Winter Capital

In winter, you may see eager families speeding out of Tallinn with skis strapped on their car roofs, chances are they're heading to the tiny southern town of Otepää, Estonia's 'Winter Capital.' Nestled in a hilly region an hour's ride south of Tartu, Otepää is ringed by ski resorts that cater to both downhill and cross-country passions. Though the hills here are a far cry from Alpine magnitude, there's still enough snowboarding, ice skating, snow-tubing and other winter sports to keep even the most avid snow freaks happy.