Haloze

Haloze is a hilly area, running roughly east–west bounded by the border with Croatia to the south and the Dravinja and Drava rivers to the north.

In total, it comprises approximately 300 km2 (120 sq mi), where around 21,000 people live in seven municipalities (Cirkulane, Gorišnica, Majšperk, Podlehnik, Videm, Zavrč, and Žetale).

Lying in the southern part of the Drava Valley, the Haloze Hills rose before the drying-out of the Pannonian Sea entered its final phase in the middle of Pleistocene epoch, about 600,000 years ago.

The water ruptured its way through the modern Đerdap Gorge on the Danube River and flowed rapidly away, causing the strong erosion of poorly consolidated sandstone and thus steep hillsides.

With vertically planted vineyards on less steep slopes, this work is no longer as necessary as it once was, but on most sites grass is allowed to grow between the rows to minimize erosion.

Borl Castle, first mentioned in writing in 1199, is on a high rocky ledge overlooking an ancient crossing point on the Drava River.