The quiet hills of northeastern Slovenia give us a peek into a hidden rural world. The rolling landscape draws in those who are seeking a peaceful escape, where people have left a unique mark while living in harmony with nature.
The steep, tightly packed hills of Haloze make it difficult to build good roads. Because of its location near the border and tougher living conditions, many people have been moving away.
The hills stretch about 31 km in a straight line, with a width of around 10 km in the west and 6 km in the east. They are stretched in the direction southwest to northeast, i.e. from Makole to Zavrč (source: Guidebook – HPP journal; Ptuj Alpine Association 2013).
Despite this, the small regional area is known for its quality wine. Thanks to the favourable weather conditions, location, and soil formed on marl rock, the vineyards thrive here. The vineyards are mainly on the eastern side of the hills, while the western side is mostly just forest. Unfortunately, even on the eastern side, farmland is getting overgrown, and vineyards are disappearing, all because of depopulation.
The Haloze Hills Trail was marked and set up by the Ptuj Alpine Association in the autumn of 1983, and they launched it to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Maintaining the trail is still the mission of the association and its members, as well as those from the Donačka Gora Stoperce and Majšperk Alpine Associations (source: Guidebook – HPP journal; Ptuj Alpine Association 2013).
The Haloze transversal runs from the Borl Castle, where the first of eleven checkpoints is located, to the top of Mount Saint Donatus (Slovenian: Donačka gora) and the mountain hut below its summit. According to the Alpine Association of Slovenia, the total length is 70 km. The trail occasionally crosses and runs parallel to other interesting paths, like the Bračič Hiking Trail, the Path Among the Vineyards, the Stoperce Hiking Trail, as well as Mary's Pilgrimage Route and the E7 European Long Distance Path.
In this part, we'll go through some of the most interesting attractions, places, and sections of the trail. Of course, it's impossible to cover all the fascinating sights of this long-distance route—you need to walk the trail to truly experience the beautiful hills of Haloze.
The first attraction and at the same time the first control point on the hiking trail is the medieval Borl Castle that stands high above the confluence of the Drava River and the Bela stream. It used to be the home of the lords of Ptuj and other wealthy families from the area. In the 1960s, it was a popular holiday resort with outdoor pools, but it's mostly been closed since 1980. Four years ago, a partial renovation of the complex took place, where a new castle café and spaces for concerts, exhibitions, and other cultural events, as well as guided tours of the castle were added.
Later, our path took us through the village of Dravci, where you can find the charming Ethnological Collection Dravci, organised by the Association for the Preservation of Haloze Heritage. The collection, called "From Grain to Bread", has both an outdoor and indoor section, but we only went to see the outdoor part. It displays the tools and equipment that people used back in the day for planting and harvesting wheat, as well as turning grain into flour and bread.
There's also another nearby attraction that's harder to miss. This is one of the largest, if not the largest wind-rattle in Haloze. It proudly reminds every visitor that the nearby areas are wine-growing regions, where grapevines do well, they produce high-quality, top-notch wine with a specific origin, and all the production methods are strongly connected to tradition. As an interesting fact, we should point out that the wind rattles in Haloze (and also in Croatia's Zagorje) have 6 "arms" or windmills, while in Austria's Styria, they have 8, and in Prlekija and Slovenske gorice, they have 4.
From the very beginning of the hiking trail, we walked past many chapels and churches. Of all the spots, the one we remember the most is definitely St. Anne's Church, which can be reached by a steep, winding path through a forest. Below it, there's a stunning view of the terraced vineyards, the surrounding hills, and the Drava Valley. Next to the church, there's also a descendant of the oldest vine from Maribor's Lent. Its surroundings invite you to have a rest and enjoy a lunch.
Under the vine leaves, we also took a break at Janški Vrh (461 m), where the church of St. John the Baptist stands. It's also one of the checkpoints on the Haloze Hills Trail and Mary's Pilgrimage Route.
At the end of our first day of walking, we reached the baroque Holy Trinity Church in Gorca, where we were treated to a breathtaking view of Podlehnik and a pond. It was conveniently named Ribnik, which means pond in Slovenian. By the pond, there's also a guest house with a checkpoint for the hiking trail, that offers delicious food and a place to stay for the night. It is ideally located about halfway along the entire route.
The Haloze hiking trail winds through the western part, not far from the highest peak in Haloze, called Jelovice, which stands at 623 metres above sea level. Although the peak shares its name with the nearby village and isn't part of the hiking trail, it's definitely worth a visit since it's only a few minutes walk away from the path. Unfortunately, during our visit, it was overgrown, and we couldn't reach the stunning views. Just a few minutes away, you'll also find the church of St. Wolfgang.
The trail also takes you through the centre of Cirkulane, the birthplace of Professor Dr. Vladimir Bračič, the first rector of the University of Maribor. In his birthplace, which the locals call Rajher’s house (Slovenian: Rajherjeva hiša), just below the Church of St. Barbara, you'll now find the Halo business centre, complete with a tourist information centre, the Halo destination tourist agency, and, of course, the professor's memorial room. There, you can see his works, photos, personal items, and other exhibits collected from his family and various archives. Visitors also get a taste of the local culinary heritage and wine traditions.
A newer attraction in the area is the Ethnographic Heritage Park, where you can see some typical examples of the local cultural landscape. Such cases in the park are, for example, the Bložak house – a traditional Haloze house and other buildings from the beginning of the 19th century, that bear witness to the way of life of our ancestors.
In the heart of Haloze, there's also a traditional running event called Aninski tek for those of you who crave a good run. You can read more about the scenic runs of Eastern Slovenia in this article.
Although 70 km isn't a small distance for a spontaneous weekend trip, the personal satisfaction you feel with each checkpoint you reach and stamp you collect in your trail journal is beyond words. Even more rewarding is the view from the last and highest peak on the route—Mount Saint Donatus, or Mount Rogatec—which we steadily approach, admiring its majestic presence in the distance.
On trails like this, it's not about rushing or competing, at least that's how we see it. The main idea is to discover and experience the landscape and the people who have shaped it over the years, using it and learning to live in harmony with it.
What inspired and delighted us most along the way weren't just the beautiful landscapes, but also the friendly smiles, greetings, and chats with the locals and everyone who has recently made Haloze their home. It's tough to capture everything in a short article and a camera lens, but we can definitely say that we left feeling much richer than when we arrived.
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