Orientation
Maribor is situated among the Pohorje Mountain, the Slovenske gorice Hills and the Kozjak Hills on the gravel terrace of the Drava Valley. The river Drava divides the city on the so-called left north and the right south bank. The city`s old town core is situated on the left bank of the river Drava. On north, Maribor is embraced with the town wine-growing hills, and on the south-western part of the city, the foothills of the Pohorje Mountain start to rise.
A good first stop in the city is Infopeka, a information center which gives out free advice, free internet usage and free rent-a-bicycle. They can be found across the old bridge from the Glavni Trg, on the right side of the street.
Understand
Maribor was first mentioned back in the 12th century. Though the city had been attacked by the Turks several times, it was constantly under the rule of the Austrian Habsburgs until the end of the World War I. After the war was over the city was claimed by both the Austrians and by the new state of Yugoslavia. Finally it fell to Yugoslavia. It was occupied by the Germans during World War II but became part of Yugoslavia again after the war was over. In 1975 the University of Maribor was founded and this has helped the city to become more and more an attractive, vibrant, student city. After Slovenia declared independence, back in 1991, the city suffered from the economic consequences.
Today, Maribor is a trans-regional financial, educational, trade and cultural centre. And since it is pleasantly small and lodged in the nature of Pohorje Mountain on the one side, the wine growing hills on the other, and with the river Drava wending its way through it, Maribor has grown into one of the countryâs most important tourist destinations. Its key features are: the rich wine culture the oldest vine in the world, numerous wine roads and wine cellars, the old town`s cultural offer theatre, traditional events, galleries and museums, and the recreational activities hiking, cycling and skiing.