Introducing Slovenske Konjice

Just before the mighty Pohorje forests wrap you into their hug, the doors to the town Slovenske Konjice, with the thousand-year-old square design, open in front of you.

A kind medieval country town, with six thousand inhabitants, is laid amid mysterious Slovenske Konjice Mountain on one side and sunny golden hills of Škalce on the other side. The town which was first mentioned in 1146, by the name Conouwiz and its numerous surrounding villages, round up the image of the valley around river Dravinja.

Slovenske Konjice is the centre of Dravinja valley which opens through its beautifully treated fields towards Boč, Ptuj Mountain, Haloze and Drava field.

The town is becoming a good model of kindness and tidiness. It was awarded with seven awards for the most beautiful excursion town and won the golden medal in the European competition Entente Florale.

The roots of past mark the lives of people in the town and in villages nearby. The history of more than 860 years old Konjice square, beneath the church of St. Jurij gives the town its soul. A rich tradition of past is full of experiences; there are stories of god and bad times, there remains a rich cultural and natural heritage given by generations of people that lived and worked here. The town offers many attractions which can be discovered at different occasions.

The most beautiful experiences are offered on walks through Old town square and through the Town square.

The old town square that lies under the shelter of St. Jurij church maintains its design from the times of its first mentioning in written sources. On the walk through the old town square one can feel a gentle breeze of the past. A small stream Gospodična (Miss) gives the town a special magnificence. Sometimes it is called Zmajeva slina (Dragon's slobber), according to the legend which says that that the stream is the slobber of the horrible dragon, captured inside the Konjiška Mountain.

The visit to the town art gallery Riemer slows down your step and offers the experiences of the masters of brush. The wooden bridge over the Gospodična stream leads you to a different kind of art. The poetry of vintage wines is offered to be tasted in the town wine shop. The excellent quality of wines from Konjice area is becoming a tradition, and a walk between sunny vineyard hills is a dessert for the nature lovers.

Walks under Slovenske Konjice Mountain offer a beautiful experience of nature and are a way of forgetting the troubles of everyday life. In the parks over Trebnik mansion, when the vagrancy through the town square is finished, one can again feel the spirit of past. The herb gardens of the mansion along with the treasury of herb products offer help in dealing with the wild tempo of modern life. The mansion manager recommends an escape to the nature. Nicely led Dragon's forest trail; a short trip to the Old Castle, a bit longer trips to a place with a fine view called Skala or even to the top of the Slovenske Konjice Mountain called Stolpnik, with the outlook tower, or a trip to the hunting lodge called Štepih, are good for your body and for refreshing your thoughts.

Above the plains by the river Dravinja, the nicely cultivated fields, meadows and groves, rise hills. A word hill in this area means more than elsewhere. It means kindness, sun, vine, tradition and life. A walk along the wine road through the wine growing Škalce will give you pleasant memories in every season of the year and in different kinds of weather. The golden hills are a natural park; they are     a gallery of wonderful pictures at a view of well arranged vineyards, a very kind golf course, and also a view of the town that touches them. A stop in the Zlati grič wine shop is a stimulation and a reward at the same time, is an experience of excellences of Slovenske Konjice wines and home made dishes from the area. Wines from Slovenske Konjice area are something special. The flavours, caught inside these wines, will satisfy your expectations as they intertwine in perfect harmony. The grapes are grown on about 1000 acres of vineyards which cover hills from best known hills of Škalce and Polene to Žička gorca, Kraberk, Suhadol, Klokočovnik, Tolsti vrh, Lipoglav, Zbelovska gora and many others. The excellence of wines from this area has been proved through different awards ever since the year 1994, when Zlati grič (Golden Hill Company) produced its first Viteško vino (Noble wine). The nobleness of the wine can be felt in different white sorts and also in red sorts the queen of which is Blue Frankish. All sorts of wine go well with the selection of homemade dishes from around here.. You need to take time to visit these places and to experience the diversity of selection in the way that you sense it. The memories that will stay are the promise that you will come again. You will be accepted kindly and with a good mood that you will soon get a share of also because it is hidden in the drops of wines from the Slovenske Konjice area.

Shorter trips into the surroundings of the town offer new, special experiences. Each of the surrounding villages offers its own features and traditions from the past. The village Žiče is becoming interesting for tourists, mostly because of old crafts like basket making, smithery and flour milling. Behind the village begins the Valley of Saint John de Baptist with the famous Žiče Carthusian Monastery from around 1160. The monks that lived there left a special seal to the happening in Slovenske Konjice area. Their order, their humble, but spiritually full life is still inspiring today. Between the mighty walls from Middle Ages one can hear the silence and feel the peace. The experience of a mighty memory of our past is complemented by herbalists Iršič; the offer of the oldest Slovenian guest house from 1467, sparkling wine cellar of Zlati grič and a rich cultural beat that revitalises the Carthusian monastery. A trip through Loče, past the sport airport Senožet, into the tourist village Mlače is a speciality. It is an example of people, who raise their village with their will, cooperation and offer with the House of heritage, horse sports, fishponds and many tourist farms.

Many memories of the rich history show that generation of people who lived here before us were aware of the beauty of these places. They wanted to live here, to work and to belong to these places. That is also what people here want today. There are so many things left undiscovered. Every meeting with the town of flowers and wine and with the people that live here gives you a new experience. "You must love someone" wrote a poet born in Slovenske Konjice. People from Slovenske Konjice love their town and villages. They like images of kindness, hugs of beauty that surrounds them and nice visitors, who share the happiness of life in the Dravinja valley with them. The town of flowers and wine needs to be seen and experienced with its numerous beauties in the places nearby. And then it becomes unforgettable...

Statistics:

• Population (June 2015): 14.667
• Number of households (2015): 4.517
• Surface area (sq km): 97, 8 km2
• Mayor: Darko Ratajc
• Number of Municipality Council members: 23