Ptuj Off The Beaten Path

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Borl's beginnings are in the 12th or the 13th century. The castle was first mentioned in 1255 when the Magyar king Bela IV issued a bill to Friedrich, the Lord of Ptuj, regarding several castles, among which was Anchenstein or Borl.

The castle lies at an important point where, during the Middle Ages and even later, various borders crossed. There are a few strategic advantages to its position: a naturally formed rock prominence on which the castle is built; the river Drava with the traffic going on which had to be controlled as well as the passage across the river.

Until 1620, the castle was the property of the Herbersteins, and from 1639 on, the Thurns were the owners. Most probably it was during that time that the casstle was adapted to the then living standards, and the arcade corridors were built.

In 1952 it was renovated and it became a restaurant. The business grew and in 1972 the restaurant turned into a hotel. Unfortunately, reconstruction and renovation works were too often carried out in a reckless way, funds for its complete renovation were never sufficient, and therefore the castle slowly deteriorated. When in 1981 high waters swept away the bridge across the river Drava, the hotel was simply shut down.

The castle is closed at the moment, so you can see it only from the outside. But there are some ways to come in the castle (for example by crawling under the main door :)

The central Slovenske Gorice are densely populated. There are typically scattered settlements which spread over flat longitudinal ridges. Smaller villages built in clusters developed only around churches, which are normally situated on top of hills.

Dynamic scenery includes, besides the varied soil relief, various crops and plants of which trees cover shady hillsides, while vineyards grow on sunny sides, pastures and meadows spread in valleys which are fringed by fields and orchards.

White wines predominate in the region and they are: Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sipon, and other varieties.

Haloze represents an agreeable region of rolling and relatively low tertiary hills in the Pannonian region of Slovenia.Haloze was first mentioned in the 15th century under the name of Chalas and Kalosen. The name is supposed to derive from the Latin word Colles meaning vine-growing hills, or from the old Slavic word "halonga" denoting a hilly world.
The north of the region is fringed by rivers Dravinja and Drava, on the west it is bounded by a high hill Boč, and on the south by smaller mountains of Donačka Gora and Macelj. The hilly region extends right into Croatia on the east and southeast. Its southern part is also called vine-growing Haloze, as vineyards cover almost one tenth of the entire surface there, and only one per cent in the higher western part.
The Haloze region is one of the favourite destinations for numerous hikers. Across this hilly world leads the Haloze Mountain Route, which can be covered in two or three days. The route starts at the castle of Borl and ends at the mountain Donačka Gora (882 m), one of the highest in the region together with Boč and Macelj. The highest peak in Haloze is Jelovica (623 m), the view from which embraces the entire region. As we are in Haloze, we can as well visit two outstanding cultural monuments: the Church of the Virgin Mary at Ptujska Gora (also famous for its breathtaking views), and the manor house at Štatenberg.

Situated along the Ptuj-Ormož road, in the community of Gorišnica, the Dominko's homestead is, according to the experts of the Institute of Natural and Cultural Heritage Protection, the oldest house of the Pannonian style (300 years), which has been entirely preserved.
The house is made of wooden beams and the roof is made of straw. The interior consists of a typical kitchen called "the black kitchen", the central part called the "house", a larder, an entrance-hall and an outhouse. Close to the house are two drying-racks, one of which is a wicker rack more than 200 years old and covered with straw. The other one is wooden and covered with boards. A tour of the interior is very interesting since the “black kitchen” and other rooms boast original furnishings and equipment. Behind the house, there is a small pool surrounded by autochthonous flora. Cereals and maize, typical of the region, are grown on a field in front of the house. A garden next to the house produces vegetables, medicinal plants and flowers.
From time to time, local theatre performances are staged in front of the house during summer months.
Visits only by prior appointment.

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The famous Slovene Janez Puch (spelled Puh in Slovene), inventor, factory owner and visionary, invented the first bicycle with same-size wheels. In 1899 he started his first machine-made bicycle production in cooperation with the manufacturer Werner. In 1901 the first motorbike with a gasoline engine was produced at the Puch factory. Puch made his first automobile in 1906, and then continued its mass production. In Graz, Austria, a car factory still bears Puch’s name.

Opening times: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10:00 to 18:00 (from April to November) during the week only by prior appointment.