"Ljutomer - wine growing and drinking" Obcina Ljutomer by picek

Obcina Ljutomer Travel Guide: 30 reviews and 60 photos

Jeruzalemske gorice

Vineyards near Ljutomer - delicious wines and terraced landscape of Jeruzalemske gorice between Ljutomer and Ormoz. Nicest time to visit is in Autumn when people pick grapes, sing old traditional songs and eat delicious local foods (and they're in good mood because they get slightly drunk - it's kinda local holiday for the yard's owners to pick grapes). If you're invited take the chance! Each owner of vines wait for the moment to taste first drops of that heavenly drink... and it is pleasure best shared with people around. Young wine here we call 'mošt' (mosht); drink it carefully or you'll suffer bad headache. Always have full glass of water next to your glass of wine to supply your body with neutral liquid. Drink wine like nectar - don't overdo it - and respect it.

Otherwise best place to try wine is by the local wine cellars. If you happen to be in the region around 11th November - that's time to try too! It is one of the most important holiday for Slovenians and public squares in North East of country are all in festive mood when wine producers come with their treasures out of the cellars to squares where wine can be tasted. This is Saint Martin day and normally activites in honor of wine start on friday before Martin and last all until 11 th. At that day mošt will become true wine. Wild holiday!

Our traditional sorts are 'laški rizling' and 'šipon'. Beside those two few others have been popular and grown into high and superior quality white wines - chardonnay, white and grey pinot (beli pinot, sivi pinot), renski rizling, sauvignon, zeleni silvanec, traminec (sorry, I don't know how to translate these names into understandable english). Half sweet and sweet wines are delicacies here and - some of them very expensive. If you search for these wines particularly, watch for lables that say 'jagodni izbor' (finger picked) and 'pozna trgatev (late picking). Those grapes picked at christmas are called 'bozicna trgatev'. Check with wine cellars rather than supermarkets.

Lifeline

rolling landscape near Vogricevci

Visit decidious forests to refresh your vital energy. If fresh air isn't enough go when you can pick mushrooms. And chestnuts - best are roasted.

Some people appreciate our wildlife - pheasant, deer, fox, wild boar, birds, rabbit, quail... Their habitat is related to amount of trees - some live in forest when other feel better by the fileds with trees as the border. At times we have lots of foreign hunters visiting those eastern regions here - they join local hunting group and they take on fields... (in season) you'll hear gun shots. Yeah, they're out and hunting.

While on other hand afford yourself some town life - Ljutomer has lots of bars, gostilnas and new square with few interesting buildings. Ljutomer was first mentioned in 13th century but there were early settlements long time before - since iron ages. Near here visit spas with thermal water good for bones and try sauna if you come in winter. Those places are known as Terme Banovci in Bioterme Mala Nedelja.

Take away unique pottery products - because here there're soils rich with clay and some people still do those things. Best are plates: you'll have feelig of eating from an old dish.

Ljutomer is capital of Prlekija. This is the sub-region of Štajerska which extends somehow south of Radenci along Mura River then accross the hills towards Ormož. Prlek enjoys laid back life style and also likes to socialize, talk (chit-chat), explore and drink. But inside, Prlek is also melancholic, sensitive man or woman who will be most inspired by the softness of fertile landscape and fate (lifeline), who will be somewhat superstitious, symphatetic and creative artisan and philosopher. No, real Prlek doesn't like to live under pressure and he doesn't find sense of life in working all days long and having little time for things he enjoys to do do. And it is socializing - one of the most pleasant things in ones life, so important to our people.
Curious about it? Feel it when you come.

Horses

kasac

Ljutomer is famous for horse racing competitions. Horses are respected animals and lots of farmers keep them. Surprisingly as horse growing region you can hardly find horse riding for visitors - but,with loads of search you can. If you need information, check eco-Prlekija brochure.

Pros and Cons

Pros:friendly people, diverse landscapes, spas, wine and horses
Cons:not well connected with public transport network
In a nutshell:real countryside here!

Intro Updated Sep 5, 2012
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Reviews (29)

taking away debris and thoughts - Obcina Ljutomer

crossing Mura river by 'brod' Off The Beaten Path (3)

Only several 'brods' on Mura still serve their function - that's to act like a ferry for the passenger from one bank of... more travel advice

Side trip to Mala Nedelja Off The Beaten Path (3)

One of the trips from Ljutomer can be done by bike or car to Mala Nedelja, a small village in the hills of Slovenske... more travel advice

good family run restaurant in Radomerje Restaurants (5)

I've got couple of hints that this is the place with nice local and Central European food before and only recently I had... more travel advice

nice spot for drink or two Nightlife (2)

In a year 2011 Hudi maček was opened by group of young enthusiasts - music and film lovers, therefore you can... more travel advice

Warnings and Dangers (1)
tick bites can make you ill
Transportation (1)
if you are on your own
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Comments (9)

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hunterV Dec 13, 2010 at 9:37 AM

Hello, Vesna! Thanks for your interesting story and great pictures! ><><><
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HORSCHECK Dec 9, 2010 at 8:28 AM

Vesna, fabulous page with gorgous photos of Ljutomer. I must admit that I haven't visited the northeastern region of lovely Slovenia yet.
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mircaskirca Jul 22, 2010 at 1:52 PM

Lepo se je bilo sprehodit po meni precej nepoznanem Ljutomeru ter okusati slastne lokalne jedi in opojno vino :) Ocarljiva pokrajina grickov in vinogradov, pa barve in dramaticno nebo... Nekoc mi bo gotovo uspelo, da te kraje tudi poblize spoznam :)
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mvtouring Jul 18, 2010 at 2:32 AM

The parks look wonderful to spend time in, so does the country side. ;-)
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besal Jun 10, 2010 at 2:01 AM

Lovely countryside you have here. Excellent information. Beautiful pictures of the vineyards.
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adema29 Feb 16, 2010 at 10:05 AM

Very interesting page and the photos (especially the ones of the lake Gajševci ) are beautiful! By the way, in Romanian there is the word "obcina", too!
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Andrew_W_K Nov 26, 2009 at 4:43 AM

Great tips. A little known fact is that during the 1980's Ljutomer Reisling was the biggest selling wine in the UK. I remember it well.
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cachaseiro Aug 7, 2009 at 2:13 AM

great page. slovenia is such a nice place.
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Martin_S. Mar 26, 2009 at 5:22 AM

We loved the area around Ormoz, Ljutomer and Jeruzalem and brought home many bottles of wine. Martin