Let’s meet Ovtar – guardian of Slovenske Gorice

Ovtar was a real character who represented a guardian  of ‘gorice’ (vineyards) and fields from the 19th to the first half of the 20th century, who worked in central Slovenske Gorice, in the eastern slopes of the Pohorje along the northern border to Radgonske Gorice and further south all the way to Ptuj. His job lasted from the middle of August until the middle of November, and it was not easy to get a job, since Ovtar had to have written permission from the landowners and the consent of the municipality. Each Ovtar carried with him a Ovtar’s pole, which was made of a pear branch with a metal knife.

Today, Ovtar is the trademark of Slovenske Gorice and the term for the tradition, origin and Kvaliteta of the offer of the countryside of Slovenske Gorice (culinary, wine, cultural, touristic, ecological, domestic arts and crafts…). It strives for a clean and orderly Domov environment, for the preservation of cultural monuments and local customs. Ovtar promotes cooperation and integration of the population in the protection and nurturing of cultural values and actively helps in the development of tourism.