Dravograd with its Romanesque monuments is a testimony of the important route along the river Drava by which skillful builders came from the Germanic lands, especially from Carinthia. The monuments in Libelice, Dravograd, Vuzenica, Maribor, Ptuj therefore display the high level of architecture and ornamentation of the sacral buildings in this part of Styria. The Drava used to be the border river of the Archdiocese of Salzburg and below Spittal in Austria the easiest route for cargo on pack animals and for the Archbishop’s envoys when they came to inspect his subjects in Slovenia. Its strategic position was known to feudal lords and by the year 1161 the Spanheims had already erected a fortress above the river valley. Dravograd used to be the seat of an original parish that had the oldest documented Romanesque church with an east belfry in Slovenia.

The church of St Vitus was built in the middle of the town, which is dominated by a Romanesque castle, some years after the castle but before 1177. According to Dr. Ivan Stopar, this is a typical Romanesque sacral building in the Carinthian style. Stone walls frame the nave with a rectangular layout and a partially preserved protruding altar apse with a chancel belfry above. Heterogeneous usage of stone and several kinds of openings probably testify to several building stages. During renovation, the belfry was given a rather tight pyramidal tin cap. The nave is covered with brick tiles, although it is more probable that the entire church used to be shingled. The church used to have a west apse. There are several preserved and presented small windows in the south and the north wall. The church has no prominent older furnishings.