Moravske Toplice

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Moravske Toplice
Moravske Toplice
Moravske Toplice
Coat of arms of Moravske Toplice
Coat of arms
Moravske Toplice is located in Slovenia
Moravske Toplice
Moravske Toplice
Location in Slovenia
Coordinates: 46°41′33.85″N 16°13′41.33″E / 46.6927361°N 16.2281472°E / 46.6927361; 16.2281472
Country Slovenia
Traditional regionPrekmurje
Statistical regionMura
MunicipalityMoravske Toplice
Area
 • Total
8.6 km2 (3.3 sq mi)
Elevation
203.4 m (667 ft)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total
914
 • Density106/km2 (270/sq mi)
Websitewww.moravske-toplice.si
[1]

Moravske Toplice (pronounced [mɔˈɾaːu̯skɛ tɔˈpliːtsɛ]) is a settlement in the Municipality of Moravske Toplice in the Prekmurje region of Slovenia. It is the seat of the municipality and is best known for its thermal spa.

Name

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The name of the settlement was changed from Moravci to Moravske Toplice (lit. 'Moravci Hot Springs') in 1983 to reflect its new character as a spa town.[2] The earliest written form of the name (Moravc in 1366) is of Slavic origin and means 'marshy place'. This probably reflected the natural conditions of the area in the Middle Ages. The Hungarian name was derived from the Slovenian; it was recorded as Maracz in 1499. The 19th-century version was Tót-Morácz (lit. 'Slovene Morácz'), which was officially changed to Alsómarác (lit. 'Lower Marác') in 1907 to distinguish it from Felsőmarác (lit. 'Upper Marác').

History

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The coat of arms of Miklós Széchy

The first written mention of the settlement dates back to 1366. In 1365, Miklós Széchy, the Ban of Croatia, and his brother, Domonkos, the Bishop of Transylvania, received Lendva castle and its appurtenances in exchange for Éleskő castle and its appurtenances as royal grant from King Louis I of Hungary. When the brothers were invested with their lands a year later, the estate was described in great detail, and two villages were listed as Morauch et alia Morauch in districtu Sancti Martini.[3] The wording suggests that there were two villages right next to each other and both were called Moravc ("Moravc and the other Moravc"). The royal deed of donation (1365) lists a few villages with Hungarian names in the same area, two of which (Dewecherhaza and Pezkfolua) can be tentatively identified with the two Moravces.[4]

Like many other small settlements in the area, Moravc did not have its own church; from an ecclesiastical point of view, it belonged to the parish of Sancti Martini (now Martjanci). The village was owned by the Széchy family until the extinction of their Felső-Lendva branch in 1570. Through their female descendants, the estate passed to the Batthyány family in 1640. It remained in their possession for nearly 250 years.

In the second half of the 16th century, the owners of the feudal estate became Lutherans, and the Slovenian villages in the southwestern part of Vas County converted to the Lutheran faith. The record of a canonical visitation conducted by Lutheran ecclesiastical officials in the area in 1627 listed Marácz among the villages that belonged to the Lutheran parish of Martyáncz.[5] Although the Batthyány overlords returned to the Catholic faith in the 1630s, Moravci remained a predominantly Lutheran village.

After Kanizsa fell into Ottoman hands in 1600, the area along the Mura River also became a border region, and in the following century it was regularly exposed to Turkish raids and even taxation. Although Marácz's name is not mentioned in the sources, it certainly shared the fate of the neighboring villages, and its inhabitants were probably often forced to flee. A more peaceful era began after 1690, when the Turks were finally expelled.

After the 1781 Patent of Toleration religious freedom was granted to the Lutherans, and Tót-Morácz became the daughter congregation of the Lutheran parish of Puczincz (now Puconci). In 1855, a Lutheran school was established. In 1871, the school had 40 students, and the local congregation numbered 271 people.[6]

Digital reconstruction of the Batthyány (later Ernuszt) Mansion

The manor house of the Batthyány family was built in the second half of the 18th century by the highway leading towards Mura-Szombat. The late Baroque house was surrounded by a garden with a few outbuildings. The estate of Tót-Morácz was inherited by Count Lajos Batthyány as a child from his father, Count József Sándor Batthyány, in 1812, but it was managed by his mother, Borbála Skerlecz, until an agreement was reached between them in 1830.[7] Lajos Batthyány, who became the first prime minister of Hungary, owned the estate until his execution in 1849. Then the estate was confiscated on grounds of treason, and it was redeemed by his wife's brother, Count János Zichy. In the early 1860s, it was purchased by Kelemen Ernuszt, who later sold the land piece by piece.

The cadastral survey conducted at the end of the feudal era, in 1860, listed 68 houses in Tót-Morácz. The houses were scattered over a large area, standing alone or in small, irregular clusters. Almost all buildings were made of wood. There was an inn that was owned by the Zichy estate, opposite the manor. The village had a small cemetery (on the site of today's volunteer fire department). The surnames show that the majority of the inhabitants were Slovenes, but Hungarian names also occurred. Arable land and forests were the two dominant categories in land use, but the proportion of meadows was also significant, indicating the importance of animal husbandry.[8]

Administratively, the village was part of Vas County in the Kingdom of Hungary from the earliest record of its existence, until Prekmurje was united with the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in 1920. When the District of Murska Sobota was established in 1921, Moravci became a local community in the newly formed Municipality of Tešanovci. Returning to Vas County for a short period between 1941 and 1945, it remained part of larger municipalities until 1994, when the new Municipality of Moravske Toplice was formed, of which it became the seat. The municipality contains 28 local communities.

Geography

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Moravske Toplice is located in the Prekmurje region of Slovenia, on the border of two different landscape units, the hilly region known as Goričko (lit. 'the uplands') and the flatlands known as Ravensko (lit. 'the flatlands'). The center of the village is located on both sides of regional road no. 442, on a flat area (about 190 m above sea level). The terrain rises to the north, reaching the foothills of Goričko. The highest point in the territory of the settlement is 317 m high Kamena gorica (lit. 'stony hill'). Several smaller streams run south from the mountains and merge on the southern edge of Moravske Toplice; the most important is the Lipnica, which is fed by Mostec and Ribnjek creeks and is a tributary of the Ledava River.

Old house in the center of the village

Urban geography was shaped by historical and geographical conditions. Moravci was originally a scattered settlement among the foothills of Goričko, like several other similar villages in the region. The nucleus of the present village center was originally established as a feudal manor in the 18th century next to the highway, but it began to grow rapidly in the second half of the 20th century, after the discovery of thermal water made Moravske Toplice one of the most important resorts in Slovenia. Hotels, guesthouses, and services were established around the thermal bath, and the center took on an urban character. The more remote parts, on the other hand, have retained their rural character even in the 21st century.

The lower part of Moravske Toplice is called Spodnji Moravci, and it consists of the village center and the thermal resort complex, Dolga ulica (lit. 'long street' and Lešče (the original village along the road leading toward Fokovci), and Na Bregu (lit. 'on the hill', a cluster of houses along a side road.

The hilly upper part of the village, called Zgornji Moravci, is separated from the lower part by extensive agricultural and green areas. It is made up of several scattered hamlets among the Goričko foothills: Brezje, Brzinšček, Rumičev Breg, Cuber, Vinska Graba, and Moravske Gorice.

Spas

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There are two spas located in Moravske Toplice. Terme 3000 is the larger one and contains three hotels,[9][10][11][12] a campsite,[13] the Prekmurska Vas kitchenette suites,[14] and an array of bungalows with traditional thatched roofs.[15] All of them have access to 5,000 square metres (54,000 sq ft) of water areas: indoor and outdoor pools with a number of water slides. The outdoor pools are better suited for families with children, and the indoor ones for those who prefer a more peaceful environment. Large grassy areas surround the pools and offer natural shade.

The smaller one is Terme Vivat spa.[16] The Vivat unit is only 50 m (160 ft) from the Vivat Hotel. The Vivat Hotel is fully adapted for persons with disabilities, and it is the first hotel in Slovenia designed for people with hearing impairments.[17]

Churches

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The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd

The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd stands at the site of a former manor house. The mansion was purchased from its last private owner, Kelemen Ernuszt, for 15,000 forints by the Lutheran citizens of Tót-Morácz, Mezővár (now Tešanovci) and Zsidahegy (now Vučja Gomila) on 2 November 1888, along with 34 acres of arable land and meadows. The purchase price was very favorable, and it had to be paid in installments over 10 years.[18] The building was converted into a church and school complex: the prayer room was located upstairs, and the classroom, as well as the pastor's and teacher's apartments, were on the ground floor. An organ, made by József Angster from Budapest, an altar, a pulpit, benches and other interior furnishings were purchased. In 1893, Sándor (Aleksander) Hima was elected as resident pastor. The independent Lutheran parish was established in 1900, with Mezővár and Zsidahegy as daughter congregations. Hima served as leader of the community until his death in 1936.

In 1913, the construction of a new church was planned, but due to the interruption of the First World War, only a Neo-Romanesque tower was built next to the existing building in 1925 according to plans by Ödön Hochholzer, a Hungarian architect from Szombathely. Three years later, a tower clock and two bells were installed. After Hima, Franc Kuhar served as pastor until 1940, then István Balogh succeeded him, but he had to emigrate to Hungary after the end of World War II. He was followed by Aleksander Skalič from Selo between 1946 and 1973.

After the war, the church buildings were partially renovated and electrified, but the old mansion was in very poor condition. It was demolished in the 1950s, and the construction of the nave began in 1960. The plans were drawn by architect Jamšek from Ljubljana, and the construction work was done by the members of the congregation. The new church was dedicated on 2 July 1962. A new rectory was also constructed in 1958. The church was completely renovated in 2004.[19] In 2014, it was decreed a monument of local importance.[20]

Geza Erniša, who served as priest from 1997 until his death in 2022, was the first Lutheran bishop of Slovenia and a respected figure of Protestant ecumenism, especially in the Gustav-Adolf-Werk and the Lutheran World Federation.

The church interior is modern with few decorations. The wall behind the altar has a wallpaper-like painted surface with the symbol of the Luther rose and an inscription: Bodi veren, do smrti ("Be faithful, until death"). On the left wall there is a line from Psalm 23:1: Gospod je moj pastir, nič mi ne manjka. Na zelenih pašnikih mi daje ležišče ("The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures"). The altar and the pulpit were renewed in the 21st century; only the original altarpiece was kept, a 19th-century oil painting of Jesus in the Garden. According to the Hungarian inscription on the edge of the basin, the marble baptismal font was donated to the church by István Kühár and his wife from Mezővár in 1893.

A modern Catholic chapel was built in the small Catholic cemetery of Zgornji Moravci during the 20th century.

Parks

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The park around the Lutheran church and the rectory was named Prekmurje Reformation Park in 2014. The 0.7-hectare (1.7-acre) large green area has its origins in the garden of the Batthyány mansion, which had stood there before. A scion of the 440-year-old žametovka grapevine from the Maribor Lent was planted in the park, symbolizing the long-standing friendship between the church communities of Moravske Toplice and Bad Urach in Germany.

Čreta is a forest park near the center of Moravske Toplice, next to Road 442 leading towards Martjanci. The larger part of the 12-hectare (30-acre) wooded area is located south of the regional road, with a smaller, 1.6-hectare (4.0-acre) piece on the other side; the forest is bordered by Lipnica Creek to the east and the Livada Golf Club to the west. Although it is closer to Moravske Toplice, the forest belongs to the territory of Martjanci.

The name refers to the fact that the area was once a swamp (čreta means 'swampy woods' in Slovene). It was originally part of a larger forest that extended to the villages of Sebeborci to the north and Ivanci to the south. Its original extent was recorded by the First Military Survey of the 1780s, which also shows a small stream on the eastern side (only a drainage ditch runs there today). The 1860 cadastral map, on the other hand, shows the forest at its current extent. Due to clearings, by then it had become an isolated patch of woods surrounded by agricultural areas.

A freely accessible exercise trail (Slovene: trim steza) was created in the southern part of the forest with modern fitness equipment and a running track. The trail has two circular tracks: a 1,000-meter (3,300 ft) large circle and a 600-meter (2,000 ft) smaller circle. It was renovated in 2025.[21]

The 18-hole Livada Golf Course, which stretches across 59 hectares, surrounds the thermal complex like a landscaped park. The golf course was completed in May 2005, but the first three playing fields and the driving range had already been opened in the fall of 1998. The decision to build a golf course was influenced by the fact that the health resort complex was previously surrounded by agricultural areas, and the municipality wanted to create a natural green belt around it. The first phase of the project was designed by Marko Božič, director of a golf course in Bled. Existing water bodies in the area were preserved, and indigenous tree species were planted.[22]

Natural areas

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The northern part of the village's territory belongs to Goričko Natural Park, which was established in 2003. The same area was placed under Natura 2000 protection in 2004; it forms part of the Goričko Natura2000 Site protected under the Habitats Directive.[23] A larger wooded area on Rdeči breg (lit. 'red hill') and in the valley of Mostec Creek forms part of the southern continuous forest belt of the natural park. A strip of woods borders Lipnica Creek all the way to Road 442, forming an important green corridor. The northern and northeastern parts of the village's territory are a cultivated patchwork landscape, where pastures, vineyards, orchards, hay meadows, and small woodlands intertwine; it was shaped over centuries by traditional farming and local communities.

In total, approximately 2.35 square kilometers (0.91 sq mi) of the village's territory is covered by forest, 27 percent of the whole area. There are three different types of forest habitats: Illyrian oak-hornbeam forests, collinear beech-oak forests, and riparian forests along the watercourses. The presence of nonnative tree species, especially black locust and Scots pine, poses an ecological problem.

References

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  1. ^ "Moravske Toplice". Place Names Database. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  2. ^ Spremembe naselij 1948–95. 1996. Database. Ljubljana: Geografski inštitut ZRC SAZU, DZS.
  3. ^ The 1366 charter of investiture is cited by Dezső Csánki: Hunyadiak kora Magyarországon, Vol. 7., Budapest, 1894, p. 778
  4. ^ József Dénes: A felsőlendvai uradalom falvainak azonosítása, in: Savaria – A Vas Megyei Múzeumok értesítője 23/3, Savaria Múzeum, Szombathely, 1998, p. 371
  5. ^ Visitatio Genereralis Ecclesiarum Schlavo-vendorum, published by Sándor Payr: Egyháztörténeti emlékek. Forrásgyűjtemény, Sopron, 1910, p. 110
  6. ^ A Dunántúli Ágost. Hitvall. Evang. Egyházkerület névtára, Sopron, 1871, p. 36
  7. ^ Tibor Ács: Batthyány Lajos katonai szolgálatának története, Hadtörténelmi Közlemények, 1984/4, p. 739
  8. ^ Franciscan cadaster of Tót-Morácz, Hungary, Vas County (now Moravske Toplice, Slovenia), recorded by the Imperial and Royal General Directorate of Cadastre / Karl Schuha in 1860; Virtualna arhivska čitalnica (VAČ) - Arhiv Republike Slovenije
  9. ^ Hotel Livada Prestige****
  10. ^ Hotel Livada Prestige****
  11. ^ Hotel Ajda
  12. ^ Hotel Termal***
  13. ^ Camping site Terme 3000
  14. ^ the "Prekmurska vas" apartment colony in Terme 3000
  15. ^ Bungalows in Terme 3000
  16. ^ Terme Vivat spa
  17. ^ Terme Vivat Spa in Moravske Toplice Archived 2009-10-10 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ Muraszombat és Vidéke, 1888 no. 46, p. 2
  19. ^ Klaudija Sedar: Evangeličanska cerkev Moravske Toplice – zgrajena pred 60. leti, Lipnica 182, 30 June 2022, p. 33
  20. ^ "Moravske Toplice - Evangeličanska cerkev". Situla: Register kulturne dediščine. Slovenian Ministry of Culture. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  21. ^ Obnovljena Trim Seza [1]
  22. ^ Dejan Novak: Razvoj golfa v Sloveniji, 2016, pp. 62-63
  23. ^ Goričko Natura2000 Site (SI3000221) [2]
[edit]
  • Media related to Moravske Toplice at Wikimedia Commons
  • Moravske Toplice on Geopedia