Središče ob Dravi Landscape Park

The landscape park stretching between Ormož and Središče ob Dravi is exceptionally rich in habitat types and outstandingly biodiverse. Experts and naturalists have recorded 105 breeding bird species here, 15 species of amphibians, 9 species of reptiles, and numerous mammals—the most notable being the European hamster and the otter (both threatened in Europe). The vivid colours of over 30 dragonfly species and hundreds of butterfly species, flitting among the even more colourful blossoms of waterside plants, give the park exceptional aesthetic value.

So far, 43 fish species have been recorded in the Drava River; its tributaries are home to the stone crayfish and brook lamprey, while in the oxbow lakes the great pond snail and the great ramshorn are common, alongside several mussel species. With its tributaries and banks, the Drava offers opportunities for walking, angling, horse riding, cycling, and more. This unspoilt world is full of side channels and islands, many oxbows, shingle banks, and reedbeds. The river’s greatest treasure is its free-flowing current, vitality, and constant fluvial dynamics, which keep reshaping its course.

The park is divided into two protection zones:

First zone: Encompasses the River Drava and a belt of floodplain forests, where river dynamics are very pronounced. Here the Drava freely shifts its channel, creating gravel bars, side channels, inlets, and oxbow lakes. This area is regularly flooded.
Second zone: Consists of an agricultural cultural landscape that serves as a buffer zone to the first area. It is flooded only during major high-water events.

Visitors can enjoy various activities in the park, such as walking, angling, horse riding, and cycling. The unspoilt nature—with its numerous side channels, islands, oxbows, gravel banks, and reedbeds—offers a unique experience for nature lovers.