The educational trail through the Dravinja valley starts where two roads meet: one leading from Zgornje Poljčane to Spodnje Poljčane and the other, a macadam road, making its way through the grasslands from Podboč to Studenice. It follows the Dravinja through vast meadows under Boč Mountain.

The Dravinja rises below Rogla on Pohorje. It leaves its mark, flowing through the region, until it empties into Drava near Šturmovci. In its upper part, it is a mountain stream. Later it transforms into a mighty lowland river, lazily meandering through the valley between Boč, Haloze and Dravinjske gorice. Through the millenia, the river has changed its course many times, but its many features have remained recognisable to the present day. For the most part, it has retained the majority of its natural riverbed and indigenous vegetation, especially on the section between Draža vas and Doklece.

Due to the river’s dynamics, various hydromorphological structures can be found in the riverbed and its flood plain is mostly covered by various types of extensive meadows that – in combination with other morphological elements like willows, solitary trees, dead-end channels, meanders and depressions, swamps and pools – create a typical panorama of this area.