Source: Public information of Slovenia,
The Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia,
State map in measure 1 : 1.000.000, 1995
www.gu.gov.si The Podravje Region
The Drava Mura region is named after the Drava River, which goes from the Austrian border between Pohorje and Kozjak to Maribor and further along the Drava field. The length of the river in Slovenia is 142 km. The region consists of 41 municipalities, including the municipalities of Maribor and Ptuj. Maribor is the center of political, economic, sports and cultural events in northeastern Slovenia and is also the second largest city in Slovenia. The name Maribor was first written by the poet Stanko Vraz in 1836. Maribor has a special place in the history of Slovenia. General Maister in November 1918 assumed the command of the military government for Lower Styria and so maintained the area in the new state of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Even worse, however, Maribor suffered in World War II. Hitler visited Maribor on April 26, 1941, and ordered ethnic cleaning, when 5,000 Maribor people were forcibly taken and the others were forced to used German habits.
Maribor, with the patron Saint John the Baptists, they give significant pulse the river Drava and the nearby forests of Pohorje and wine-growing hills. The most important tourist attractions in the town are: the City park, Main Square, the Old Vine, the Maribor Regional Museum, the Maribor Synagogue and Lent - the oldest part of the city. The city also has many souvenir shops, shopping centers, bookstores and a market. Festivals are available for visitors looking for fun. The most famous is the festival on Lent (along the Drava), the Maribor festival, the Old Vine Festival and the Golden Fox competition in winter. The meeting of the theater groups - Borstnik Meeting - is also very well known. Near the city is a green oasis of Pohorje, which in addition to natural sights (lakes, waterfalls, virgin forests, peat bogs), also offers many activities for relaxation and recreation: hiking, skiing, cycling etc.
The following locations are also interesting in the Drava Mura region: Dravograd is the place where the Drava River flows into Slovenia. The nearby village of Libelice has a well-kept natural and ethnological trail called the Velika uharica (Great Earl). Rafting and sightseeing at the Fala Hydroelectric Power Station are possible on the Drava River. Roman graves in Miklavz in the Drava field, where mound no. 1, which was built of stone slabs, has been restored and visitors can view its interior. Statenberg Mansion in the Dravinja Valley from the 18th century, with its surroundings and three ponds, is the most important tourist attraction in the municipality of Makole.
Mount Ptuj, with one of the most beautiful Gothic churches in Slovenia, is located at a 352 m high peak and offers shelter to many believers and pilgrims who come to the Basilica of Mary the Protector. Bistrica Vintgar near Slovenska Bistrica offers a wonderful day trip through the forest path, along which you can see the Roman quarry, Bistriski Sum waterfall and the remains of many mills. Ptuj is one of the oldest towns in Slovenia and a true tourist pearl. Terme Ptuj offers a large water park and wellness. Ptuj Castle lies on the last slope of Slovenske gorice. It was built 12 centuries ago. The Kurents are a carnival character from the Drava Field, and with winter, they cast off winter and evil, calling it spring and good harvest.
The Pomurje Region
The Pomurje region is located in the northeastern part of Slovenia and is named after the Mura River, on which left and right banks it lies. Its length in Slovenia is 95 km (out of a total of 493 km). The Pannonian Sea, which flooded the present-day Pomurje 23 million years ago, provided fertile soil as well as oil and natural gas reserves. The soil, the weather and the plain give good conditions for agriculture. Remote location and poor traffic connections are a major obstacle to the economic development of the region. Unemployment is the highest among Slovenian regions, and young people go to central Slovenia or Austria to find work. The Pomurje region consists of 27 municipalities, including the municipality of Murska Sobota.
The name of Murska Sobota is derived from the fact that that on Saturdays there were fairs in the city and people from the surrounding area and Croatia had a Saturday reserved for the fair - Murska Saturday. The town has about 12,000 inhabitants, mostly populated with Slovenes. An important part of the population is represented by Roma living in Pusca, the largest Roma settlement in Slovenia. The patron saint of the city is Saint Nikolaj (Miklavz), which is also associated with the city coat of arms. There are three suns in the coat of arms, which is supposed to symbolize the three golden orbs that Saint Nikolai donated to the three girls so they could get married. Murska Sobota has many attractions to explore. Cathedral Church of Saint Nicholas with a 13th-century late-Romanesque church core and an evangelical complex that was completed in 1910 are wonderful examples of sacral architecture.
Murska Sobota has many attractions to explore. Cathedral Church of Sv. Nicholas with a 13th-century late-Romanesque church core and an evangelical complex that was completed in 1910 are wonderful examples of sacral architecture. The Soviet army helped liberate Prekmurje, so in the center of the city is the Victory Monument, which is made of white imperial marble. There are statues of two Soviet soldiers and a cannon near the monument. Modern architectural achievements can be admired in the image of the Park Theater, the School of Music, the Savel Center and the Library. Murska Sobota Castle, first mentioned in 1255, is home to the Pomurje Museum and the Youth Club. The main city events are Bograchiada in May, Murska Sobota Days Festival in June and Aeromiting in August at the nearby Rakicani Airport.
Excursion points in Prekmurje: Beltinci lies along the main road Murska Sobota - Lendava and boasts a castle and church of Saint Ladislav in which is the tomb of the Zichy