Wine Hills

Ljutomer lies in the north-east of Slovenia, in the gentle country of Prlekija, and the hills above the town are among the best-known wine landscapes in the country. This is the Ljutomer-Ormož wine district, a region of long, rolling ridges covered with vineyards, small cellars and farmhouses, where white wines dominate. Some of the most famous village names are in the hills nearby, including Jeruzalem, a hilltop settlement whose name is explained by a legend that crusaders on their way back from the Holy Land settled here because the landscape reminded them of home. Today it is a well-known wine centre with views over the vineyards and the plain.

The local wines have a long reputation. The Welschriesling, known in Slovene as laški rizling, was once exported widely under the name of Ljutomer, and the region is also known for Šipon, a variety also called Furmint that produces dry whites with good acidity, as well as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and aromatic varieties such as Muscat. The cool nights and the warm days of late summer favour freshness and aroma, and many growers make sparkling wines as well as still ones. Family wineries, some with several generations of experience, open their cellars for tastings and often serve food, such as cold cuts, cheese and pumpkin-seed oil dishes, along with the wine.

Visitors can drive or cycle between the villages, stopping at wine roads, viewpoints and small chapels. Spring brings new growth and blossom, summer the long green rows and the smell of cut grass, and autumn the harvest, when pickers move through the vineyards and the leaves turn gold and red. The region's links with the Roman period are visible in finds from the area, and for those interested in wine history, the old vine in nearby Maribor, which is said to be the oldest in the world, is an easy trip away.

Ljutomer itself has a pleasant main square, Ljutomer Main Square, and a cultural calendar that includes the Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival, named after Karol Grossmann, a local pioneer who made some of the earliest films in the Slovene lands, including footage of the town's trotting races in the early 1900s. It is best to arrange tastings in advance with individual cellars or through the local tourist office, especially in the busy autumn weekends.