Ljutomer, the town of trotting horses

The Ljutomer trotter and its races

RTV Slovenia explains that horse breeding has been a mainstay here for centuries, so much so that the town’s coat of arms shows a horse, or rather a unicorn. In the 18th century warm-blooded Oriental horses were introduced, and the local nobility began breeding them on a large scale. Many townspeople kept several horses, some just for racing, and Ljutomer’s riders made a name for themselves at races across Slovenia and further afield. Out of that breeding came a breed of its own, the Ljutomer trotter, medium-built, friendly, lively and well proportioned.

Races have been run in the town since 1874, and the trotting club was founded in 1875, which according to the Ministry of Culture makes it one of the oldest in Europe. In the 20th century the purebred numbers fell because of large-scale imports of foreign breeds, and to keep its memory alive the club opened a museum in 2012 on its own premises, beside the stables and the racecourse.

What to see: the Trotter Museum

The collection came from 43 local horse-breeding families, and the display was put together with the Ptuj Regional Museum and the Ptuj Historical Archives. RTV Slovenia adds that the Ljutomer area is famous for its white wines and its pastoral landscapes. It includes a hand-made racing cart from 1899, trophies and awards, and documents selected from more than 3,000 photographs and 140 objects. Children get Jona’s Corner, with a short film starring a playful mare. The tourist board suggests combining a race with a museum visit.

Ljutomer and Slovenia’s first film

Ljutomer’s horses feature in the first film footage shot in Slovenia, the work of local filmmaker Karol Grossmann in 1903. That’s where the Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival takes its name, an event the tourist board recommends to fearless film buffs.

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A small town among vineyards

SURS gives Ljutomer, a town in Pomurje, 3,219 residents and its municipality 10,850 on 1 January 2026. It recorded 28,381 arrivals in 2025. Like Jeruzalem, it carries a silver Slovenia Green label, and the tourist board describes Prlekija as a land of world-class wines and warm, open people, set among the Ljutomer-Ormož hills and the Slovenske gorice.

Jeruzalem and the surroundings

To the south rise the Jeruzalem hills, within the Ljutomer Ponds-Jeruzalem Hills Landscape Park. To the north lie Veržej, with its floating mill on the Mura, Radenci and Gornja Radgona, and to the south-east Ormož, already on the Drava. I’d base myself here for two nights to combine vineyards, horses and a spa.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Ljutomer on GetYourGuide.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Ljutomer for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.