Estonia's sports center

Sports and well-being sum up the modern-day message of Otepää. It's the center place for skiing in Estonia but athletes from all over Europe train there regularly. The country is hilly and there are cross-country skiing trails everywhere, up hill and down. When there's no snow, you can hike, bike or roller-ski. The whole town and the countryside that surround it make up a breath-taking and inspiring habitat for exercise and happiness. Several hotels and at least one sports school cater to athletes who want to reach the peak of perfection.

You'll see two ski jumps from practically any direction. In the summer, you can ride a pulley along a wire from inside the forest to a grassy meadow where you'll land on soft foam mats. There are acres (or hectares for the more metric minded) of parks and grassy areas that turn into snow-covered paradise in the winter.

The Energiasammas

The Energiasammas reminds
visitors to keep in touch
with nature.

You feel more energetic just by being in Otepää. It could be due to the healthful atmosphere and the presence of so many health-oriented people. But there's always the possibility that it could be due to the energiasammas, a pillar of wood erected in just the right place (according to several psychics) to reflect all the "positive energies" of Otepää. The column is decorated with 12 metal bears' heads created in a blacksmithing contest held in 1993.

Early settlements

These ruins from the brick
Otepää fortification date
back to 1224 A.D.

Although Otepää's current fame relies on its sports centers, it has deeper roots. Archaeological findings place the first habitations in the area to around 2,000 years ago. In the 800's and 900's, Estonians built fortifications on a hill called Linnamägi (Castle Hill). The hill supposedly is shaped like the head of a bear when viewed from far away and that's how the town got its name: Otepää means "bear head" in Estonian. The area was attacked by the Russians in 1116, 1192 and 1210. Christian crusaders attacked it repeatedly from 1208 to 1224. Evidently, they finally succeeded in overwhelming it because a Christian bishop had the fortress rebuilt in brick in 1224. It was the first brick construction in Estonia. Residents say that the world's oldest known firearm was also found from the area.

The church in Otepää keeps alive the heritage of Estonia's national flag.

 
Inventing Estonia's flag

Bas relief tributes to the
students who created Estonia's
flag adorn the church.

As interesting as the athletic and fortress aspects of Otepää's history are, the town has also earned a particularly valuable place in modern Estonia's history. In 1881, as nationalistic feelings spread throughout the Baltic areas, university students in Tartu felt the need for an Estonian flag. Over a period of three years, they met together to discuss what colors would be appropriate. It was a daring act; if the authorities had found out, the students would likely have been killed or exiled to Siberia. After agreeing that the national colors should be blue, black and white, three young women sewed a flag. In 1884, the students drove it in a wagon to the Otepää church, far from any Russian eyes, where they raised it. Word spread and eventually people all over Estonia adopted the flag as their own. There's a small flag museum on the parish grounds.