Kapela

The first mention of Kapela dates back to 1300. Documents which are kept in the archives of Maribor and Graz mention Kapellen and four farms, which were obliged to pay tax on a vineyard crop to the landlord.

On the top of the hill which is called Kapelski vrh (Peak of Kapela) at 312 m above sea level stands the church of St. Magdalena. The hill is surrounded by the villages Kocjan, Murščak, Radenski vrh and Rožički vrh. On the spot where this church was built in 1823, there used to stand a chapel (kapela in Slovene). From this derives the name Kapela.

Legend has it that near Kapela one castle also existed which belonged to the Count Kacjan. Upon the arrival of a merciless general called Atilla, the count hid in a cave under his bedroom. But Atilla found him, killed him, took over his castle and lived there till he deceased. Word has it, Attilla was buried between the Drava and Mura rivers in a golden, silver and steel coffin. Every undertaker was killed to cover up the spot of his grave.

The legend of the Grave of Atila excites the imagination of people even these days. A lot of them have tried to find the grave, but unsuccesfully. The castle does not exist anymore. In the soil there are only the remnants of brick walls and rocks. The ruins of the castle were used to build the church of St. Magdalena.

During the Austro-Hungarian regime, Kapela was an independent muncipality. It embraced the villages of Kapelski vrh, Upper and Lower Kocjan. In this muncipality lived about 500 people. In old Yugoslavia it was incorporated into the local goverment of Slatina - Radenci. And these days Kapela is a part of the Radenci municipality.

Before the First World War most of the vineyards were owned by the hungarian Count Batthiyany. In 1921 they were nationalised and the Banovina Estate was established, which also had a vine nursery. Data from 1931 states that over 200 hectoliters of wine were produced annually.

The recent opening of the Maribor - Lendava motorway has meant that Kapela has gained a strategic road connection. A junction to highway is only 5 km away (exit: Sveti Jurij). Nearby there are a number of Spas, such as Terme Radenci, Terme 3000 Moravci and Terme Banovci.