DESTRNIK

The Municipality of Destrnik was estab-lished in 1994. A lot changed in 1998 when three new municipalities were established. At the moment the mu-nicipality comprises of 17 settlements: Desenci, Destrnik, Drstelja, Dolič, Gomila, Gomilci, Janežovci, Janežovski Vrh, Jiršovci, Levanjci, Ločki Vrh, Placar, Strmec pri Destrniku, Svetnici, Vintarovci, Zasadi and Zgornji Velovlek. It has 2699 inhabitants. It is situated in the north of Ptuj, partly on the wide ridge of Slovenske gorice with the highest spot at St. Urban, and partly on the hills of Mestni Vrh and on the up¬per valley of Rogoznica. It reaches the western part of lower Pesnica valley.

The Municipality of Destrnik is called Destrnik in old writings, with even an older name St. Urban. In 1937 the Municipality St. Urban had 2691 inhabit-ants, 673 houses, 576 landlords, 79 cottagers and 15 tenants. It measured 3347.30 hectares of which 1107.43 hectares were fields and gardens, 874.18 hectares meadows and pastures, 122.28 hectares vineyards, 870 hectares forests, 308.30 hectares orchards and 65.42 hectares the rest. The people worked on the fields, reared animals and grew fruit trees (most of them were apples). Winegrowing was well developed and was brought to life after the appearance of Phylloxera and planted with new sorts of mainly white wine. Even until 1960s a lot of self-sown gmarnica (sort of wine) was grown on lower regions. The region had vast areas of mixed woods. The local people sold the cattle, fruit, wine and chopped wood in Ptuj. Home manufacture in the area of Destrnik is producing wicker baskets and bricklaying.