Brazil
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
French Guiana
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Denmark
Slovakia
Spain
Finland
France
Greece
the Netherlands
Hungary
Ireland
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
Poland
Portugal
the United Kingdom
the Czech Republic
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Canada
the United States
Mexico
the Dominican Republic
South Africa
Australia
Fiji
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
2 cities
Region · Thermal Pannonian Slovenia
Podravska
Maribor and the Old Vine, the Pohorje massif, Ptuj and the kurent carnival, the Haloze hills and the Jeruzalem vineyards.
In the photo: Ptuj Castle, in Podravska.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The region
Get to know Podravska
Podravska is in northeastern Slovenia, along the Drava River. To the west rises the Pohorje massif, covered in forests, and to the east the landscape opens onto the Pannonian plain, with vineyard-covered hills. Maribor, the country’s second city, and Ptuj are the main towns.
In Maribor, the Lent neighbourhood on the banks of the Drava preserves in the wall of an old house the Old Vine (Stara trta), over four centuries old, registered as the oldest still-productive vine in the world. The centre has the cathedral, the city castle and the main square. Above the town, Pohorje has ski slopes, trails and mountain-bike routes.
Ptuj, about 30 km from Maribor, is considered the country’s oldest settlement, built on the Roman Poetovio. The castle on the hill houses the regional museum, and the centre has medieval streets along the Drava. In winter, before Lent, Ptuj holds the Kurentovanje, the carnival in which the kurenti, figures wearing sheepskins and bells at the waist, parade to chase away winter; the kurenti rounds are UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
South of Ptuj, the Haloze hills have vineyards on steep slopes, and to the east, between Ormož and Ljutomer, lie the Jeruzalem hills, with wine roads and viewpoints. In Ptujska Gora, a Gothic basilica preserves a relief of the Virgin of the Mantle. The region also has the Ptuj thermal baths and Lake Ptuj on the Drava.
Destinations
1 destination in Podravska
Cities
2 cities in Podravska in the guide
Podravska
Capital
Maribor
The country’s second-largest city, with about 97,000 inhabitants, on the banks of the Drava and at the foot of Pohorje. The castle is first mentioned in 1164, and the town received city rights in 1254. The Lent quarter by the river preserves the Stara trta, a vine over 400 years old recorded in the Guinness Book; the centre contains the cathedral, the castle with the regional museum and the medieval synagogue. A cable car connects the outskirts to Pohorje.
Podravska
Ptuj
A town of about 18,000 on the Drava, considered the oldest with a written record in Slovenia. It was the Roman Poetovio, which received city status from Emperor Trajan in the year 103. The castle on the hill houses the regional museum; on Slovenski trg stands the Orfejev spomenik, a Roman tombstone nearly 5 meters tall. At the end of winter the town hosts the Kurentovanje carnival.
When to go
Maribor, Ptuj, the Pohorje trails and the vineyards are most visited from May to October, with the grape harvest at the end of that period. Kurentovanje takes place in the weeks before Lent, generally in February. With snow, usually between December and March, Pohorje opens the ski season. Summers tend to be warm and winters harsh.
Getting there
Graz, Austria, has the nearest airport to Maribor, less than an hour away; Ljubljana (LJU) is about 90 minutes, and Maribor’s airport has few flights. Maribor is connected to the capital by the A1, and the A4 continues to Ptuj and Croatia. Trains link Ljubljana with Maribor and Ptuj, and from Maribor there are trains to Graz and Vienna. Regional buses connect the towns and villages.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about Podravska
What is Maribor’s Old Vine?
It is a vine of the žametovka grape that grows on the facade of a house in the Lent neighbourhood, on the banks of the Drava, and is over four centuries old. It is registered as the oldest still-productive vine in the world, and the house hosts a visitor centre about the region’s wine.
When does Kurentovanje in Ptuj take place?
In the weeks before Lent, generally in February, according to the date of Carnival. The festival features processions of kurenti, wearing masks, sheepskins and bells, and other masked groups from the surrounding villages. Check the programme before you go.
How many days to allow for Maribor and Ptuj?
One day in each town allows you to see the centre, the castle and the Drava waterfront. A third day lets you go up Pohorje or explore the wine hills of Haloze or Jeruzalem. The two towns are about 30 km apart, with trains and buses.
Where to ski near Maribor?
At Mariborsko Pohorje, the ski resort that starts at the edge of the town, with a cable car from southern Maribor. The resort usually opens from December to March, if there is snow. In summer, the same slopes offer trails and mountain-bike routes.