Maribor
Tiny Maribor is the second-largest city in Slovenia, situated near the border with Austria, beside the Drava river. It has appr. 95,000 residents. City is also the capital of Štajerska, the Slovenian Styria.
In 1164, a castle known as Castrum Marchburch (“March Castle”) was documented. That structure was originally built on Piramida Hill, which is located just above the city. Maribor was first mentioned as a market near the castle in 1204.
Shopping
Maribor area is famous for its wine, specially white wine. Also bučno olje (pumpkin seed oil) is a good buy, it is a Styrian speciality and good ingredient for e.g. salads. Vetrinjska ulica is a small shopping street in Lent, containing lots of small boutiques. Europark at the corner of Titova and Pobreska streets is a large shopping mall offering e.g. clothing, cosmetics, restaurant food and free Wi-Fi.
Recreation
Satchmo Jazz Klub (Strossmayerjeva ulica 6) Very decent jazz club with live gigs.
City’s aquarium-terrarium in the City Park is a good all-family site.
Annual Festival Lent offers more than 400 performances and gathers hundred thousands visitors.
Something to explore
Castle
This remarkable Baroque building was built by Emperor Frederick III in the 15th century to fortify the northwestern part of the town wall. It is situated in the city centre, surrounded by the Castle Square (Grajski trg) and the Trg svobode Square. Today the mansion houses Maribor Regional Museum depicting old pharmacy, furniture, and arms.
The Old Vine House
This house is known about the oldest known grapevine growing on its wall. It offers lots of information about wine tradition and culture, and sells souvenirs. It is also housing the a tourist information centre, exhibition room with guided tours, place for wine tasting, event room, and the honorary seat of Slovene and international associations. Very couzy and romantic place to visit. The house is situated at the address Vojašniški trg 8 in Lent.
Lent
The oldest part of the town is situated on the bank of the river Drava. Its narrow alleys and many interesting sights offers a visitor unforgetable visions. Here is e.g. The Old Vine House, Judgement Tower (Sodni stolp), the Jewish quarter with the synagogue, Jewish Square (Židovski trg), and Jewish Tower (Židovski stolp).
Water tower (Vodni stolp)
This late-Renaissance fortified tower dates from 1555, built for Turkish raids at the time and to secure the southeast part of the city walls. Today the structure houses its ground a wine shop, which is specializing in top-quality domestic wines. It is Slovenia’s oldest wine cellar. The top floor contains a large, round hall with a high ceiling, reminiscent of a medieval banquet hall, which is dedicated entirely to wine tasting.
Cathedral (Stolnica)
This Roman Catholic cathedral was built in the 12th century as Romanesque. Today it has a Gothic rib vault, a choir and two side naves, as well as the Baroque chapels of Saint Francis Xavier and of the Holy Cross.
How to get around in Maribor
City has an extensive bus network operated by Marprom. Ticket prices and lines are visible here.
Travelling around Maribor region is best by car, Pohorje Mountain and the wine hills are reachable most conveniently. Most of the inner city is covered by Blue zone chargeable parking lots. Alternatives are the parking garage below Trgovski center City (€ 1,50/hour), the Forum parking garage (€ 1,00/hour), or the Kolosej parking garage (€ 1,20/hour). A good chance to find toll-free space might be in the area of the Mestni park. During the day, free parking is also possible in shopping centre Europark. Otherwise, parking in the Blue zone gets free after 5 PM and on weekends.
How to get in Maribor
The international Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport serves the region, which is located 9 km south of the Maribor. List of its airlines and destinations is here.
The city’s main train station is situated in the eastern part of the city centre (at Partizanska cesta 50). The domestic railway company Slovenske železnice operates trains to/from Maribor. Ticket prices and timetables are visible here.
The Maribor bus station is situated in the eastern part of the Maribor city centre (at Mlinska ulica 1), only few metres from the main train station. There are a few international bus connections running through Maribor:
- Ljubljana – Beograd (Serbia)
- Beograd (Serbia) – Ljubljana
- Maribor – Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Maribor – Neum (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Maribor – Vienna (Austria)
- Maribor – Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – Maribor
Text: Timo Hellman
Photos: With the CC licence / Andrejj, Agne27~commonswiki, Ralf Roletschek
