The town of Ormož lies at the foothills of the Windische Bühel on a natural terrace above the River Drau. The historic town is a point of intersection for important transport routes and the plain above the Drau was already inhabited in 2,100 B.C. Today Ormož is one of the most beautiful towns in Slovenia.
In the Bronze Age, Ormož outclassed neighbouring settlements in importance, size and in respect of its urban developmental construction and it was the largest settlement within the eastern Alps area. It is first mentioned as Holermous in a document of 1273. Because of its strategic significance the settlement received very early on – in 1293 – the right to hold markets and in the year 1331 it received its town charter. During the time of Friedrich, the Lord of Pettau Castle, who gave the town its charter, people started to call it Friedau. A number of sound changes in the course of the centuries changed this to present-day Ormož.
The building of Ormož Castle was begun in 1278 when Rudolf von Habsburg granted Friedrich von Pettau the right to do so. When the von Pettau line died out, the castle came into the ownership of a number of different aristrocratic families. Nowadays the castle rooms serve the community for official town purposes. It also houses a library, a museum and a radio station. You will also find two exhibitions here; archaeological and historical.
At the eastern edge of the town square is the parish church of St. Jacob. The oldest part of this building is a rectangular nave that can be dated to the first half or middle of the 14th century. The nave used to have a straight roof to which Baroque vaulting was added later.
Ormož is famous for its excellent cuisine and fine wines from grapes grown on the hilly slopes surrounding Ormož. One local, well-known dish is made from meat and called tünka. The recipe is protected and demands very special ingredients. Other traditional, baked foods include pastries and gibanzen with different spreads, ranging from mince to crackling and curd cheese.
For nature lovers and fresh air freaks whose greatest joy is to be in vineyards with views of fields, meadows and woods and who love meeting great people, Ormož has it all plus numerous cycling, walking, themed and hiking tracks (including some that are suitable for the disabled) – a countryside for discovering the beauties of nature.
The Martini Festival is an important autumn holiday that provides a link with local cultural heritage. On his saint’s day, November
Further information:
TIC Ormož (v gradu Ormož),
Kolodvorska 9, 2270 Ormož
Dodatne informacije: 00 386 2 741 53 56 • tic.ormoz.grad@siol.net
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