Ormož

Description:

Ormož is a municipality in northeast Slovenia, near Ptuj. The Drava River flows past Ormož, and Croatia lies on the other side of the river. Ormož is loacated beside a river and beside a lake in the countryside and his height above sea level is 213 m . The number of sunny days per year is 250. Ormož is a town under the hillsides of the Slovenske gorice Hills, situated at the natural terrace above the Drava. Important traffic roads were crossing this historically rich town and the plain above the Drava River was already inhabited around 2100 BC. The Bronze Age Ormož was the most important of all the towns in the vicinity and it is considered one of the largest settlements of that kind in the east Alpine area for its size and the urban design. The archaeologists discovered a lot of proofs about the building, residential and even the culinary and drinking culture of the inhabitants of those times. For unknown reasons the settlement was destroyed and the town never experience another rise until the Middle Ages.

Points of distinction : Ormož forms a part of the winegrowing district of the Slovenske gorice Hills. Here, on the diverse hilly area with excellent vineyard positions and undoubtedly the most beautiful winegrowing veduta in the country the winegrowers produce the famous wines as Renski Rizling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Šipon, Laški Rizling, Beli Pinot, Sivi Pinot, Traminec, Zeleni Silvanec, Muškat Otonel, Rumeni Muškat, which have won awards at the renewed international wine competitions.
Ormož is a water town as well - the Drava River with the Ormož Lake have the predicate of the internationally recognised and ornithological important area (IBA) in Europe, where in the winter time one can watch even 20.000 water birds.
The castle is surrounded by the park, which is one of the most beautiful scenery gardens in our country. About 140 sorts of trees grow there.

Ormož Lake
A part of the former magnificent natural process of the Drava river which dynamically reshaped the Drava Plain is now reformed into the Ormož accumulation lake, which is located on the Drava river east of Ormož and represents the secondary water biotope. By the lake there are large reeds, bog land and marshy woods. A visit to Ormož Lake at the time of the geese's overnight resting area or otherwise is a special experience of nature and enables pleasant relaxation. That can be excellently combined with a visit to Ormož and its surroundings which are famous for excellent wines and culinary offer.

Ormož Park
Ormož Castle is surrounded by one of the most beautiful parks in Slovenia. Many diverse kinds of trees grow there, among which also some are exotic ones. At the former Ograd in the vicinity of the castle by the entrance, a so-called living fossil - a ginkgo, which is considered to be the oldest tree in the world, awaits us. In China, the fossils of that tree from the Mesozoic period were found. From China it was taken to Korea, where it was worshipped as a holy temple tree. In the autumn time the female plant has yellow fruits with an unpleasant smell. The tree needs approximately 30 years to grow 10 metres.

Ormož Castle
First mentioned in 1278, Ormož Castle was built by Friderik of Ptuj. The oldest part of the castle is the tower. In the course of the history, various noble families owned the castle: the Schaumbergs, the Frankopans, the Szekelys, the Pauers, and lastly the Counts of Wurmbrand. The Classicist paintings in the castle rank at the top of Classicist art in Slovenia, and you will enjoy the "Ormož, Developed from Tradition" historical exhibition as well as the wine shop and art gallery.