Legend has it that crusaders stopped on one of these beautiful hills to rest on their way to the Holy Land. And they were kindly received by hospitable locals who offered them divine wine and that was why they decided never to leave this place, and named it Jeruzalem.

Today, Jeruzalem is a picturesque village built around the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows (1652). In the church there is a painting of the Mother of Sorrows which is said to have been brought by Crusaders from the Holy Land. Next to the church you can find the Jeruzalem mansion which has been converted into a boutique hotel with a rich botanical garden. Jeruzalem is the highest peak at an altitude of 341 metres. On clear days you can see up to Lake Balaton.

Winemaking had been around this part of Slovenia long before the Romans arrived. The wine-growing region of the Ljutomer-Ormož Hills has always offered ideal conditions for white wine production. Our vineyards have the best conditions, with abundance of sunshine, cool nights and mineral-rich soil of the Pannonian Sea. The best vineyards in the region are located on the hills that surround the village of Jerusalem – the jewel of the region. This is where some of the best wines are born.

Šipon (Furmint) is a local variety and the pride of Jeruzalem and the Prlekija region. It stands out with its exceptional character, distinctive freshness and rich flavour. Legend has it that the name Šipon originates from the time of Napoleon. When Napoleon’s army marched through this area, the locals offered them some wine. After the soldiers tasted it, they enthusiastically exclaimed: "C'est si bon!" (That's good!). Locals didn’t understand what that meant and thought they were shouting “Šipon”

The wind rattle or a bird-scaring rattle is a guardian of vineyards and chases away hungry birds at a time when the grapes ripen. The traditional wind rattle of the Prlekija region has four rotary wings. Each part is to be made of a different kind of wood. Special power of protection is attributed to it, not only against pests. The wind rattle usually gets erected on Saint Lawrence day (August 10th) or on August 15th. The largest wind rattle has been put in place at the top of Strmec Hill in Hermanci!

Ptuj is an extremely interesting and mysterious city with the oldest history in Slovenia, numerous attractions and a genuine tourist offer. The city lies in a picturesque landscape between the Slovenske Gorice and Haloze, and the Drava and Ptuj Fields where many natural beauty spots are intertwined. Ptuj is not only the oldest Slovenian city. It is a city of festivals and many other cultural events enriching the old city centre and the neighbouring towns throughout the year.

These places are a real paradise for even the most demanding gourmets and lovers of authentic home cooking. Tourist farms and wine shops in Ptuj are famous for their excellent home-made food and excellent wines. In short, by visiting the oldest city in Slovenia and its picturesque countryside with the gentle hills of the Slovenske Gorice and Haloze you will discover a small part of the world well worth visiting or spending your leisure time.

The Osterberger Wine Cellar and wine bar is named after the first hotel owners, Franz and Constanza Osterberger, who bought a house when it was auctioned in 1890. They also obtained the right to open a coffee house. The family stayed in the hotel until 1945 when it became a state-owned property.

The facade holds the initials of the owners, namely the initials of their names F(ranz) C(onstanza) O(sterberger). Franc Osterberger died in 1905 and his business was taken over by the widow, Constanza. After her death the property was inherited by their children. Their son Franc Osterberger later run the hotel, and Alexander was the manager of the Osterberger estate in Gorca, Dežno 43. The building with baroque facade and a very interesting history is now a beautiful city hotel Mitra. It is in the surroundings of the historic town of Ptuj, at Prešeren Street 6 and Grajska Street 1. The hotel with its location, exterior and interior arrangements reflects the appearance of the old city centre. The first record of the object is from 1777.

The hotel reminds us of yet another story with the renovated wine cellar and wine shop. The story was an important part in the development of the rich heritage of the present-day hotel and the oldest Slovene town of Ptuj. Some years before and after 1900, the hotel performed an extremely important activity of the time. It was Franc Osterberger, the elder son who was not only the owner of a hotel and cafeteria, but also a wine producer and wine wholesaler specialized in wines from the Haloze area.

In 1907, the Association of Agricultural Societies of Styria awarded a silver medal to Osterberger wine production with an honorary certificate for his achievements in the field of viticulture.

The wine cellar can accommodates up to 40 lovers of vintage wine, and due to its rich offer of wine each visitor can choose and buy premium wine for oneself or friends. Tantalizing aroma, sophisticated flavour, delightful fragrance, wine culture and careful production of winegrowers from the wine-growing regions of Slovenia will create a story of history for each visitor to the renovated wine cellar Osterberger. The guests can pamper their taste buds in top quality wines such as Traminec, Renski Riesling, Yellow Muscat, Blue Pinot, Šipon, Cviček, Rebula, Merlot, etc. A visit to the Osterberger wine cellar and the tasting of top quality wine is definitely an unforgettable adventure and, above all, a necessary part when walking and exploring the oldest Slovenian town of Ptuj.

Maribor and its old inner city will impress you with cultural-historical sights and warm hospitality of the local people. The most attractive corners of the city: wonderful city squares with notable buildings, Lent with the oldest grape vine in the world, the City Park with three ponds and Piramida, etc. Numerous coffee-houses and tea-houses will attract you in little streets where you can conclude your sightseeing tour around the city full of experience, and chat with your friends.

In the heart of the old city centre on Lent, the oldest vine in the world still grows in front of the Old Vine House. The confirmed age of this “Žametovka” or “Modra Kavčina” vine is over 400 years, which won it a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest noble vine in the world still bearing grapes. The Old Vine is a symbol of the rich wine culture of Maribor, Styria, and all of Slovenia.

The Old Vine was planted towards the end of the Middle Ages when Maribor was besieged by the Turks. It survived the furious fights between the invaders and the defenders of the city, as the Old Vine House used to be a part of the city wall. Then, the vine was not harmed by the fires which occurred frequently due to wooden roof structures and straw coverings, nor by the vine lice that destroyed most of other vines. Despite the Allied bombing of the city during World War II that partly destroyed the Old Vine House, this resilient plant survived unscathed.

Today, the Old Vine is the only plant with its own museum in the Old Vine House. The scions of the Old Vine grow on almost all continents and in several places in Slovenia. The Maribor Octet and the Neuvirtovi Štajerci band even recoded an anthem in its honour. Several picturesque wine cellars and wine roads in Maribor and surroundings are also dedicated to the Old Vine.

The Old Vine bears grapes of the “žametovka” or the “modra kavčina” sort which was one of the first domesticated noble vine sorts in Slovenia. The yearly harvest of around 35 to 55 kg of grapes is made into wine and poured into 2.5 dl bottles designed by a famous artist Oskar Kogoj. These bottles are a valuable protocol gift – only hundred bottles are filled every year!

Tiny secrets and a lot of knowledge have been exchanged in the Radgonske Gorice for more than 160 years, similarly to the waves of the Mura River moving through Gornja Radgona. How can one skilfully spoil the vine so that it reveals all its nobility? How to spend time caressing grapes? How to grow fond of the wine, its preciousness and intoxication? How to inspire it with wit, a source of countless bubbles that never dries up?

Wine holds many stories. The first one was whispered by the one who gave it its place in the world. When growing, it was the locals and travellers who stopped at the vineyard in order to experience its beauty and entrusted it their stories. The book of stories is also filled by grape-pickers year in year out. The stories are also shared by winemakers, oenologists, cellar men ... And then a word or two by the wine merchants.

Wine holds beautiful stories. These are the stories of people who live with it and take care of it and value it. Be part of this wonderful story.

Zlata radgonska penina produced by applying the radical or classic bottle-fermentation method also used in champagne production is the pride of this wine cellar. The primary fermentation of the wine is followed by bottling with the addition of yeasts that induce secondary fermentation resulting in indispensable bubbles of sparkling wine.


Zlata radgonska penina spends at least 24 months with yeasts, and special Zlata radgonska penina can be found that matured on yeasts for even 10 years! At the same time, Zlata radgonska penina can be designated blanc de blancs meaning it is made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes."