Otepää (formerly Nuustaku) is a town in Valga County in southern
Estonia, the administrative center of Otepää Rural Municipality.
Otepää is a popular ski resort popularly known as the "winter
capital" of Estonia (as opposed to the "summer capital" of Pärnu).
In the 2005-2006 season, it hosted the FIS Cross-Country World Cup.
The name "Otepää" is translated from Estonian as "Ott's head",
and Ott is a euphemism meaning "bear".
Tourist Information
Center (Otepää Turismiinfokeskus), Tartu mnt 1, ☏ +372 7661200, ✉
otepaa@visitestonia.com Mon-Fri 10: 00-17: 00, Sat-Sun 10: 00-14:
00. Numerous brochures and maps of the activities available
depending on the season. Some souvenirs are also sold. Alternative
email address: turism@otepaa.eu
Otepää hill and the ruins of the bishop's castle (Small
Settlement piiskopilinnuse varemetega). Note the ruins of the
bishop's castle. Otepää Hill (165.6 m) was formed about 13,000 years
ago during the Ice Age. Then, 1000 years ago, the most important
castle in Ancient Ugal was built here. The permanent fortified
settlement was built in the 7th-8th century and was significantly
fortified in the 11th century. The world's oldest firearms were
found here. During the battles of 1208-1227, most of the fighting
took place around the castle. It was captured in 1224 by the
crusaders, after which Herman I built the first stone castle here,
which was also one of the first brick buildings in Estonia.
Unfortunately, today only a few walls remain on the top of the hill.
Otepää Cultural Center
Otepää Cultural Center is a cultural
center in Otepää. The director of the center is Sirje Ginter.
According to the charter of the Center, its tasks include the
promotion of local social and cultural life and the organization of
local and regional cultural events.
Memorial to the Otepiai
War of Independence
The Otepää War of Independence Memorial is a
monument to the soldiers who died during the War of Independence in
Otepää. The memorial is located near the Otepää church. The monument
was designed by Voldemar Mellik and the pillar by Peeter Weber. The
monument was opened on June 10, 1928. The memorial was demolished on
June 17, 1950, and parts of it were buried. The obelisk of the
pillar was found on August 3, 1988. The new samba was developed by
R. Unt. The memorial was opened on July 15, 1989. The memorial is an
exact replica of the original monument.
The town is named after the 6th arrondissement.–15. the castle was
built in the century. The castle was erected on a hill with good natural
defences and became one of the most important centres of ancient Estonia
at the end of the Viking age. From the fortress and the aolinna that
arose from it, the ancient region of Uganda was governed and the area of
influence of the fortress and the trade routes concentrated in Otepa
were ruled.
It was first mentioned in writing 13. in the "first
Novgorod Chronicle"compiled in the century. According to it, Novgorod
was captured by the troops of Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich in 1116. in
the year is Otepa (in the Chronicle – Bear's head). There was no
permanent power over Uganda. The next mention of the fortress is from
1192, when it was burned down by the troops of the Novgorod Prince
Yaroslav Vladimirovich.
13th century
1200. around the year,
Otepa was the center of all southern Estonia and more important than
Tartu. The fortress was set on fire in 1208 during a confrontation
between Estonians and the assembled forces of Albert, Bishop of Riga. on
fire. In the same year, the name Oteepa (Odenpe, Odempe) is mentioned by
Henrik of Latvia in his Livonian Chronicle ("Odenpe, id est Caput
Ursi"), knowing for sure that it means bear's head. Later records still
record the names Odenpeh and Odemphe, 1782. in the year also Odempa and
Ottepa. The German name is Oden. Lauri Kettunen (1956), a researcher of
the Baltic-Finnic languages, considered the name OTE + OTE ('bear's
head') to be purely southern Estonian.
1210. at the beginning of
the year, the fortress was besieged by the Pskov and Novgorod princes,
and when the besieged agreed to pay a ransom in Silver, the troops left.
In the same year, a troop led by the bishop of Riga and the Order of the
brothers of the sword arrived in Otepu and captured the fortress and set
it on fire. Since 1215. Talibald, a latgalian nobleman, had been killed
by the ugans in, its sons then came to brutally plunder Uganda. After
the ugans sent envoys to Riga to announce their agreement to accept
Christianity, the raids ceased.
1216. in the year, the pskovians
arrived again and easily conquered Otepayu. After the departure of
Prince Vladimir Mstislavich, Estonians sent their representatives to
Riga, demanding help against the Russians. Bishop Albert, who was in
Riga, sent a military detachment to Otaei, who went with the ugalians in
1217. in January of the year, a counter-expedition to the Novgorod lands
(Novgorod chronicles do mention Lithuanians). At the same time, the
conversion of Otepa Castle into a modern stone fortress was started,
using brick as a building material for the first time in Estonia.
The Russian princes now assembled a large force (which was also
joined by the Islanders and sakans) and arrived in Otepae in March.
Attempts were made to take the fortress by storm, but the German and
Ugandan defenders repulsed all attacks. After receiving the news of the
siege of Oteepa, a new army of Crusaders (together with latgalians and
livonians) was sent from Riga to help with the siege of Oteepa, which
under Oteepa passed the Islanders, attacked the Russians, and then
retreated to the fortress. However, The Defenders of the fortress were
forced to surrender after the subsequent 17-day siege. According to the
concluded peace treaty, the troops of the bishop and the order had to
leave Uganda.
1223. in the year, all the brothers of the order
who were in Viljandi were killed by the sakans. Having heard of the
successful insurrection, the same was done (or the brothers of the order
were imprisoned) in Leole, Tartu and Otepaa. However, the resistance was
quickly suppressed. The bishop of Tartu Hermann von Buxhoevden (Hermann
I) took office in 1224. after the conquest of Tartu, he finally
established spiritual power in Uganda. Hermann I then enfeoffed his
brother Theoderic de Bekeshovede. The town above the current town of
Otepae revived 13. by the middle of the century and its population was
growing steadily.
The" Riga debt book " (partial register of credit transactions
concluded in Riga in 1286-1352) contains eight persons with the
additional name Odempe or Odenpe (or Otepa). One of the families of this
name was remarkably successful – 14. in the second half of the century,
its members relocated to Tartu and Lubeck and operated with large sums
of money. 15. by the beginning of the century, however, Otepa was a
secondary settlement, which remained in the shadow of Tartu. The castle
was finally abandoned 15. century.
There were also stone
buildings in the medieval village of otepa. 1996. during the year's
earthworks, the foundation and floor of a medieval half-basement stone
building were visible across the road opposite the church. There were
three medieval cemeteries in the settlement: in addition to the
churchyard on a hill with a stone cross just east of the City Hill and
also on the eastern part of the former Border Street, now between Tartu
road and the new bus station. The population of the village and the
surrounding area was 14. in the second half of the century, 400-500
people. The fact that the jewellery and grave goods found in the
cemetery are similar to those found in the usual village cemeteries in
the surrounding area shows that Estonians who made up the majority of
the population of the village were buried in the otepa Hamlet cemetery.
Wealth 13.–14. the century was based on the ancient road network and
long-distance trade tradition. Some of the goods coming from Latvia
still moved to the inner areas of South-East Estonia and also to Russia
via OTEV. However, otepa lost its place in long-distance trade to Tartu,
from where the waterway to Pskov was safer and faster in the event of a
favorable wind.
In the Middle Ages, plague outbreaks could also
have devastated the island. The border Street Cemetery has been in use
for a short time, and numerous rows of dead have been buried there at
one time. DNA analysis has confirmed that plague victims were buried
there by family. Archaeologists consider it possible that the Border
Street Cemetery dates back to 1378. one year of the epidemic, after
which one sixth of the population survived in the Diocese of Tartu,
according to one source, only one tenth of the population, according to
another.
However, population losses did not bring 14. in the 15th
century, the castle remains in ruins. century lead to abandonment of the
town. Here was the main fair site for merchants who traded with Pskov
and distant Russia. In the town, the landowners of Valge Lake, Neeruti,
Kammer and Kostfer had one plot with a house, the landowners of Saint
Lake and Arula even had two. Rich donations were given to the castle
church dedicated to Saint Elizabeth, which had the coat of arms of
Uexkyll. They were 16. at the beginning of the century also paved
streets.
1582. in the Year of the Polish revision of the manor of Otepa
(Odempe), it was noted that the castle, which had long remained in
ruins, included 4 ploughlands of Land Estates. The church was empty. The
church and its 2 ploughs are said to have belonged to the Holzschuher
family, whose father (possibly Jurgen Holtschur) is said to have bought
it. However, his descendants could not provide the poles with a document
confirming ownership.
1620. according to a church survey carried
out by the Swedish authorities over the years, there were only four
walls and both end walls left of the Otepa church, and the church
belonged to the Chancellor. Near the church was the church Manor, where
pastor Heinrich Fabricius the younger lived. Half a mile away from it
was the village of Vaivaste (Waiwaste), which had previously belonged to
The Manor of Vaiste (Wayste). Previously, four farmers lived on Vaivas,
two of whom the chancel had relocated next to the parsonage. 1627. the
castle, town and churches were in ruins, and only poor buildings were
standing in the parsonage. 1627. in the year the parsonage belonged to
the Waiwast village located at Arula.
1671. the parish church
dedicated to Saint Martin was rebuilt in. 1680. according to a map from
the years, most of the lands above the present heart of the city were
arable. Five households were closely located near the church and the
parsonage, one farm was also in the area between the Town Lake and Raven
lake, and one above the current substation at the Kaarnaoja bridge.
Later, the church was still owned by the Church. 1683. the Sickles
pasture beyond the church is mentioned in. 1690. only one Manor was
named Odempu in, whose walls had fallen into disrepair.
In
Sweden, the foundation was laid for a network of Public Schools. In
1686-1699 there was a public school in Otepaa, the location of which has
not been identified, where Ignatsi Jaak was the teacher. 1699. in the
year, the activities of the public school continued on Juusa farm.
After Catherine II ukase in 1772. the old cemetery was built. 1825.
Nuustaku farm and tavern were located approximately above the current
health center in. 1842. in the year there was also a tavern on the Land
of the Nuppli Manor above the current Tehvandi Sports Centre. The church
was in 1844. in his tavern on the north side of Kanepi road, however, by
the hamlet Lake was the bellman's House.
10. in June 1928, the Estonian War of Independence monument was
opened. 1. in April 1936, The Village became a city. Julius Niklus
became the first mayor, the municipality of Otepa was located at Turku
11 before the Second World War. 1936. Year 1. in July, the city of Otepa
started its activities at 11 Otepa town tappamaja Parnu Street. 1940. in
the year, the mayor of the city was Arvo orn.
1941. during the
summer War, Estonian resistance fighters under the leadership of Karl
Talpaku liberated the city of Otepa from Soviet rule 10. July, a week
before the arrival of German troops. The activities were restored by the
institutions of the Republic of Estonia and 22. in July 1941, so-called
postage stamps were issued in Otepaa. 1944. in August of the year, a
large part of Otelu was destroyed in the battles.
In 1950-1959,
the city of Oteaa was the center of Oteaa district.
During the
Singing Revolution and the restoration of Estonian independence, Jaanus
Raidal held the Office of Mayor of Oteepa. After him, the mayor was
Aivar Nigol, who led the city until the merger of municipalities.
In October 1999, as a result of the election of local authorities,
the city of OTE Hall and the municipality of Saajajve merged into the
municipality of OTE hall. 4. June 2004 celebrated at the church flag
consecration 120. anniversary.
Oteepa is a very well known winter sports and ski town. 1996. it is the winter capital of Estonia.
Tehvandi Sports Centre hosts Estonian Championships in cross-country
skiing, biathlon, ski jumping and biathlon.
The first
cross-country skiing World Cup was held in Otepaa in 1999. in; Kristina
Shmigun took third place in the women's 10 km classic race there. The
following similar competitions took place in 2001, 2003-2012, 2015 and
2017. In total, this competition has been held 15 times, and most
recently in 2019. in.
2011. in Tehvandi Sports Center held the
world junior and up to 23-year-old Northern Ski Championships. It was
the biggest sports event ever held in Estonia. 700 athletes from 38
countries participated, Estonians won three bronze medals.
2019.
the World Cup was held for the first time. The next similar competitions
took place in 2022. and 2023. in. Due to the lack of snow, competitions
remained in 2018. and 2020. in the year away, 2021. there were no
competitions in due to the corona pandemic.
Tehvandi stadium
building is located in 2011. from 2001 to 2010, the predecessor of the
museum was the Ski Museum. A large part of the exposition comes from the
collections of the Estonian Sports and Olympic Museum, as well as a
number of items belonging to athletes, including medals won.
The start of the well-known Ski Marathon, the Tartu Marathon, has
been located in Otepaa since 1996. since, its finish is in Elva. 1960.
the previous starting places of the annual ski marathon were Tartu
(Kermiku or Otepaevni) and Mater (Elvani).
Competitions are also
held in otepaali at the Otepaali-Tartu running marathon, which is the
oldest marathon in Estonia and was held in 1973. year. 2023. it was held
in 50. repeat. The distances are 2000. the years were marathon (42.195
km), Half Marathon (21.1 km) and Nordic walking (21.1 km).
Since
2000. since then, there have been bike races. Initially, the distances
were 50-55 km long, but in addition, races have been held at Marathon
(approx 80 km), Half Marathon (approx 50 km) and hiking distances (cu 25
km). Children's competitions are also organized.