Holiday apartment in Loka: Drava Landscape Park, culture and cycling route

In the direction of the old course of the Drava River near Loka lies Drava Landscape Park. Between Maribor and Ptuj, this river landscape developed over centuries under the influence of flooding and preserves a distinctive mix of waterways, riverbanks and meadows.

Nature

The name Loka derives from meadows and pastures interspersed with small wooded areas locally known as “loka”. Behind the houses of Loka, fields stretch towards the Drava Canal. Drava Landscape Park encompasses oxbow lakes, terraces, numerous gravel banks, riparian forests and marshy meadows. Its area is part of the European Natura 2000 network of protected areas.

Rare and endangered birds breed among the river channels, eroded banks and gravel banks of Drava Landscape Park. These include the common sandpiper, the little ringed plover and the kingfisher. The park therefore brings together different forms of landscape shaped by the Drava: old waterways, open gravel areas, vegetated banks and wet meadows.

Routes

Loka lies along the regional road between Maribor and Ptuj. In the settlement of Loka, a one-sided footpath and a cycling path had already been partially constructed. The Municipality of Starše renovated the Loka–Rošnja section of the Drava cycling route. This section runs directly along the Drava.

Fishing is possible in the old river channel of the Drava near Loka; a permit is required.

Culture and history

Next to the road to Ptuj in Loka stands a free-standing burial mound with a burial chamber and a chapel. The vaulted burial chamber in the Loka burial mound was discovered in 1891. Loka pri Staršah – Gomila is listed as archaeological heritage in the Slovenian Register of Cultural Heritage.

KUD Franc Ilec Loka–Rošnja includes a folk singing group. The folklore group of the KUD Franc Ilec Loka–Rošnja cultural association presents stage performances featuring elements of dance and other traditions from eastern Slovenia. Together with the Municipality of Starše and ZKD Maribor, KUD Franc Ilec Loka–Rošnja organizes the international children’s and youth folklore festival “Dandelion Flower”. This festival was held annually in Starše in May or June over a period of twenty years.

When viewing or comparing holiday apartment offers in Loka, check the exact location, accommodation type and occupancy on the respective offer page. Included services, individual price components, and booking and cancellation conditions may also be relevant to your decision. Read the respective terms carefully and compare the listed features with one another. This way, the next step is based on the specific offer you are currently viewing rather than on a general expectation of the destination.

Other places

If you would like to explore other places from the same selection in addition to Loka, you can find Spodnje Hoče, Limbuš, Malečnik, Starše, Dobrovce, Miklavž na Dravskem Polju, Fram and Pernica here.

For the higher-level travel overview: Maribor.