Discover Ivanjkovci: Holiday apartment amid wine, cultural heritage and trails

Ivanjkovci developed in the Pavlovski potok valley. The clay soils retain surface water for a long time; as a result, meadows predominate and occasionally turn into swamps and lakes. Hills rise above the valley, including Pavlovski vrh. In the village, the Pavlovski potok receives the Lahonščica from Lahonce and the Sirotka from Veličane as tributaries.

Village Centre and History

The compact centre of Ivanjkovci lies in the valley near the railway station. At the same time, the village is located on a particularly favourable transport connection between the Mursko polje and the Ptujsko polje. The village centre is home to Petovarjevo, a large agricultural building complex. Its main residential building was constructed in 1865. Petovarjevo preserves a surviving part of a former large estate that once played an important role at both local and regional level. Much of the historic building fabric has been preserved.

In Svetinje, the present All Saints’ Church replaced a chapel dating from 1603 in 1730. The church is significant above all because of its exceptional location in the landscape. Thus, in Ivanjkovci and its immediate surroundings, agricultural architectural history, historic religious architecture and open valley spaces meet without the individual places losing their distinct character.

Wine and Regional Cuisine

Kmetija Ratek serves Prlekija specialities such as wood-fired oven bread, meat and lard from tünka, as well as gibanica. It also offers expertly guided tastings of high-quality wines. At the estate, visitors can see Scottish Highland cattle and a preserved traditional wooden wine press during a walk.

At Herga, the wine tastings include seven samples and a tour of the wine cellar with fresh and matured wines, as well as samples from barrels. Herga also offers wine tastings during a walk that introduces the locations of its vineyards. The tastings take place in the Jeruzalem Slovenija wine region. Herga offers guided tastings of its premium wines at a unique winery overlooking the vineyards.

A 300-year-old vineyard cottage houses a chapel, a small ethnological museum, an old wine press and a wine cellar where visitors can taste white wines. The combination of rural tradition, winegrowing and small cultural collections is reflected in a range of distinct, clearly identifiable places and offerings.

Festivals

The traditional event “Pozdrav trgatvi”, organised by the Ivanjkovci Tourist and Cultural Association, takes place on 15 August. In Svetinje, it includes the erection of a klapotetz and a cultural programme. The event ends with a convivial gathering featuring local wines and homemade food.

Cycling and Hiking

The official “Jeruzalem” cycling route is 26 kilometres long, moderately difficult and has 270 metres of ascent. It offers views of Svetinje and the pilgrimage church of Jeruzalem across terraced vineyards. Alongside the historic and culinary attractions, clearly designated routes through the surrounding wine landscape are therefore also available.

The “Ivanjkovci–Jeruzalem” hiking route begins in Ivanjkovci. It is considered an easy marked trail; the walking time is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, and the elevation difference is 117 metres. The route leads from a junction near the post office in Ivanjkovci across a meadow and a small bridge into a wooded area.

Information

The TIC and the Jeruzalem Vinotheque provide visitors with tourist information, present the local offerings and enable them to discover the region’s natural, cultural and culinary heritage.

For further exploration, Ormož is also available to you.

To the higher-level travel overview: Ormož.