The small town of Otepää is located on the hills of southern Estonia and got its name for the shape of a hill resembling a bear's head - in translation from Estonian "Otepää" means "the head of a bear" (which is not surprising, it is the lobster head of the bear and the coat of arms of the city). Otepää is known not only as a SPA resort, but also as a winter sports center, which confirms its title of "the winter capital of Estonia."
How to get there
Company Baltic Shuttle organizes a message to Otepaa from St. Petersburg with a stop in Tartu (departure from Thursday to Sunday). The fare to Otepää is 1630 rubles. one way, 2910 rubles. (prices are indicated as of January 2012.)
Search for air tickets to the city of Tallinn (the nearest airport to Otepa)
Treatment in Otepaa
SPA and recreation center Pühajärve located on the shore of the most beautiful Lake of Estonia, equipped with salt chambers; massage rooms; Finnish, infrared and steam baths; jacuzzi and swimming pools. Different procedures for the SPA center are indicated for joint diseases, chronic diseases, muscle tension, and for stress relief.
Beaches
Lake Pühajärv, located 3 km south-west of Otepää, was sanctified in 1991 by Dalai -Lamoy Tenzin Gwatsau. Pühajärv is characterized by a winding coastline and a beautiful beach (in the northern extremity of the lake), equipped with a beach hull, playgrounds for the ball, recreational areas, a café and a boat dock. The shores of the lake abound in springs, the most famous of which is considered to be Armuallikas at the farm of Prozlovtsa. At the southern end of the lake the river Väike-Emajõgi originates.
Book popular hotels in Otepää at the best prices
| GMP Clubhotel Apartments from 6 548 rubles Otepää Tennisevälja 1 | Villa Saskia from 18 953 rubles Otepää Kastolatsi 9 | |
| Hotel Karupesa from 3 515 rubles Otepää Tehvandi 1A | Murakas Hotel from 2 757 rubles Otepää Valga mnt 23a | Bernhard Spa Hotel from 3 446 rubles Otepää Kolga Tee 22A |
Entertainment, excursions and sightseeing Otepää
In the eastern part of the city on Linnamägi Hill, the ruins of the Otepää Episcopal Castle of the 13th century - the first in Buildings made of bricks. The castle was built in 1224 by Herman on the site of an ancient site of ancient settlement believed to be 2000 years ago
Otepää is a kind of cradle of Estonian blue- black and white flag: On 4 June 1984, the blue-black and white flag of the Estonian Student Society was consecrated here at the Mariinsky Lutheran Church, which later became the Estonian national flag, and since 1991 - the national flag of Estonia. Literary Museum and House -Gustav Woolf's Adventure -Iysa, located on the shore of Lake Nypli, was founded in 1960, and excursions are conducted by the poet's granddaughter.
Another interesting museum is the Horse Carriage Museum, located 8 km from the city. The exposition of the museum is represented by all kinds of carts, singles, sleighs, as well as equipment for them - arcs, sticks, bells, sledge blankets, swamps for horses. There are also such vehicles as a tachanka, an ambulance and a fire carriage. The museum is open only by prior order, the ticket price is 2 EUR.
Nature and Parks Otepää
Especially for fans of outdoor activities in Otepaa, an adventure park with footpaths, a climbing wall, a catapult and a viewing platform - part of the Tehvandi ski jumping hill, was built. Those who wish can climb to 34-meter high and admire the most beautiful views of the city in Sat. - Sun. From 11:00 to 16:00, on the remaining days of the advance booking, the cost is 20 EUR, (prices are indicated as of January 2012).
Of interest is the Otepää Nature Park, which is the second largest reserve in Estonia and covers an area of 224.3 square meters .km .The changing landscape of the park is characterized by copses, creeks, fields, small swamps - hence the rich diversity of flora and fauna .The park is inhabited by a blue kingfisher, a small spotted eagle, a comb with a newt, a goshawk, an osae, a horn, a long-eared owl, a long-tailed owl, a gray crane and others .In addition to the beautiful nature that attracts tourists, the buildings of the Arul, Pyhajarve and Restu manors and the Prozlovtsa, Saare, Kolga, Nypli-Likhmuse .For visitors the park is open from Monday to Thursday: 09: 00-12: 00, 13: 00-16: 00, Friday: 09: 00-12: 00 . In Otepää there is a year-round training center Tehvandi, founded in 1978 and equipped with a ski stadium, certified cross-country ski runs, biathlon shooting ranges, a springboard, a ski run and running tracks. Guests of the hotel located on the territory of the center are entitled to free use of sports facilities (except for shooting galleries and springboards).
And 12 km south of Otepää there is another recreation and sports center, Kääriku, equipped with a sports hall, an athletics stadium, ball games, an outdoor swimming pool, saunas on the lake, a ski stadium, hiking trails and ski tracks. @
Neighborhoods of Otepaa
The Sangaste estate, located 25 km from Otepää, is notable for its chic castle and surrounding area .The present building of the castle was built in 1874-1881 gg .on the order of his last owner Friedrich Georg Magnus von Berg, architect Otto Gippius .Originally, the castle had 99 rooms, because only the king was allowed to have more than 100 rooms, but the subsequent reconstruction of the number of rooms increased to 149 .On the territory of the manor there is a courtyard, a barn and a water tower, behind the castle there is an arboretum .Only the castle is open to visitors, the rest of the buildings are in the process of restoration .In the interior of the castle there is a gothic guest guesthouse, an elegant festive hall, a hunting hall with oak panels, decorated in English style and a Spanish hall with Moorish decoration .In the former billiard room there is an exposition dedicated to the life and work of Count Friedrich Georg Magnus von Berg, first of all known as a dendrologist and enthusiast of innovative technologies .After the construction of the castle began, the count personally supervised the design of the future arboretum .Currently, the arboretum covers an area of 54 hectares, and on its territory there are almost 500 species of various trees and shrubs - there are plants from Europe, Siberia, North America and Estonia .From the second floor you can get to the tower, opened during the spring-summer period .The admission fee is 2 EUR, an excursion of 1 hour duration in Russian will cost 39 EUR (the prices are indicated as of January 2012) .
The prices are indicated as of January 2012 Photo by Otepi (16)