Introduction

The Pannonian landscapes lie in eastern Slovenia and cover a fifth of its territory. They are composed of densely settled and intensively cultivated areas and are divided into low hill and plain landscapes.

The winegrowing Pannonian low hills are composed of weakly agglutinated rocks, primarily marl, sand, and clay, and are therefore vulnerable to landslides. Dispersed settlements that are not compact are prevalent, with cultivated land between the houses. Homes are most frequently located on the tops of rounded ridges. Below them on the sunny slopes are vineyards, which produce high quality wine, and orchards, while on the shady slopes there is primarily forest. In the middle of the vineyards, traditional wooden wind-rattles "klopotec" turn in the wind, driving birds away. Many of the ridge houses have been converted into vacation houses, and the population is decreasing slightly.

The vast Pannonian plains lie between the low hills along the slow and meandering Mura, Drava, and Krka rivers on which numerous mills once operated. Vulnerable to flooding, these plains are of major agricultural importance. In order to exploit the arable land more efficiently, people built their homes and outbuildings only along the main traffic routes. Large long villages arose with buildings evenly distributed in a row on one side or both sides of the road. The large stork nests frequently seen on the chimneys of these single-story houses add a picturesque touch. Vast farming plots extend behind the houses, usually divided into unbroken strips. The farmers are primarily involved in crop farming and raising livestock. Thermal and mineral water rising to the surface at tectonic faults in this region formed the basis for the development of health resort tourism. On the Drava plain lie Maribor, Slovenia's second largest city.