Otepää Parish
{{Short description|Municipality of Estonia (2017)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{expand Estonian|date=August 2023|topic=geo}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Otepää Parish
| native_name = Otepää vald
| settlement_type = Municipality of Estonia
| image_skyline = Otepää kultuurimaja.JPG
| imagesize = 200px
| image_caption = Otepää Cultural Building
| image_flag = Flag of Otepää Parish.svg
| flag_size = 125px
| image_shield = Coat of arms of Otepää Parish.svg
| shield_size = 75px
| image_map = Eesti Otepää vald 2017.svg
| mapsize =
| map_caption = Otepää Parish within Valga County.
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = 25px Estonia
| subdivision_type1 = County
| subdivision_name1 = 25px Valga County
| seat_type = Administrative centre
| seat = Otepää
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Jaanus Barkala
| area_total_km2 = 520
| population_total = 6456
| population_as_of = 1 January 2019
| population_density_km2 = auto
| website = [http://www.otepaa.ee www.otepaa.ee]
| iso_code = EE-557
}}
Otepää Parish ({{langx|et|Otepää vald}}) is a rural municipality in Valga County, southern Estonia.{{cite web |title=X-GIS(3) Portal |url=https://xgis.maaamet.ee/knravalik/knr?obj_id=125 |website=xgis.maaamet.ee |access-date=2 February 2022}} It includes the town of Otepää, which is referred to as the "winter capital" of Estonia.
The parish was formed in 2017 by merging of the former Otepää Parish, Sangaste Parish, 7 villages of Palupera Parish, and 12 villages of Puka Parish.[https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otep%C3%A4%C3%A4_vald]
Settlements
The parish has one town, two small boroughs and 52 villages.
;Town
;Small boroughs
;Villages
Ädu - Arula- Ilmjärve - Kääriku - Kähri - Kassiratta - Kastolatsi - Kaurutootsi - Keeni - Kibena - Koigu - Kolli - Komsi - Kuigatsi - Kurevere - Lauküla - Lossiküla - Lutike - Mäeküla - Mägestiku - Mägiste - Mäha - Märdi - Makita - Meegaste - Miti - Neeruti - Nõuni - Nüpli - Otepää küla - Pedajamäe - Päidla - Pilkuse - Plika - Põru - Prange - Pringi - Pühajärve - Räbi - Raudsepa - Restu - Risttee - Ruuna - Sarapuu - Sihva - Tiidu - Tõutsi -Truuta - Vaalu - Vaardi - Vana-Otepää - Vidrike
= Neighboring parishes =
Elva, Nõo, Kambja, Kanepi, Antsla, Valga ja Tõrva vald.
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Otepää Parish (2021) [https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2021__rahvastiku-demograafilised-ja-etno-kultuurilised-naitajad__usk/RL21452]
|label1 = Unaffiliated
|value1 = 84.6
|color1 = White
|label2 = Lutheran
|value2 = 9.0
|color2 =DodgerBlue
|label3 = Orthodox
|value3 = 2.0
|color3 = Pink
|label4 = Others Christians
|value4 = 0.5
|color4 = LightBlue
|label5 = Others Religions
|value5 = 1.3
|color5 = Yellow
|label6 = Unknown
|value6 = 2.6
|color6 = Grey
}}
See also
Interesting facts
{{trivia section}}
- Otepää is first mentioned in writing in the Novgorod Chronicle in 1116.
- The name Otepää (Odenpe, Odempe) means bear's head.
- In 1841, the Pühajärve war took place, where the local peasants started to oppose the landlord.
- In 1941, the Otepää postage stamp was put into circulation in Otepää.[https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otep%C3%A4%C3%A4_postmargid]
- On October 3, 1991, His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso was in Otepää. He blessed Pühajärve and planted a commemorative oak next to the church.
- Otepää has only one traffic light.[https://www.otepaa.eu/otepaa/20-asja-mida-otepaal-pead-nagema-ja-tegema/]
References
{{Reflist}}