Dravsko polje is a vast plain in Slovenia's Styria region, stretching along the right bank of the Drava River between Maribor, Ptuj and Pragersko. It's a place where the landscape takes a break from mountains - a flat expanse averaging 250 m above sea level, framed on every side by surrounding hill ranges.

The plain is bordered by the Pohorje massif to the west, the Slovenske gorice hills to the north, and Haloze together with the Dravinjske gorice hills to the south. To the east, near Ptuj, the flat terrain continues seamlessly into Ptujsko polje. The landscape is shaped by numerous streams - Dravinja, Polskava, Reka, Trojšnica, Devina and Kamenišnica - as well as the Zlatoličje hydroelectric power plant canal running parallel to the Drava. Near Ptuj, the river widens into the artificial Ptuj Lake, one of Slovenia's largest, a popular spot for summer relaxation by the water. The western part of the plain also holds smaller ponds such as Veliki and Mali ribnik or Škorčev ribnik. Rural villages of the roadside type, farmland and former brickworks in the west give this place a distinctly agricultural character, contrasting with the industrial facilities scattered across the region.

How to get there

• Maribor or Ptuj — convenient starting point, flat terrain, easy to explore on foot or by bike
• Pragersko — alternative starting point from the western side of the plain

Interestingly, the marshy southern and western areas historically favored livestock farming, while the sandy-gravelly northern part was better suited for crop growing - a division still visible in today's landscape.