Otepää with its developed infrastructure has won recognition as organizer of major events. The first bigger skiing event took place here in 1928.

It is in the roundabouts of Otepää where the Estonian Olympic medallists live and train.

In addition to traditional skiing events, Otepää has also become an attraction for European snow-boarders.

A lively and attractive family event is the winter fishing competition in February on the ice of Lake Pühajärv with its annual number of participants about several thousands.

Founding of the Tehvandi winter sport training centre for the Olympic team in 1978 gave new impetus to Otepää as a sports centre.

The Tehvandi Centre is recognized as a training area all year round among high level sportsmen. The well kept cross-country skiing tracks of international level, 2 shooting ranges for biathlonists, K70 ski jump hill, and 4 smaller ski hills offer opportunities for seroius training.

 

 

Kääriku has more than a half a century been a favourite of Estonianwinter sports fans. The Kääriku complex, founded at first as a study and training centre of the Faculty of Exercise and Sport Sciences of the University of Tartu, became soon very popular among the top skiers as well as amateurs.

 

In addition to the ski stadium, high quality tracks, and s sports hall, Kääriku also pffers everything for summer training and a sporting vacation.

 

Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, the Finnish President who loved skiing visited Estonia in 1964 and was taken to a skiing trip near Kääriku. The  so-called Kekkonen trip along the same track has now become a popular annual winter event.

 

There are lots of cultural events at fresh air during summertime. For example  - traditional Pühajärve brass instrumental concert are held on July, concerts at local church, fairs etc.

 

The Leigo lake music festival at neigboroughood is a unique one in Europe, where the symbiosis of nature and music creates lasting, yet one-of-a-kind impressions. Open-air concerts are held in completely natural venues on the hilly landscapes of the Otepää highland. The musicians' stage is on an island in the lake, surrounded by thousands of listeners on the sloping shore. Each concert is like a performance or film, in which the world of image and sound melts into an audiovisual whole. We unite the musical and landscape adventure, seeking the harmony of fire, water, and sounds.