Slovenska Bistrica
Encyclopedia
Slovenska Bistrica is a town
and a municipality
south of Maribor
in eastern Slovenia
. It is one of the largest municipalities in Slovenia. Traditionally the area was part of the Lower Styria
region. The municipality is now included in the Drava statistical region
. The town was established in the 13th century on the trade road between Maribor and Celje
. It was granted market rights
in 1313. It was originally called just Bistrica. The present name of Slovenska Bistrica first appears in records dating from 1565.
The town now has over 6,500 inhabitants and increasing. Many locals commute to Maribor
for work, less than an hour's drive away. The town offers several interesting sights, including Bistrica Castle
, churches, a Roman road, Ančnik fort (an Ancient Roman
fort), and more. It is also a good starting point for people wishing to hike on Mount Boč
, a nearby mountain peak and park.
The parish church
in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew and belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maribor. It is first mentioned in written documents dating to 1240, but was greatly rebuilt and extended in the Baroque style
in the 18th century. The belfry
dates to the 19th century. Two other larger churches in the town are dedicated to Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows
and Saint Joseph
. They date to the 15th and 18th centuries.
Prominent persons from the municipality of Slovenska Bistrica include the politician and intellectual Jože Pučnik
and the writer Anton Ingolič
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and a municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
south of Maribor
Maribor
Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
in eastern Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. It is one of the largest municipalities in Slovenia. Traditionally the area was part of the Lower Styria
Lower Styria
Lower Styria or Slovenian Styria is a traditional region in northeastern Slovenia, comprising the southern third of the former Duchy of Styria. The population of Lower Styria in its historical boundaries amounts to around 705,000 inhabitants, or 34.5% of the population of Slovenia...
region. The municipality is now included in the Drava statistical region
Podravska statistical region
The Drava statistical region is a statistical region in Slovenia. The largest town in the region is Maribor. Its name comes from the Drava River and includes land on both banks along its course through Slovenia as well as the Pohorje mountains in the northeast of the region. The Drava is used for...
. The town was established in the 13th century on the trade road between Maribor and Celje
Celje
Celje is a typical Central European town and the third largest town in Slovenia. It is a regional center of Lower Styria and the administrative seat of the Urban Municipality of Celje . The town of Celje is located under Upper Celje Castle at the confluence of the Savinja, Ložnica, and Voglajna...
. It was granted market rights
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in 1313. It was originally called just Bistrica. The present name of Slovenska Bistrica first appears in records dating from 1565.
The town now has over 6,500 inhabitants and increasing. Many locals commute to Maribor
Maribor
Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
for work, less than an hour's drive away. The town offers several interesting sights, including Bistrica Castle
Bistrica Castle
Bistrica Castle , also known as Slovenska Bistrica Castle, is a renaissance palace outside the town of Slovenska Bistrica in eastern Slovenia...
, churches, a Roman road, Ančnik fort (an Ancient Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
fort), and more. It is also a good starting point for people wishing to hike on Mount Boč
Mount Boc
A park and popular hiking area in the Slovenska Bistrica municipality. The height of the peak stands at 978 meters and has lookup tower on the top. It is home to a number of trails that very in difficulty level as well as home to a rare flower called, pasque flower that is a protected flower...
, a nearby mountain peak and park.
The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew and belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maribor. It is first mentioned in written documents dating to 1240, but was greatly rebuilt and extended in the Baroque style
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
in the 18th century. The belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
dates to the 19th century. Two other larger churches in the town are dedicated to Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows , the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows , and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life...
and Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
. They date to the 15th and 18th centuries.
Prominent persons from the municipality of Slovenska Bistrica include the politician and intellectual Jože Pučnik
Jože Pucnik
Jože Pučnik was a Slovenian public intellectual, sociologist and politician. During the Communist regime of Josip Broz Tito, Pučnik was one of the most outspoken Slovenian critics of dictatorship and lack of civil liberties in former Yugoslavia. He was imprisoned for a total of 7 years, and later...
and the writer Anton Ingolič
Anton Ingolič
Anton Ingolič was a Slovene writer, playwright and editor.He is best known for his novels and youth literature....
.