Location

In the heart of Europe

Where the Alps meet the Mediterranean and the Pannonian Plain meets the Karst, there is Slovenia. This small green country extends in the area of 20,273 km2. It is one of the countries with an exceptional number of top athletes and rich cultural creation. In Slovenia it is not difficult to compare the value of goods and services, as they are priced in one of the most important world currencies – in euros.

Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia is a nation state in southern Central Europe, located at the crossroads of main European cultural and trade routes. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. It covers 20,273 square kilometers and has a population of 2.06 million. It is a parliamentary republic and a member of the United Nations, European Union, and NATO. The capital and largest city is Ljubljana.

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Maribor

There, where already in antiquity an important traffic crossroads between Celeia and Falvia Solva originated on one side and Ptuj and Carinthia on the other is today the second largest city in Slovenia, Maribor. A modest site from the Early Stone Age, an urn burial ground, a Celtic site and the Roman villa Rustic bear witness to the oldest traces of settlement in the region of the present-day city.

Maribor is the second-largest city in Slovenia with about 114,000 inhabitants. It is also the largest city of the traditional region of Lower Styria and the seat of the City Municipality of Maribor.

Maribor is wonderfully nestled in the embrace of the green Pohorje Mountains on one side and the picturesque wine-growing hills on the other. The city is located by the Drava River and in its centre grows the oldest – over 450 years old – vine in the world.

Maribor in pictures:

(source: Maribor Tourist Board)

From the sky

Maribor is the second most important centre and the second largest city of Slovenia. It has about 114.000 inhabitants who live embraced in its wine growing hills and the Mariborsko Pohorje mountain. Located near the Slovenian border with Austria, beside the Drava River and at the centre of five natural geographic regions, Maribor is the capital of Štajerska, the Slovenian Styria.

Slovene National Theatre Maribor (SNG Maribor)

There are also several important theatre, music and other events taking place in our theatre, which enliven the cultural scene of our town – among those events the most important being the Borštnikovo srečanje, the biggest Slovene theatre festival!

The World oldest vine

In the heart of the old city centre on Lent, the oldest vine in the world still grows in front of the Old Vine House. The confirmed age of this “Žametovka” or “Modra Kavčina” vine is over 400 years, which won it a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest noble vine in the world still bearing grapes. The Old Vine is a symbol of the rich wine culture of Maribor, Styria, and all of Slovenia.

Pohorje

Pohorje’s landscape is decorated by various natural attractions, such as, peat bogs and lakes, waterfalls and a primeval forest. In the winter, Maribor Pohorje is transformed into one of the largest ski resorts in Slovenia.

Leon Štukelj square

The Leon Štukelj Square is newly opened square which is with its 9,000 square meters considered to be the largest square in Slovenia.

Lent

Lent is the most delightful and the oldest part of the city of Maribor. The oldest vine in the world grows its deep roots in front of the Old Vine House, and has witnessed many stories that have taken place on the banks of the Drava River. The greatest mark was definitely left by the rafters who refreshed themselves at the largest rafting harbour of that time and obtained supplies for their further navigation towards Croatia and Serbia.

Green city

Rare and endangered species, collections of poisonous plants, plants from foreign continents, plantations of domestic and exotic trees, nicely arranged city parks and forests, which adorn the city and its surroundings, invite you into the embrace of vivid colours and green nature.

Old bridge

The origin of the city of Maribor is closely linked with the crossing over the river Drava. Thus the greater part of the town’s old history rotates around the river Drava and the bridges over it. Many merchant routes lead through the town, so that the bridge represented in peaceful times a source of income, in times of war it was the cause of different dangers. Today’s Old Bridge, built between the years 1906 and 1912, was one of the most beautiful bridges in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Maribor castle

One of the most remarkable architectonic monuments of our city grew exuberantly right in its centre: Maribor’s town castle is surrounded by the busy squares of Grajski trg, Trg svobode and Trg Generala Maistra and in the castle you can visit the Regional Museum of Maribor, which is home to many collections of great value that will certainly impress you!

Streets

There are a lot of nice cafes and bars along the streets where, especially at night, the atmosfere is really charming.

The Cathedral

Once you are in the square of Slomškov trg, you must visit Maribor Cathedral. The construction of the cathedral and its further development brought Maribor additional cultural impetus and enforcement. It was built in the 12th century as a Romanesque building. Today it shows a Gothic style with a long chancel dating from the 14th century and a central church nave from the 15th century.

Tourist Information Center Maribor

The city’s well-stocked tourist information centre is the best place to begin a visit to Maribor. The helpful staff can provide a wealth of information on all of the sights both in the city and the surrounding countryside, and various souvenirs, postcards, books and maps are also available for purchase in addition to free brochures and other handouts. Visitors can also arrange walking tours with knowledgeable local guides.

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Travel

Some facts and usefull information:

Distance from nearby larger cities:

Ljubljana: 130km
Graz, Austria: 70km
Vienna, Austria: 250km
Zagreb, Croatia: 120km
Budapest, Hungary: 340km

Getting here:

By plane: 
Maribor International Airport is located in Slivnica, just a few kilometers from Maribor. The airport is easily accessed by road as is located right next to the motorway. There are several car hire firms based at the airport or you can get a taxi.

Currently the Maribor Airport offer one regular line to Munich/Antwerpen. More information: http://www.maribor-airport.si

3 international airports are within 2 hours to Maribor: Ljubljana, Zagreb, Graz

By train: You can travel to Maribor with different international trains. There are direct connections available with Zagreb (CRO), Rijeka (CRO), Graz (A), and Vienna (A). On some lines it is necessary to change trains in Ljubljana or Zidani Most. Nearby Pragersko, which has good train services with Maribor, also enables fast train connections with Budapest (H) and Venice(I). The Maribor train station is situated in the eastern part of the Maribor city centre at Partizanska cesta 50.
By bus: Maribor is connected to Zagred (CRO), Graz (A), Belgrade (SRB), Amsterdam (NL) Rotterdam (NL) and most places in Germany by regular international bus lines. Otherwise Slovene towns are connected by regular bus services to Austria, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and countries of the former Republic of Yugoslavia. Maribor has also good bus services with other Slovene towns. However, it is recommended to travel by train between most Slovene places and cities, because the railway connections are more frequent and more often than not also cheaper. 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.
By car: Maribor has good road connections with all neighbouring countries, as well as with other places in Slovenia. From Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, to Maribor you need only a good hour driving (road A1/E57), from Maribor to the Austrian border just a few minutes (road A9/E57/E59), to Zagreb (road 1/E59) less than two hours, to Hungary a little longer (about 80 km), and from the Italian border a two and a half hour drive separates you from Maribor.

Getting arround:
Public transport in Maribor is good with a substantial bus network and the price for a single ticket is 2€ if you purchase it on a bus or 80 cents if you purchase it in advance at newsagents that are scattered around the city. The newsagents sell tickets for 2 journeys (1,6€) , 6 journeys (4,4€), 10 journeys (7€), 20 journeys (13,8€) and a daily travel card (3€).

More information: Maribor public transport service company MARPROM

For more detailed explorations of the surrounding areas you can rent a car in most tourist agencies around the city but the best options are online.

The cheapest option is to walk and Maribor can easily be explored by foot. Most shopping centers, open markets, pubs, bars, restaurants, cafés and attractions are within or in a close proximity to the city center.

There are two tourist information centres in Maribor. One is located at Partizanska ulica 6a, just next to the Franciscan Church (the red-brick one). The other one is in the Old Vine House on Lent, the oldest part of the town next to the river embankment (at Vojašniška ulica 8). The tourist information centres are open every day, provide free maps, and will help you arrange accommodations. Maps of central Maribor (aerial photos) can also be found in the streets fitted on the walls of houses.

Lent Festival, June 22nd – 30th, 2018

The story of the Lent Festival is the story of evenings that smell like summer and invite you to socialize, to get out, under the starry sky, among colourful lights, sounds, rhythms. To the Drava river, which reflects the fantastic imagery of dreams, to the stands with local delicacies, to the squares where you meet your acquaintances, to the streets with rivers of visitors from all over the world. To the city that breathes, pulsates, lives! The Lent Festival is the largest Slovenian open-air festival and one of the largest in Europe. For more than a quarter of a century, at the beginning of summer, Maribor has been transformed into a gigantic stage and a lively junction of artistic expressions, cultures and languages from around the world. Every year it welcomes about half a million visitors, almost every fourth Slovene has visited it at least once.

More information: Festival Lent

Maribor Pohorje, Slovenia