Ormož

The town of Ormož, a chessboard of town houses, lies above the surface of the Drava river on the natural terrace shaped by the river for millions of years. Like the king and queen, the nearby castle and the church boldly dictate the game on a slight slope.

The town was already inhabited around 2100 BC. As the crossing of the river was the easiest here and the route wide open to all sides, it was a crossroad of important traffic routes. It is this location that has shaped the rich and turbulent history of Ormož. Evidence thereof are archaeological finds and records kept by different institutions, most of them by the Ptuj-Ormož Regional Museum.

 In the late Bronze Age, Ormož surpassed all neighbouring localities in importance, size and unique urban design. At the time, Ormož was one of the largest settlements of the Eastern Alps. Archaeological remains testify to the building technology, residential and even culinary and drinking culture of the townspeople.

A settlement was built in the early Middle Ages. In the second half of the 13th century, when the nobility of Ptuj build a tower, it turned into a trading centre and soon after into an urban settlement of craftsmen and traders. The town of Ormož was first mentioned with the name Holermuos in documents dating back to 1273. This was a time of battles for the eastern border between the Hungarian kings and the Salzburg archdiocese. Due to its strategic importance, the town attained trading rights in 1293 and town rights in 1331.

Ptuj's Lord Friderik V. built a fortified castle in 1287 and named it Friedau to defend the border from the Hungarians. Later on, this name was passed on to the whole town. However, the name Holermuos was not forgotten and was still used in documents during the centuries to follow. The name of the town changed to the current name of Ormož through phonetic transition.

The town privileges also allowed townsfolk to organize annual fairs. This tradition has been preserved to this day: St. Jakob Fair still takes place on the first Monday after St. Jakob's Sunday, the Flower Fair on Flower Friday and St. Martin Fair on November 11th, St. Martin's Day.

After 1945, the town of Ormož was mainly marked by winery and agriculture, sugar production, the Brickyard Ormož and the development of small businesses. A ceremonial opening of the Ormož Wine Cellar took place in 1967, and the Ormož Sugar Factory started its test run in 1976.

The War of Independence in 1991 also left its mark on Ormož and its surroundings. The town was one of the strategically most important battlefields between the Yugoslav People's Army based in nearby Varaždin and the Slovenian Territorial Defence. The Slovenian Territorial Defence prevented the attackers from entering the town with great sacrifice, blocking the roads and the bridge over the Drava river and preventing the enemy army entering into the territory of Slovenia. The castle tower was also damaged at the time.

Careful architectural interventions made it possible for Ormož to preserve its original appearance and charm. The Ptuj-Ormož Regional Museum's collections can give visitors a better understanding of the importance of Ormož and its surroundings in the past millennia. They are located behind the walls of the Ormož Castle and the restored Grajska pristava.

To fully experience the town, you have to visit the Church of St. Jakob, stroll around the town's streets and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the Castle Park with its rare tree species. In the summer heat, you will perhaps feel tempted to freshen up in the Ormož swimming pool complex on the edge of the Castle Park.