Slovenska Bistrica is a town south of….
Slovenska Bistrica is a town south of Maribor in eastern Slovenia. It is centre of the Municipality of Slovenska Bistrica, one of the largest municipalities in Slovenia. Traditionally the area was part of the Styria region. The town is 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.
Before 1918, the town had a German-speaking majority (in the last Austrian census of 1910, 57.7% of the inhabitants declared German as their language of daily communication), while the surroundings were almost exclusively Slovene-speaking. 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.
