Holiday apartment in Makole: Culture, Karst Nature and Local Traditions

Makole combines culture, landscape and regional tradition. The cultural highlight is the 10-kilometre Forma Viva trail, where more than 190 sculptures by international artists can be seen. They were created over a period of 20 years.

Culture

Štatenberg Mansion is a Baroque building near Makole, on the edge of the Haloze hills above the Dravinja River. The building is known for its frescoes and stucco work in the Knights’ Hall and its elegant salons. Guided tours are available in the museum section of Štatenberg Mansion. From November to April, however, visits are only possible by prior arrangement.

The Church of St Andrew is another cultural attraction in Makole. Bernadekova domačija in Štatenberg offers an insight into the history of everyday life in the past: the more than 200-year-old farmstead presents an authentic account of former everyday life to registered groups.

Nature

Belojača Cave has 550 metres of accessible passages and is one of the longest karst caves in the Haloze hills. Its two passages cannot be accessed without cave equipment. Cave crickets, bats and small beetles live in Belojača Cave.

Štatenberg Landscape Park includes the castle hill with Štatenberg Mansion and the surrounding area at the confluence of the Dravinja and Ložnica rivers, as well as nearby ponds. The Slap Šoštarica waterfall is located in Stari Grad. It is a 10-metre-high waterfall that carries water only periodically.

Getting around

The 15-kilometre Makole–Poljčane–Makole cycling route starts and ends in Makole. Various signposted hiking and mountain trails also lead on foot from Štatenberg Mansion through the hills of the Dravinja and Haloze regions to Boč and Donačka gora.

Another way to explore the surroundings is by tourist train. With an expert guide on board, it travels through the Dravinja Valley and introduces visitors to the area’s cultural and natural attractions.

Cuisine

At the more than 200-year-old Kavklerjeva klet in Jelovec pri Makolah, tastings of Muškat otonel wine are offered together with homemade cured meat products and fresh bread from the wood-fired oven. Kavklerjeva klet also hosts an annual concert in honour of Saint Urban.

Local specialities in Makole include Haloška gibanca, Ocvirkovka and various breads baked in a wood-fired oven. A wine fountain is located in Makole’s market square. The completed Makolski lodn project includes a tourist tasting and sales area for locally produced food and products.

Events

Idi na Makole is a traditional annual event held at the beginning of June in Makole’s market square. The Makole Volunteer Firefighting Association has organised Furež according to old farming traditions for 15 consecutive years. The 17th edition of Andrejev sejem was announced for 2025.

More local pages

You can find more local pages here: Oplotnica, Zgornja Ložnica, Leskovec, Slovenska Bistrica, Kebelj, Zgornja Polskava.

To the main travel overview: Slovenska Bistrica.