last century, there are two sports centers in Otepää - Tehvandi and Käiriku, designed for adherents of a sports lifestyle. The Käiriku Center is a place where athletes (both professionals and beginners) flock from November to March from all over the Baltic.
In turn, Tehvandi is a year-round sports center designed for professional top-level athletes. It is here where sports stars such as Andrus Veerpalu, Kristina Schmigun and Jaak Mäe live, train and prepare for new Olympic victories.
Otepää: Culture and Landmarks
The city of Otepää is attractive not only for lovers of winter sports. Otepää will be interesting for people who are far from sporting achievements. The picturesque nature of the region, popular in the “in the black” bathhouse (with subsequent bathing in the ice hole) will not leave indifferent those who are used to measured relaxation.
For those who love cultural activities, the sights that this wonderful town is famous for will be interesting. Museum building navy, opened at the end of 1996, is famous for its centuries-old history. It was in this building that on June 4, 1884, the Estonian national flag was first hoisted, which, after half a century, became the official banner of the independent Republic of Estonia.
The structure, originally built as a church in 1671, has undergone significant renovations on several occasions. So, in 1860, the roof of the bell tower was thoroughly reconstructed in the Neo-Baroque style. And already at the end of the nineteenth century (in 1890) the church took a modern look, made in the English neo-Gothic style. In the same year, a body was established that is in good condition today.
Not far from the church, in a hilly area, is a monument to the victims of the War of Independence of the Republic of Estonia.
In addition, in 1992, a museum was opened in the city dedicated to history, cultural life and the nature of the region.
