The settlement Podturen is the administrative center of the municipality with the same name. Municipality of Podturen is the only one that borders two countries, Slovenia and Hungary. Podturen is 13 kilometers from Čakovec, 17 kilometers away from the international border crossing with Hungary in Goričan, and 11 kilometers away from the international border crossing with Slovenia in Mursko Središće. According to the latest census in 2011, 1377 inhabitants live in the settlement.
One of the first descriptions of Podturen dates from the 14th century when the parish church of St. Martin was mentioned. During the time of the Zrinskis in the 15th century, Podturen is mentioned as one of the important Međimurje marketplaces. In the 15th century it was mentioned as kastrum Turnišće, oppidum or a marketplace and as castelum or fort Turnišće.
After the fall of the fort of Kaniža (todays Nagykanizsa) in 1600, 24000 Christian soldiers gathered around the area in order to regain the fort. In the Mid-17th century Count Adam Batthyany sold the village and the fort of Podturen to Count Petar Zrinski. The Podturen fort was charted on the map of the court engineer Martin Stier in 1660. The fort was destroyed by the Rakoczy troops not even half a century later in 1708. Podturen was mentioned in 1693 as a market town that had developed along a fort. It is interesting to note that the school building was built on the site of the original fort.
Besides the church of St Martin, which is one of the rare sacral buildings in the gothic style that is preserved, the tourist offer in Podturen includes part of the Eco-Museum Mura that promotes not only the biodiversity along the Mura; but also the cultural diversity, tradition and old customs of the region.