The first known owners of the area were the Spanheims in the first half of the 13^th century. They were followed by the aristocratic families Traungau and Babenberžan, then after Otokar Premysl the Hapsburgs. The original settlement developed on the crossroads in the direction of present-day Maribor, Ptuj and Celje. The colonization of this area certainly goes back to ancient times and even older areas; during the Middle Ages it spread from the original village core of Gradišče to the area of today´s colonization. The oldest archaeological findings testify that people already lived in the wider Bistrica region in the Early Stone Age and the Bronze Age, as well as in the Roman Age. The first written document dates from the year 1227 when the place was called Fvstritz-Bistrica; the name Slovenska was only added in the year 1565.

 

This place was already important at the beginning of the 13^th century, when during the time of the Babenberžan family it got market rights, followed by town rights in the period up to 1313.

 

Three great fires destroyed Bistrica and each time it was burnt to ashes. Construction of the road between Vienna and Trieste brought visible development to the area. At that time most of the town´s buildings were constructed. At the end of the 18^th century two fires again destroyed the town, consequently most of the present day town buildings were built after the fires.

 

Today Slovenska Bistrica is a modern Slovene town, which during the last decade achieved great success in the fields of economy, schooling and health service, as well as in the field of culture, tourism, sports, infrastructure and other activities. It is also administrative and industrial center of the south-eastern part of Pohorje.