Maribor City Guide: A day of joy

Maribor city guide is all about exploring Maribor's city center with some of its most prominent attractions. However, the guide is not just about attractions, we have also suggested a few restaurants where we regularly go for lunch or dinner and to wrap up the day a visit to one of Maribor's brilliant bars...

...a day in Maribor city should be a day of joy.

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Castle Square {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Castle Square is the best place to begin exploring Maribor.This medieval square is named after the Maribor city castle in front of which it spreads. On the square you will find really charming buildings like:

1. Hotel Orel (in the 19 century a tavern named "Pri crnem orlu" (eng. )

2. Coffeehouse Astoria with its famous "EZLEK" . That was a popular meeting place for many Mariborians in the past.

3. City Savings bank (Mestna hranilnica). Once it was a home of well known Scherbraunn family.

4. Confectionery and bread shop (Kruh pecivo cafe) with delicious and freshly baked bread and sweets. Because of its great coffee it has become very popular meeting point with Mariborians (especially during the summer).

5. On the square you will see also a baroque statue dedicated to St. Florian, the patron saint of fire and aquatic and natural catastrophes. It was erected in 18th century to protect city from fires.

If you want to have really good haircut you can jump into great haircut salon MarkoMatjaz, where you will meet one of the best hairdressers in the city.
And you can do some decent shopping at the square too, in new shops next to Hotel Orel. Its also a place where you can really experience local cafe culture.

City Savings Bank {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

It was a home to Maribor's well known Scherbaum family. The building with two balconies and a corner cupola was built in 1910. Scherbaum family had a big bakery in Maribor with a large mill on Svetozarevska street 6, just around the corner. Today, the neighboring bakery style cafe named KRUH PECIVO still reminds us of the bakery. The cafe is now a very popular meeting point for Mariborians who enjoy great coffee and absolutely fantastic freshly baked cakes from the bakery (ask for delicious KREMSNITA, pronounced creme-snee-tah).

If you want to eat really fresh bread just pop in in the morning and choose between different sorts of bread baked just a few hours ago. I really like to visit the bakery especially when the weather is warm enough to sit outside and observe the buzz around me.

The bakery is only a few meters away from a Baroque statue dedicated to Saint Florian, the patron saint of fire, aquatic and natural catastrophes. It was erected in the 18th century to protect the city from fire which represented big danger in the past.

Castle Square: Astoria on the left, castle in the

middle and the City Savings bank to the right.

Kavarna Astoria (Coffee-house Astoria)

{BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

It used to be a very popular meeting place for many Mariborians in the past and it is a very popular meeting place for many Mariborians also today. Before the Second World War the cafe was owned by the Petan family but it was originally a horse stable (as an outbuilding of the City Castle). Today it is a coffee-house, restaurant (La Storia Trattoria), confectionery and pizzeria all in one. What really matters for me is that this place is actually the only place in the city center where you can sit outside and bath in the morning sun late in the autumn, spring and even during the winter when other places can just dream about chairs and tables outside.

In 1989 Kavarna Astoria witnessed filming of a movie about its owner's family in the Second World War. When I was writing this section about Kavarna Astoria my husband told me that he was taking part in the movie as an extra. Big surprise for me, really. He was a school boy at the time wanting to earn some money for summer holidays. But it is an absolute disgrace that he has actually never seen the movie!

I'm sorry, we haven't planned a coffee break as yet but it is morning and you're on holidays so you may wish to visit one of the cafes we mentioned above.

Maribor City Castle {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Some well known people resided in the castle including:

• Emperors Leopold I. and Karl VI

• Empress Maria Theresa

• Russian Crown Prince and later Tsar Pavel I and

• Pope Pius VI

The great pianist Franz Liszt gave a concert in Castle's Festive Hall in 1846.

It was built in 1478 by Emperor Friedrich III. After the Turkish siege in 1532 the brick building (Bastille) was erected under the supervision of the celebrated master builder Domenico dell Allio (1556-1562). Between 1655-1675 a Loretto chapel was added at the south of the Castle. In 1661 a triangular front was added. The owners, the Counts Khisli added land to the Castle. In the 18th century, the new castle owners, the Counts Brandis rebuilt its western side. They added the grand stairway (1747-1759), which was richly adorned with sculptures. The entire building took on a Rococo ambience. The focal point of the Castle is the Festive Hall with its lavish interior design. It has rich interior furnishing with pictures of the artistic Quadri family and Lorenzo Laurigo. At the top of the oval ceiling there is an imposing painting of the battle between the Christian and Turkish soldiers.It was painted in 1763 by the Graz artist Jochan Gebler. In the 19th century, the Castle began to lose its original design. Its three steeples were removed. The one it was left is adjacent to the chapel. In 1933 the building was bought by the town of Maribor. During 1937-1941 the building was renovated. In 1938 Pokrajinski muzej (the Regional Museum) took it over and it has remained there until today.

VISIT CASTLE:

Tuesday - Saturday: 9am - 4pm

Sunday: 9am - 2pm

Monday and Holidays: CLOSED

Address:

Grajska ulica 2, Maribor

e: info@pmuzej-mb.si

Tickets:

$4.50 or €3 (adults),

$3 or €2 (children children 6 years and above, students),

$1.3 or €0.9 (children up to 6 years),

foreign language guidance $44 or €29.30 per group

Tel: +386 (0)2 228 35 51

The General Maister Square {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

It is dominated by the beautiful neo-Renaissance building of the First Grammar School so it is expectedly a lively place.

To the east of the fountain you can find a statue of the national hero General Rudolf Maister who liberated Maribor from Austro-Hungarian Empire in the First World War. The city castle occupies southern edge of the square.

General Maister square: First Grammar

School and the Maister's monument in the back.

The impressive First Grammar School (I. Gimnazija) was built in 1873 and was then a so called "Realka" (7-year modern secondary school). In 1924 the school reform transformed "Realka" into a modern 8-year Grammar School. The first cohort of pupils thus graduated in 1931/32. The school has since (apart from 1981 to 1990) retained grammar school status. First Grammar School is one of the best grammar schools in Maribor with a very active student population (e.g. French and Spanish theaters, Choir, etc.).

The National Liberation Museum {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Its home is a villa that was built in the late 19th century by a Scherbaum family. In the First World War the villa was a home to Austro-Hungarian Soca front Supreme Command. The building was then used for various purposes until 1954 when the museum has finally been established. The Museum of Slovenian Modern History is partly dedicated to the national liberation from the 2nd World war Nazi occupation but they also regularly host a number of exhibitions (e.g. puppets, photography, etc.).

National Liberation Museum from the city park.

VISIT NATIONAL LIBERATION MUSEUM:

Monday - Friday: 8am - 6pm

Saturday: 9am - 12pm

Sunday, holidays: CLOSED

Address:

Ulica Heroja Tomsica 5, Maribor

e: info@muzejno-mb.si

Tickets:$2.25 or €1.5 (adults),

$1.50 or €1 (all children)

$1.5 or €1 (students)

$2.25 or €1.5 (pensioners)

Tel: +386 (0)2 235 26 00

Maribor City Park {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

It is a very popular place for many Mariborians and tourists. It is one of the oldest parks in this part of Europe. It was planted in 1872 and was extended many times until finally finished in 1896. Today the City Park consists of more than 150 species of native and foreign deciduous trees and many coniferous trees. Almost a quarter of the trees originate from the time of the first planting.

In 1998 park has received 100 new trees to celebrate the 100th birthday of Maribor's Olympic champion Leon Stukelj (he was world's oldest still living Olympic champion and took a ceremonial part alongside President Bill Clinton at the Olympic games in Atlanta, USA in 1996). The park including three ponds, Piramida and Kalvarija hills covers an area of 5 hectares. Walking route around the three ponds is very popular with families. The main reason are swans, ducks, various types of fish and tortoises. The park is full of brown squirrels and don't be surprised if they beg for a nut. The three ponds area begins with a famous Maribor restaurant “Pri Treh Ribnikih”. This is where we normally stop for a coffee or lunch while in the park. Truly idyllic setting for a restaurant, don't you think? The music pavilion just off the Fishpond was built in 1890 and it regularly hosts Sunday concerts during Summer.

Maribor city park: The three ponds

area in the north of the park.

The Three ponds area {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

This area is in the north of the park is a wonderful mixture of woods, ponds and lawns and as such a wonderful place for children. The third pond is hidden in the woods across the Ribniska street (Ribniska ulica). Following the "Piramida" path (see the map to the right of the Three Ponds) you can reach Piramida which offers one of the best views on Maribor and Pohorje. The path leads straight through vineyards and is a popular jogging route.

The Maribor Aquarium {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Aquarium features thirty-nine large aquariums representing river, lake, and sea habitats from different parts of the world and houses as many as one hundred-twenty different species of fish. Among the main attractions are piranhas, South-American fresh-water predaceous fish with extremely sharp teeth, colorful and exotic tropical fish, as well as exhibits from the Adriatic Sea.

The aquarium attracts 50,000 visitors per year, mostly school children, but also families both from Slovenia and abroad. The total number of visitors so far has exceeded 2 million.

The colorful and diverse collections have spread the reputation of the Aquarium and made it one of the best known aquariums in Southern and Middle Europe. It is also included in all the registers of major European and world aquariums and zoos.

The Aquarium first opened its doors in 1953. It is housed in the old building that was first built as a park cafe standing at the edge of the wonderful City park.

Maribor Aquarium: Main entrance from the south.

The Terrarium is a more recent addition. It exhibits over a hundred different species of reptiles, amphibia and insects. You will observe with awe some of the most venomous snakes in the world, such as the sleek, but aggressive African mamba, the American rattle-snake with horny interlocking joints at the end of the tail that make a sharp rattling sound when shaken, and the large African cobra. You will also see huge, but non-venomous snakes; among them a powerful python and boa that asphyxiate their victims before swallowing them. You will be fascinated by turtles crawling unconcernedly over the crocodiles, and amazed by iguanas displaying their serrated dorsal crests and erectile throat fans. You will enjoy watching the Indonesian monitor lizard with long head and neck, thick tail and deeply-forked tongue and many other hard-to-believe creatures.

VISIT AQUARIUM

Monday to Friday 8am - 7pm

Saturday, Sunday and Holidays: 9am - 12pm and 2pm - 7pm

Tickets: $6 (adults), $4.8 (children), children under two FREE

e: akvarij-terarij@florina.si

Liberty Square {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

The square was built on a large drained protective ditch which surrounded the Castle. Today the Square is used for outdoor meetings, cultural and sports events and memorials. In the past many well known people were there. In 1883, Emperor Franz Josef visited the Square, in 1919, General Rudolf Maister reviewed his troops in the Square.

The National Liberation NOB Memorial, the work of Slavko Tihec dating from 1975, attracts visitors who consider it very interesting – the people of Maribor nicknamed it Kojak after an American crime series dating from 1973 with its infamous and bold Lt. Theo Kojak (see the resemblance). The monument is public proclamation about a shooting of hostages and rebels during World War II and includes a farewell letter by Joze Fluks who was condemned to death.

Liberty Square from the south:

Vinag wine cellar to the right,

city castle to the left.

The square is surrounded by many important and interesting buildings:

• right next to it stands Maribor Castle,

• under the square is one of the oldest wine cellars in Europe, the Vinag Wine Cellar,

• towards the north, a nice view opens up of the square Trg generala Maistra and further on towards the town hill Piramida.

The Vinag Wine Cellar boasts an area of 20.000 m2 and 2,5 kilometre long underground tunnels, which lead you into a wonderful world of wine! Wooden barrels, concrete cisterns, bottles with wine patina… The most valuable speciality in the cellar is certainly the wine archives, where more than 250.000 bottles of the best vintages are kept.

VISIT WINE CELLAR:

Tickets: You need to pre-arrange the visit by contacting them by e-mail: vinag@vinag.si or phone: +386 (0)2 2208 119 or +386 31 535 060 (contact person: Mrs Maja Knez)     

Aroma coffee house {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

This is one of the many excellent new coffee houses in Maribor. It is a nice, well decorated cafe with a large selection of various drinks and coffees. The cafe is very well placed in the pedestrian zone where sipping a cup of coffee can be well combined with observing the downtown buzz.

OPEN:

Monday - Friday: 7am - 11pm

Saturday: 9am - 11pm

Sunday and holidays: 9am - 10pm

Slovenska ulica 11, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 25 02 179

Astoria coffee house {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Kavarna Astoria (Coffee-house Astoria) with its "EZLEK" (ask the locals about that) was a very popural meeting place for many Mariborians in the past and it is a very popular meeting place for many Mariborians also today. Before the Second World War Kavarna was owned by the Petan family but it was originally a horse stable as an outbuilding of the City Castle. Today it is a coffee-house, restaurant (La Storia Trattoria), confectionery and pizzeria all in one. What really matters for me is that this place is actually one of the rare places where you can sit outside and bath in the morning sun late in the autumn, spring and even during the winter when other places can just dream about chairs and tables outside.

In 1989 Kavarna Astoria witnessed filming of a movie about its owner's family in the Second World War. When I was writing this part about Kavarna Astoria my husband told me that he was taking part in the movie as an extra. Big surprise for me, really. He was a school boy at the time wanting to earn some money for summer holidays. But it is an absolute disgrace that he has actually never seen the movie!

OPEN:

Monday - Friday: 7am - 10.30pm

Saturday: 8am - 10pm

Sunday: 9am - 9pm

Slovenska ulica 2, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 25 15 250

Caj-Ek cafe {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Well, this is actually a tea room, in fact this is Maribor's first tea house. I have, with pleasure because they are so damn good, witnessed their development from a small cinema tea house to a shopping mall tea house to finally re-brand themselves into a cute city center tea house. It is one of the most beautiful tea houses I've ever seen. However, they of course don't serve just tea. They will serve you, yet again, wonderful coffee and I really like their home made House cake.

OPEN:

Monday - Friday: 7.30am - 10pm

Saturday: 9am - 2pm and 5pm - 10pm

Sunday: 5pm - 10pm

Slovenska 4, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 25 02 986

Ilich Cafe {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Slovenska street is obviously blessed with good cafes and Ilich is one of them. What makes them special is their long confectionary tradition. They produce marvelous desserts but their ice creams are really extraordinarily delicious! Coffee, as expected, is excellent so time here will be well spent.

OPEN:

Monday - Saturday: 7am - 9pm, Sunday: 8am - 9pm

Slovenska ulica 6, Maribor

Tel: +386 (0)2 25 02 408

Kruh Pecivo cafe {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

The cafe is a very popular meeting point for Mariborians who enjoy great coffee and absolutely delicious freshly baked cakes from the bakery (ask for delicious KREMSNITA, pronounced creme-snee-tah). If you want to eat really fresh bread pop in in the morning and choose between different sorts of bread baked just a few hours ago. I really like to visit the bakery especially when the weather is warm enough to sit outside and observe the buzz around me.

OPEN:

Monday - Friday: 6am - 7pm

Saturday: 6am - 1pm

Sunday: CLOSED

Grajski trg 6, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 25 14 842

Macchiato cafe {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

We've tried a lot but they definitely serve one of the best if not the best coffee in town. This is a small corner coffee house in a modern building hiding its quality but it is definitely worth a try. They also serve crispy croissants, sweets and sandwiches.

OPEN:

Monday - Thursday: 6.30am - 10.30pm

Saturday: 8am - 11pm

Sunday: 9am - 10.30pm

Cankarjeva ulica 8, Maribor

Tel: +386 (0)2 25 00 060

Park Cafe {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

This is a recent addition to Maribor's rich and excellent coffee culture. A new building just next to the Tourist Information Center brought a new cafe and they are good, no doubt about that. I still have to explore their offer in more detail but so far it promises to be yet another excellent coffee house in Maribor.

OPEN:

Monday - Thursday: 7am - 11pm

Friday: 7am - 2am

Saturday: 8am - 2am

Sunday and holidays: 9am - 11pm

Ulica Vita Kraigherja 1a, Maribor

Tel: +386 (0)2 22 97 186

Restaurant Ancora {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

It's a hidden gem of the city center as it doesn't look much from the outside but wait and see inside! Pizza in Ancora is one of the best in Maribor but the rest is equally good. We had fabulous lasagnas here, both vegetarian and meat. Bartenders know their way around food and wine really well, and as a result we are their regular guests.

OPEN:

Monday - Thursday: 6am - midnight

Friday and Saturday: 10am - 2am

Sunday: 10.30am - 10.30pm

Holidays: closed

Jurciceva ulica 7, Maribor

Tel: +386 (0)2 25 02 033

Restaurant Pri Treh Ribnikih {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

What a setting! The restaurant sits just off the Three Ponds and serves its guests for over 300 years. Tradition and novelty of Slovenian cuisine walk hand in hand here and you can try some really fantastic things here. I will never forget the mushroom soup served in a freshly bakes bread crust.

OPEN:

Wintertime: Monday - Saturday: 11am -10pm

Sunday and holidays: 11am - 9pm

Summertime: Monday - Saturday: 10am - 10pm

Sunday and holidays: 10am - 8pm

Ribniska ulica 9, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 23 44 170

Restaurant Rozmarin {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Absolutely fantastic new chic Maribor restaurant. We were really impressed by the quality of food, creativity, wittiness and refinement of their bartenders. In addition their award winning interior, a coffee bar and a wine cellar will make your lunch/dinner here truly wonderful. My personal opinion is that this is the best restaurant in Maribor's city center.

OPEN:

Monday - Saturday: 9am - 10pm

Sunday and holidays: CLOSED

Gosposka ulica 8, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 23 43 180

Restaurant Sarika {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

It's difficult to miss the restaurant as it has such a central and wonderful location in the heart of Maribor. Really good food (from Slovenian to international cuisine), helpful service, reasonable prices, tastefully decorated interior and huge terrace overlooking the buzz of the pedestrian zone are the marvels of this restaurant.

OPEN:

Monday - Thursday: 8am - 11pm

Friday - Saturday: 8am - 1am

Sunday: 10am - 10pm

Holidays: closed

Address:

Vetrinjska 30, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 234 42 34, +386 31 371 170

e-mail: info@marpurgi.si

Restaurant Toti Rotovz {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

This is a wonderful restaurant with Slovenian, Serbian, Mexican, Thai, Japanese, Greek and Italian cuisine so they certainly can satisfy a variety of tastes. We were lunching and dinning in this restaurant and the experience was always good. Dinner in their wine cellar is particularly attractive due to the ambient and live music during weekends.

OPEN:

Monday - Saturday: 9am - midnight

wine cellar: Monday - Saturday: 9am - 2am

Sunday: CLOSED

Rotovski trg 9, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 22 87 650

The Main Square (Glavni trg) {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

It is the largest of Maribor's squares. The square is full of history with the following important buildings:

• Town hall

• Aloysius church

• Regional archives

• Casino

The square is beautifully decorated by the Plague Monument. In 1681 a figural column of the Virgin Mary was erected by the town but in 1743 it was replaced by the present memorial, sculpted by Jozef Straub. The center piece of the memorial is a column with the Virgin Mary but the pedestal of the column is surrounded by the saints invoked against the dreaded plague (St. Francis of Assissi, Bostjan, Jacob the Eider, Anton Radovanski, Rok and St. Francis Xavier).

After World War II the eastern part of Glavni trg (Main square) was badly damaged. Better preserved is the western section of the Square. The most important building is the Casino. It used to house Velika Kavarna (The Grand Coffee House) a popular Mariborians meeting place. Next to Casino is the Old Bridge built in 1913.

Main square: Town hall and Plague

monument in front.

In the past the main transit route between Vienna and Trieste ran across the Main Square (Glavni trg) towards the Drava river. Glavni trg was also a food market. The most important merchants were “speharji” who sold bacon and pork.

The late Gothic town hall {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

It was built in 1515 in today's Main square (Glavni trg). Italian masters performed a complete reconstruction between 1563 and 1565 transforming it into a Renaissance style building. Dating also from that time is the balcony (loggia), decorated with relief with an image of the town’s coat-of-arms, surrounded by two lions and the year 1565 inscribed on it. The façade is enriched with pilasters.

A Baroque style small tower with a bulbous roof stands above the eastern side of the building. A story says: "The job of building the tower was given to a master builder but he didn't receive enough golden coins; filled with anger the builder did not construct the middle part of the tower! Can you spot this?

Half-way through the 19th century the building was given a late classicist look. From 1952 to 1954 it was renovated and given its present image. A Baroque hall is particularly nice and we know it because we were married in this hall (fitted by A. Quadrio). Namely, the former Council Chamber is used today as a wedding hall and for Mayor's receptions.

The building next to the City Hall (Glavni trg 15) has an early classical façade. The building to the west (Glavni trg 12) features a painted ornamented façade and derives from the second half of the 19th century. The main theme of the ornaments are curative drugs and healing, complements the former ground floor apothecary, which also gave its name to the narrow street leading from it to Slomskov trg (Slomsek Square) namely Lekarniska ulica (Apothecary Street).

St. Aloysius church {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

You will recognize the church by its absolutely beautiful Rococo iron gate and railings. The local architect Johannes Fuchs designed the building and Jozef Holzinger made the fittings. The Church is a very fine example of Baroque architecture. It has a rich, very large Baroque altar with Tunnej's portrait of St. Aloysius (1861).

Regional archives building sits to the east of the St. Aloysius church. The archives are home to Maribor's whole written history and regularly hosts various events, exhibitions and lectures. The building itself used to be a Jesuit college.

VISIT ALOYSIUS CHURCH:

Every day at 8.00am is a holy mass at the church, but if you want to visit the church during the day you have to call on: +386 41 786 978. Contact person is Mr Joze Golicnik.

You can sent him an e-mail as well: joze.golicnik@nadskofija-maribor.si

Slomsek Square {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Slomsek square is architecturally the most harmonious square in Maribor and so it is my favorite. It is surrounded by some of Maribor's most impressive buildings:

• The National Theater in the north

• Post Office Building to the South

• Cathedral in the middle of the square

• The University of Maribor to the west

The oval, elevated terrace with small stone columns and pyramidal oak trees around the cathedral was designed by the great Slovene architect Joze Plecnik in 1938 and executed by the architect Branko Kocmut 30 years later.

The square is home to three distinguished monuments:

• the statue of Archbishop Anton Martin Slomsek (1800-1862) who was beatified in Maribor by Pope John Paul II. in 1999

• Gothic churchyard beacon dating from 1517 (one of the oldest street lamps still in function today in Europe)

• Sleeping lion is a Roman tomb monument dating from the first or second century B.C.

University of Maribor {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Main building of the University of Maribor, with 20,000 students the second largest university in Slovenia, is a dominant building sitting on the west side of the Slomsek square. The building used to be a town savings bank and later a primary school (Prezihov Voranc Primary School) where my husband Milan actually attended his first four school years. The building has been refurbished between 1995-2000. The interior has been completely rebuilt while the front has retained its character.

University of Maribor: Dominates the west

part of the Slomsek Square.

Because the building is being used by students, Faculty and the public it is possible to have a quick look of the interior although they do not offer any organized viewings.

Maribor Cathedral {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Climb to the top of the bell tower and you will have a view over the city and far beyond! The 57 metre high classicist designed bell tower dates back to the end of the 18th century as the primarily 76-metre high bell tower built by Pavel Porta in the year 1623 was struck by lightening.

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.

Maribor Cathedral: picture taken from the

east of the Slomsek Square.

The long chancel or presbytery is completed with choir benches dating from 1771, on which there are shallow, gilded relief images of scenes from the life of St John the Baptist created by carver Jožef Holzinger. It is here that stands a statue of Bishop Slomsek, made by sculptor Franc Zajec in the year 1878. In the presbytery are also the Bishop's Chair dating from 1890 and the vaulted tomb of Maribor's bishops. Carver Jozef Holzinger in the Baroque period built the chapel of the Holy Cross, furnished with an altar. The tomb of Archbishop Slomsek was placed in this altar in 1996. On the 4th September 1859 Slomsek transferred the seat of the Lavantine diocese to Maribor.

Holy mass: Sunday and holidays: 7 am, 8 am, 9 am, 10 am, 11 am, 6 pm; April 6.30 pm, May-August 7 pm. Working days: 6.30 am, 7 am, 7.30 am, 8 am and 6 pm; April 6.30 pm, May-August 7 pm.

VISIT CATHEDRAL:

Bell tower viewing platform (free entry)

Open daily: 8.00-17.00

Tel: +386 (0)2 25 18 432, +386 (0)41 762 244

e: stolna.zupnija.mb@rkc.si

Slovenian National Theater Maribor {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Slovenian National Theater Maribor (Slovensko Narodno Gledalisce Maribor) is the largest public cultural institution in Slovenia and one of only a few European theaters that unites Opera, Ballet, Drama and Symphonic Orchestra under one roof.

The history of organized theater dates back to 1785 but the building as it is seen today was built in 1851. Maribor theater is truly spectacular. Every October they organize Slovenia's oldest theater festival Borstnikovo Srecanje (Borstnik Theater Festival). This is the most prestigious Slovenian theater festival that brings together the best performances from Slovenia and abroad and the final in a way resembles Oscar nominations although the winners in Maribor get a so called Borstnik's golden ring. Now, how cool is that! The 43. Borstnik Festival will be held in October 2008.

Slovenian National Theater Maribor:

main entrance.

Slovenians treat theater with great respect and you will see people dressed extremely smartly for the occasion. Plays and concerts in Maribor theater are excellent to say the least. This is actually mostly a result of excellent actors and world-class theater directors. Tomaz Pandur, one of world's best theater directors is one of them and his specialty is rich visual representation. His plays are theatrical fireworks and I always leave the theater with a commotion, they are so colorful and dynamic!

VISIT THEATER:

Performances normally start at 10am, 11am and 11.30am for kids and 5pm, 7pm, 7.30pm and 8pm for the rest

Tickets can be purchased in the theater:(from $15 to $50 per person)

Monday - Friday: 10am - 1pm and 3pm - 7.30pm

Saturday: 10am - 1pm

and 1h before the play

Tel: +386 (0)2 250 61 15 and +386 (0)2 250 62 26

e: rezervacija.vstopnic@sng-mb.si

Jewish Quarter {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

On the east side of the Main square you will find Zidovska ulica (Jewish Street) and former Jewish Quarter. The Jewish community in Maribor was quite large. They were mainly involved with commerce and finances. In 1497 the Jews were exiled and scattered all over Europe.

Synagogue (Zidovska ulica 4) is well preserved. It was first mentioned in 1429. Very close to it was the Jewish cemetery, the rabbi's house and the Talmudic school. The ritual bath was located in the front of the town wall on the Drava river. From the south it is buttressed by three columns. The outer walls have inbuilt ornamental moldings. In 1501 it was turned into a Catholic Church of all Saints. In 1785 the Church was deconsecrated and used as a store house.

Maribor Synagogue: picture taken

from the banks of river Drava.

The Maribor Synagogue is the best preserved Jewish religious temple in the territory of the Eastern Alps. Today it is used as an exhibition hall.

The Jewish Tower (Zidovski stolp) sits on the south eastern corner of the town wall and was built in 1465. Today it hosts a Photogallery Tower run by the famous Photo Club Maribor, with more than 70 years one of the oldest photographic clubs in Slovenia.

VISIT PHOTOGALLERY:

Photogallery Tower

Open: Monday - Friday: 10am -7pm

Saturday: 10am - 1pm

Tel: +386 (0)2-620-9-713 or +386 (0)51-336-991

Free entry.

The pride of Maribor: more than 400 years old vine

{BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

The Old Vine is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest in the world! It is the oldest living specimen on our planet of a noble grape vine that still bears grapes!

The evidence for the "Old Vine" is provided by two paintings depicting Maribor, dated 1657 and 1681, which are kept in the Styrian Regional Archives Graz and in the Regional Museum in Maribor. Both paintings show distinctly a pergola with grapevine spread over the entire south façade of the house to the right of the town gate. It is clear from this evidence that in 1657 the Old Vine was at least 100 years old.

The oldest vine in the world: The Old

Vine House is in the building.

The yearly yield of the grape "modra kavcina", one of the oldest naturalized fine types of vine in Slovenia, during the last decade has been on average 35 to 55kg, from which up to 100 bottles of wine are pressed. Although most bottles are given away as gifts at governmental protocols, some can be purchased for collection purposes. Pope John Paul II. and the former USA President Bill Clinton are among the most prominent recipients of this unique wine in its elegant container on their nineties' state visits.

The grape harvesting has become a great tradition and a yearly festival attracting huge crowds as well as dignitaries from all the European countries. Cutting the grapes, crushing them with a wooden wine press, the weighing of grapes and establishing the sugar level are now all part of the grape harvest ritual, performed by men in traditional Slovenian garb, with humor, gusto and dedication to the merry strains of authentic village polka bands.

The Old Vine House {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

The House is a focal point of Slovenian wine tradition and culture. The building can be easily recognized by its front that is famously decorated by the Old Vine, the oldest vine in the world. The museum style house offers:

Exhibition room with guided tours (rich wine heritage, museum exhibits, ampelographic collection of the Kreuzer pictures of sorts of vines in Štajerska, Archduke Johann, esteemed for the development of viticulture in Štajerska, etc.)

• Sale of world-class wines from Stajerska wine regions

• Wine tasting

• Tourist Information Center

• Attractive event room

However, it is also the honorary seat of Slovene and international associations, sworn to honouring wine and the wine culture including St Urban's honourable wine convention, European Order of Knights of Wine, Association of Slovene Order of Knights of Wine, Association of Representatives of Slovene and Maribor wines, and the Association of representatives of Slovene and Maribor's wine queens.
The Old Vine house represents the historical significance of the Old Vine, culture and long tradition of viticulture and wine trade in Maribor. It has quickly become the center of Slovene wine events and viticultural tradition.

The building itself was once a component part of the town's defense wall. It has been completely refurbished and started a new life as the central wine culture institution and a symbol of cultural and natural heritage and the cultural traditions of Maribor and Slovenia.

VISIT OLD VINE HOUSE:

Open Tuesday - Sunday: 10am - 6pm

Sunday: CLOSED

Tel: +386 (0)2 25 15 100

e:  stara-trta@maribor.si

Free entry.

The Old Bridge {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

It was built between 1906 and 1912, was the first bridge of its kind in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and also one of its most beautiful bridges.

Its predecessor was a famous wooden bridge built in the 13th century that managed to survive centuries until it was finally replaced by the then New Bridge, today Old Bridge, in 1913. The remains of the wooden bridge foundations can still be seen just right of the existing Old Bridge.

The Old Bridge: Fisherman on the ruins of

ancient wooden bridge foundations.

The Old Bridge is also in the center of infamous Lent Festival that takes place here annually at the end of June and beginning of July. The two fireworks that are organized on the southern banks of river Drava just off the bridge during the festival are absolutely spectacular events with tens of thousands of spectators. Several thousand gather on the bridge where the view of the fireworks is the best.

The Water Tower {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

It is a mighty Renaissance town fortification from the 16th century is then just a few hundred meters from the Old Bridge to the east of the old town called Lent. The the tower was built by the town as a result of constant fear of Turkish raids and with the tower they moved town defenses closer to the river. Today it stands on new foundations, more than a meter higher than original, the work of Engineer Joze Pozauk, one of Maribor's famous Civil Engineers. The new dam on river Drava raised water levels and this demanded the reconstruction of the original foundations.

The Water Tower: Synagogue and the remains

of the city wall can be seen on the right.

The tower is a home to Slovenia's first specialised wine shop. It used to be open daily but we were recently told that it now only occasionally opens its doors to the public.

The building is really magnificent and I really hope they will reopen it in some form in the near future.

Barista {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

They have a selection of coffees, coffee drinks and wines of the world that can only be seen in chic cafes of big and famous (New York, London, Paris, etc.). I've tried a variety of their coffee drinks and they are really smooth! Great stuff.

OPEN:

Daily: 7am - 11pm

Gosposka ulica 6, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 25 24 090

Caj-Ek cafe {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Well, this is actually a tea room, in fact this is Maribor's first tea house. I have, with pleasure because they are so damn good, witnessed their development from a small cinema tea house to a shopping mall tea house to finally re-brand themselves into a cute city center tea house. It is one of the most beautiful tea houses I've ever seen. However, they of course don't serve just tea. They will serve you, yet again, wonderful coffee and I really like their home made House cake.

OPEN:

Monday - Friday: 7.30am - 10pm

Saturday: 9am - 2pm and 5pm - 10pm

Sunday: 5pm - 10pm

Slovenska 4, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 25 02 986

Gledaliska Kavarna {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

The good old Theater Cafe is a cafe with a long history and great tradition. Well known by locals it is often visited by actors, actresses and other artists from the theater. They were always known for their excellent coffees and sweets. Sitting outside in the shade of great Slomsek square trees makes the experience even better.

OPEN:

Monday-Friday: 8am - midnight

Saturday: 10am - 2pm and 7pm - midnight

Sunday and Holidays: open during performances only

Slovenska 27, Maribor

Tel: +386 (0)2 25 23 720

Ilich Cafe {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Slovenska street is obviously blessed with good cafes and Ilich is one of them. What makes them special is their long confectionary tradition. They produce marvelous desserts but their ice creams are really extraordinarily delicious! Coffee, as expected, is excellent so time here will be well spent.

OPEN:

Monday - Saturday: 7am - 9pm, Sunday: 8am - 9pm

Slovenska ulica 6, Maribor

Tel: +386 (0)2 25 02 408

Park Cafe {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

This is a recent addition to Maribor's rich and excellent coffee culture. A new building just next to the Tourist Information Center brought a new cafe and they are good, no doubt about that. I still have to explore their offer in more detail but so far it promises to be yet another excellent coffee house in Maribor.

OPEN:

Monday - Thursday: 7am - 11pm

Friday: 7am - 2am

Saturday: 8am - 2am

Sunday and holidays: 9am - 11pm

Ulica Vita Kraigherja 1a, Maribor

Tel: +386 (0)2 22 97 186

Velika Kavarna {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Velika Kavarna (Grand Cafe) is also one of Maribor's new additions in the world of coffee. Its prime location at the north east corner of the Main Square can hardly be challenged. The cafe is really nice and serving very good coffee with delicious croissants and more. It is a sunny, happy place to drink your coffee.

OPEN:

Monday - Friday: 6.30am - 9pm

Saturday: 8am - 9pm

Sunday: 9am - 9pm

Glavni trg 16, Maribor

Restaurant Ancora {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

It's a hidden gem of the city center as it doesn't look much from the outside but wait and see inside! Pizza in Ancora is one of the best in Maribor but the rest is equally good. We had fabulous lasagnas here, both vegetarian and meat. Bartenders know their way around food and wine really well, and as a result we are their regular guests.

OPEN:

Monday - Thursday: 6am - midnight

Friday and Saturday: 10am - 2am

Sunday: 10.30am - 10.30pm

Holidays: closed

Jurciceva ulica 7, Maribor

Tel: +386 (0)2 25 02 033

Restaurant Pri Treh Ribnikih {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

What a setting! The restaurant sits just off the Three Ponds and serves its guests for over 300 years. Tradition and novelty of Slovenian cuisine walk hand in hand here and you can try some really fantastic things here. I will never forget the mushroom soup served in a freshly bakes bread crust.

OPEN:

Wintertime: Monday - Saturday: 11am -10pm

Sunday and holidays: 11am - 9pm

Summertime: Monday - Saturday: 10am - 10pm

Sunday and holidays: 10am - 8pm

Ribniska ulica 9, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 23 44 170

Restaurant Rozmarin {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Absolutely fantastic new chic Maribor restaurant. We were really impressed by the quality of food, creativity, wittiness and refinement of their bartenders. In addition their award winning interior, a coffee bar and a wine cellar will make your lunch/dinner here truly wonderful. My personal opinion is that this is the best restaurant in Maribor's city center.

OPEN:

Monday - Saturday: 9am - 10pm

Sunday and holidays: CLOSED

Gosposka ulica 8, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 23 43 180

Restaurant Stajerc {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Traditional Maribor and Stajerska cuisine, wonderful beer from their mini brewery, pretzels and huge terrace overlooking the busiest part of the pedestrian zone are the marbles of this restaurant. It's difficult to miss the place as it has such a central and wonderful location but their food is good and we are regular customers.

OPEN:

Monday - Thursday: 10am - 10pm

Friday - Saturday: 10am - midnight

Sunday and holidays: closed

Vetrinjska 30, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 23 44 234

Restaurant Toti Rotovz {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

This is a wonderful restaurant with Slovenian, Serbian, Mexican, Thai, Japanese, Greek and Italian cuisine so they certainly can satisfy a variety of tastes. We were lunching and dinning in this restaurant and the experience was always good. Dinner in their wine cellar is particularly attractive due to the ambient and live music during weekends.

OPEN:

Monday - Saturday: 9am - midnight

wine cellar: Monday - Saturday: 9am - 2am

Sunday: CLOSED

Rotovski trg 9, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 22 87 650

Cantante {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Cantante is a Cuban style cafe/cocktail bar mix that gets really alive in the evening. The bar also hosts one of the live music stages during the Lent festival. It is located in the basement of Vetrinjska ulica and Tkalski prehod corner house. It has several levels and is nicely decorated. There are two gardens, one overlooking the street and one in the back yard. Their 150+ different cocktails are absolutely fabulous and Milan is particularly keen in trying them out all. He hasn't managed yet but so far he is mightily impressed!

OPEN:

Monday - Thursday: 8am -1am

Friday and Saturday: 8am -3am

Sunday: 8am -1am

Vetrinjska ulica 5, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 252 53 12

Jazz Club Satchmo {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Although this is Maribor's only proper Jazz club it is something we rarely miss out. It is located in the basement of the Maribor Art Gallery and is a venue for many often world-class Jazz and Soul concerts. Some of the best nights out I had were in Satchmo! It is the right kind of feeling that makes this place so special and bartenders contribute to this feeling a lot. I haven't found many places that would have such a soul as Satchmo.

OPEN:

Monday - Thursday: 9am - 2am

Friday: 9am - 3am

Saturday: 7pm - 3am

Sunday: 7pm - midnight

Strossmayerjeva ulica 6, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 25 02 150

KGB {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Infamous name but this is actually an acronym for Cultural Musical Den (Kulturno Glasbeni Brlog). This is one of the most unique bars in Maribor. It is a theater-bar mixture with a very distinctive character. There is music, fun, theater performances and more, just simply great! People don't come to this bar just for a drink, this is a place for events, to have fun and whenever we go there it is a whole night out business. Maribor really is blessed to have these wonderful bars with character.

OPEN:

Monday - Sunday: 7pm - 3am

Vojasniski trg 5, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 25 23 077

Niagara Falls {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

A trendy professional cocktail bar whose bartenders were trained internationally and won several awards. It is particularly popular among Maribor's pop singers. Yes, this is kind of a posh place but with character. I have to admit it, I am not going there very often because it is not my style of a bar but I know many people who are their regular and very happy customers so there you go, I have to be honest.

OPEN:

Monday - Thursday: 8am -1am

Friday and Saturday: 8am -4am

Sunday: 10am - midnight

Ulica Talcev 24, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 25 02 520

Patrick's J&B Pub {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

This is probably the only proper Irish pub in Maribor. It's location among cafes in the Postna street is fantastic. The street itself is part of the pedestrian zone and stretches from the Cathedral in the north to the Main Square in the south. They serve a variety of different beers but Guinness is excellent and so are the parties. Of course, as it could be expected, they host an annual St.Patrick's day party - wild!

OPEN:

Monday - Thursday: 8am -midnight

Friday and Saturday: 8am -2am

Sunday: 4pm -11pm

Postna ulica 10, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 25 11 801

Samsara {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Samsara is a huge place that shares the building with KOLOSEJ, one of Maribor's largest multi cinema centers. Samsara is an Italian restaurant, pizzeria, cafe, cocktail bar and a night club all in one. The interior is distinctively modern and the cafe-bar is overlooking river Drava so it is ideal for warm summer nights where going for a drink can easily be extended onto a dance floor till the early morning hours.

OPEN:

Tuesday - Saturday: 11am -4am

Sunday and Monday: 11am - 10pm

Loska ulica 13, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 23 42 350

Tako's Lent {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

This is the first Tako's bar-restaurant (the second is in Europark shopping mall). Because it is located in the oldest part of the city the interior looks more like a wine cellar but its distinguished décor quickly reveals Mexican charm of this wonderful bar. The nights here are often spent with dancing and music is fantastic. Most of foreign visitors end up in Tako's in the evening! On top of that they serve excellent food and the best white coffee in town (it reminds of cappuccino and cafe late at the same time).

OPEN:

Monday - Thursday: 11am -midnight

Friday: 11am -2am

Saturday: 12pm - 2am

Sunday: CLOSED

Holidays: 12pm - 5pm

Mesarski Prehod 3, Maribor

Tel: + 386 (0)2 25 27 150

Tildo's {BACK TO GUIDE - Maribor city guide}

Because the Maribor National Theater is just across the square, this charming little bar with a hidden beer garden in the back is often full of theater actors and actresses. It's difficult to describe what is so special about this bar but it's got character, good selection of beers, good music and really good coffee.

OPEN:
Monday - Thursday: 8am - midnight Friday: 8am - 2am
Saturday: 10am - 2am
Sunday: 4pm - midnight

Slomskov trg 8, Maribor
Tel: + 386 (0)2 25 12 851

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