Otepää with the electric Cupra Born – Estonia’s sports capital that surprises

Otepää with the electric Cupra Born – Estonia’s sports capital that surprises

Although April has barely begun, we already have an idea for the beginning of May – to combine great dining with the feeling of the Baltic hills, forests and lakes in Estonia’s sportiest city, Otepää. Everyone who is interested in winter sports has heard of this place, but where it is, many people have no idea. It’s simple: we drive as to Tartu, turn right a few kilometres after Valga onto very, very winding roads and after about half an hour we’re there. This is how we continue our mission – to inspire people to travel to less familiar places, because for most Latvians Estonia is still just Tartu, Pärnu, Tallinn and maybe Saaremaa. But there is so much more!

Why Avis and Cupra Born?

This time, the daily car was undergoing maintenance, so we had to find a rental car – and Avis was the choice. We settled on a small but extremely nimble Cupra Born electric car, and considering the fuel prices, it’s even a great deal: the charging costs completely cover the rental price, so driving electric is effectively free. The Avis rental point is located at the airport – ideal if you’re dropping your car off at a garage or flying to Riga and then continuing your journey from there.

The Cupra Born was the perfect choice for just such a journey. It’s sporty but comfortable – the winding forest roads and WRC-worthy stages of Oteppe feel like a real adventure on this car. A full battery is more than enough for the trip from Riga to Otepää and back, with one quick charge on the way. We did this at the Eleport station – our favourite, because in our experience they are the easiest and fastest. About 20 minutes, a short coffee break, and we’re on our way. And during the night, the car recharges right at the hotel – in the morning, full battery and ready for new adventures.

First surprise on the way to Otepää

As we approach Otepää, the first big surprise is the roads – not that they are better than ours, but the curves and the views! We realise with excitement that this is where the WRC rallies take place, and that immediately explains everything. At some points, the landscape reminds us of Finland, at others of Montenegro. Driving the Cupra Born up these hills, the car proves itself once again – it holds its own on the twistiest of Estonian country roads, and the regenerative system allows battery power to be recovered on hill runs.

Soon we arrive at the GMP Clubhouse, a snow-white apartment hotel right on the shores of Lake Pühejarves. Otepää is the sports capital of Estonia, if only because every room has a clothes drying cabinet.

Taste of Oteppe week – four restaurants in one day

We were invited to Otep by the “Otep Taste Week” – exactly the same format as our Restaurant Week, but in Estonia. We also had the special opportunity to watch Estonia’s best food photographer Lauri in action, who arranges the food composition, lighting and background elements with the ease of just pressing a button on a coffee machine.

The first stop after the GMP restaurant – literally a few hundred metres away – is Pühajärve Spa & Puhkekeskuse pubi: a pub that is part of a large, historic spa hotel. Built as a spa on the shores of a lake, the outside looks like a castle or manor house, with a beautiful outdoor terrace overlooking the water. In each of the restaurants, the story behind each dish is told and the mandatory rule for all participants is to use local products as much as possible.

Then we head to the town itself. Otepää is really small – barely two thousand inhabitants, but in mid-March it was able to host around 20 000 guests for the Biathlon World Cup. The first thing that catches the eye is the K90 ski jumping tower, the highest in the Baltic States – visible from anywhere in the area and serving as a perfect landmark. On all sides we see bears and cubs in various positions – some even lying on their sides. The explanation is simple: the name Otepe means “Bear’s Head”.

The third restaurant – Ugandi – at first glance seems to be something African, but it is the very first and ancient name of Oteppe. Inside, the whole design is dedicated to hazelnut trees – they are the main trees in the forests of Oteppe, and there are always hazelnuts on every table as a snack. The restaurant is set in a former bus station, the second floor looks like a control tower from the outside, but it’s actually an Estonian flag story room in the three colours of the flag, overlooking the church where the Estonian flag was first consecrated.

Here we are greeted by the very expressive Chef Silvers Illak – winner of the Silverspoon Best Chef Estonia 2024 award and MasterChef Estonia judge. His rule for suppliers: he must see every product in the flesh. The restaurant has its own sheep farm and the meat is distributed by Silver’s own hands. Talking to him, we can’t help but be fascinated by his approach to creating food. We learn from him that Otepää used to be the wealthiest county in Estonia, with a great importance in the country’s history.

The last stop of Restaurant Week is Chilli Wok in the new bus station – Asian cuisine with larger portions than usual in this format. To find such an Asian gem in a small Estonian town is something unique. If you’re coming to Otep by bus, start here.

Tehvandi – the heartbeat of sport

In the afternoon, we head to Otepää’s main magnet – the sports corner of Tehvandi with its famous biathlon track, ski slope and the ubiquitous K90 tower. The viewing platform (open to everyone) offers fantastic views almost to the Latvian border. We learn that the big pile at the side of the piste is a storehouse of snow for the coming season – both naturally fallen and specially produced from the snow factory just below us.

When we get permission to see the top of the tower itself, from where the jumps take place, our hearts leap with excitement. It’s hard to imagine how it feels to have snow and wind hitting you in the face at 34 metres in winter. Then we are taken to the Pentagon, a hotel built into the mountain that looks like a mound with a door on the outside. Inside is a sports museum with practically every Olympic medal in Estonian winter sports and the costume of an Estonian speed skier who broke the world record of more than 200 km/h.

Dinner is at GMP, where chef Koit Uustalu is one of Estonia’s most renowned chefs. Ribs, trout and steak – simply outstanding. And for the Cupra Born, convenient overnight charging right outside the hotel – full battery in the morning.

Day 2: scooters, art in the forest and wine by the lake

In the morning, after breakfast (compliments of the chef’s green energy cocktail), we have a ride along Lake Pühejarves – but not by bike, as we expected, but by kick scooters, which are a cross between a mountain bike and a children’s scooter. No matter how incredulous we start, after a little while we are all skiing like giants, even on the forest paths. The small loop – 5 km – is both on an asphalted path and a wilder section along a lake with a couple of islands. For active travellers, Loodusturism is recommended, as it offers numerous options, including winter hikes across lakes throughout Southern Estonia.

The road then leads to Tammuri Farmhouse Restaurant and Lauda Gallery, a father-daughter project set in a totally rural environment. Dad Erki prepares a multi-course meal on request – all from the forests and meadows around, and you never know in advance what will be served. The restaurant is set in a barn that is over 120 years old and has an authentic atmosphere. In the same building, the artist Mia Melanie Saar, the daughter of the master, runs the Lauda Gallery: three rooms with the historical names Manala (cemetery), Heinaküün (barn) and Küülikukoda (rabbit house), where the works of deceased Estonian artists, Mia herself and recent works by young Estonian artists are exhibited. The place seems illogical – surrounded only by meadows and forests. But people come here from all over Estonia.

Back in Otepää, we visit Milana Studio – a café, souvenir shop and workshop on the back side of a supermarket. We try our hand at making stone masonry remnants and have a cool chat with the owner, who is from Ukraine, while making homemade waffles. We now each have an elegant tray of our own making at home.

Murimae – a dog, vines and 6000 litres of wine a year

On an even more winding road – and here the Cupra Born shines again with its dynamic handling in the mountainous terrain – we drive to the Murimae winery. On the very steep lake shore there are large grape terraces, six greenhouses and a small winery. We spend the evening at the Pühajärve Spa – swimming pool, bowling alley, indoor mini-golf and a Pubi dinner with large, neatly presented portions. Later, more than an hour in the spa – the kids swim from one end of the pool to the other while we gaze out the window at the beautiful view of the lake.

In the morning, Murimae’s hostess Janika greets us with breakfast and tells us the story of the place. Years ago, a family brought their pet Muri to this then overgrown lakeshore for a swim – and fell so in love that they bought the property a year later. After a year of Mura’s misdeeds – the vines were cut down – the new shoots came out and the idea of a winery was born. Today it produces 6000 litres a year. Reservations here must be made a few months in advance. We also encourage our readers not to be shy – talk to the owners. It’s a chance to catch a dose of inspiration that lasts all next week.

Home via Kaarik and Harimäe Tower

On the way back, we stop at the sports centre in Kaariku village – here, too, there are grand sports training arenas, as if there was something sports-related on every corner in Otepää. The last attraction is the Harimäe observation tower with views in all directions and even the K90 long jump tower in the distance. Surrounded by forests, hills and the feeling of being tiny in front of nature. There is also a picnic area with a grill-smoker and a wood pile – so you can go picnicking too!

Overall, Otepää surprised us thoroughly. It’s an Estonia most Latvians haven’t seen – and the Cupra Born from Avis was the perfect travelling companion: economical, sporty, comfortable and with enough mileage to comfortably explore the hills without worrying about charging. Karl and I are itching to come back here in winter, when Otepää becomes a real winter capital.