Town Vineyard Cottage and Well

On the ridge of Malna stands a beautiful bourgeois vineyard cottage, a splendid example of the type owned by a wealthy market-town merchant, innkeeper, butcher, and landowner from Jurovski Dol, Jožef Žagar. The cottage was surrounded by extensive vineyards. This impressive building was erected by the merchant in 1870. It includes a two-room apartment for the owner, while the other part of the building houses a 128-year-old wine press, still in use today. Around the press, at a height of three meters, runs a beautifully decorated wooden gallery (gajnk), once used to host distinguished guests who could observe the grape pressing while enjoying refreshments. The press itself is finely carved, with inlaid decorations made of mother-of-pearl and colorful glass.

In front of the building is a wide covered area paved with cut Slovenske gorice stone combined with brick flooring. Almost all the carved motifs on the wooden eaves and supporting beams have been preserved. From this area, there is also access to the cellar, which lies entirely underground. Built of local stone, it features a five-meter-high vaulted ceiling made of cut and shaped stone. The cellar is unique, with no similar examples found in the surrounding area.

Next to the vineyard cottage stands a distinctive well, 43 meters deep, with an authentic water-lifting mechanism operated by a wheel. The well was constructed by Jožef Žagar at the end of the 19th century. It is mostly lined with brick and stone. The roofed wheel structure is a typical feature of the Slovenske gorice region. The well always contains sufficient water, even during severe droughts, with a temperature of 12–14°C year-round. In the past, local vineyard workers would come here to draw water, but only with the owner’s permission.