Maribor



Maribor is the second most important centre and the second largest city of Slovenia. It has about 114,000 inhabitants (2021) who live embraced in its wine growing hills and the Mariborsko Pohorje mountain. Maribor is near Slovenian border with Austria, beside the Drava River and at the centre of five natural geographic regions. It is the capital of Štajerska, the Slovenian Styria.

Understand
Maribor was first mentioned 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 in 1991, the city suffered from the economic consequences.

Today, Maribor is a trans-regional financial, educational, trade and cultural centre. And since it's 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 country’s 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).

Orientation
Maribor sits 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 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, an information centre 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.

Tourist information

 * Visit Maribor website

By car
By car, you can travel to the Maribor region from the direction of Ljubljana (Slovenia) on the A1/E57, from the direction of Zagreb (Croatia) on the E59, from the direction of Budapest (Hungary) on the E59/E65/E71/M7, and from the direction of Trieste (Italy) on the E57/E70. Maribor is a few minutes from the Austrian border: you can travel to Maribor from the direction of Graz on the A9/E57/E59, from the direction of Klagenfurt on the road B80/B70, and from the direction of Villach on the B80/B70/E66/B83.

In order to use motorways and express roads in Slovenia, a vignette is required. You can purchase the vignette at the border, at petrol stations in Slovenia and neighbouring countries, at post offices in Slovenia, at some kiosks, etc. The monthly vignette is €30, while the weekly one is €15 (for motorcycles €7.50).

Between Maribor and other ex-Yugoslavia countries' capitals is a distance of: Ljubljana 123 km, Zagreb 110 km (Croatia, Sarajevo 487 km (BiH), Belgrade 512 km (Serbia), Podgorica 703 (Montenegro) and Skopje 945 km (North Macedonia).

Between Maribor and other European cities is a distance of: Paris 1299 km (France), Venice 365 km (Italy), Prague 548 km (Czech Republic), Budapest 340 km (Hungary), Berehove 653 km (Ukraine), Shkodra 759 km (Albania), Hamburg 1163 km (Germany), London 1488 km (United Kingdom), Nordkapp 3699 km (Norway), Lisbon 2739 km (Portugal), Belgorod 1925 km (Russia), Thessaloniki 1134 km (Greece), Frankfurt 1050 km, Graz 68 km, Milan 622 km, Munich 493 km, Prague 595 km, Salzburg 352 km, Split 460 km, Trieste 216 km, Vienna 255 km, Zürich 803 km.

By train
The is in the eastern part of the Maribor city centre (at Partizanska cesta 50). By train, you can travel to Maribor for example from:


 * Vienna Meidling – Maribor (3 hr 30 min)
 * Graz – Maribor (1 hr)
 * Venezia Santa Lucia – Ljubljana – Maribor (9 - 10 hr)
 * Zagreb – Dobova – Zidani most – Celje – Pragersko – Maribor (3 hr 30 min)
 * Budapest – Vienna – Graz – Maribor (6 hr 30 min)
 * Budapest - Székesfehérvár - Veszprém – Hodoš Aiga immigration.svg – Murska Sobota – Ormož – Ptuj – Pragersko – Maribor (6 hr 30 min), IC 246/247
 * Budapest – Murakerestur – Zagreb – Maribor (13 hr 30 min)
 * Prague – Vienna – Maribor (9 hr)

You can find more connections and schedule information at Slovenian Railways (Slovenske železnice).

By plane


Nearby airports are in Ljubljana (Slovenia), Graz (Austria), Zagreb (Croatia), and Klagenfurt (Austria). Airports in Ljubljana, Graz and Klagenfurt are also destinations of the low-cost carriers easyJet (Ljubljana) and Ryanair (Klagenfurt and Graz). Closest to Maribor is Graz Airport: trains from Graz Airport to Maribor leave six times a day, and the journey takes about an hour and a half.

By bus
The Maribor bus station is in the eastern part of the city centre (at Mlinska ulica 1), a 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

By bike
It is handy to visit the Maribor region by bike, since there are numerous widespread trails over the slopes of the Pohorje Mountain and in the picturesque Maribor surroundings.

If you're arriving to Maribor from the direction of Italy, Austria or Croatia, you can cycle along the Drava Cycling Route, starting in Dobbiaco (Italy), passing Lienz, Spittall, Villach (Austria), Dravograd, Ruše, Maribor, Ptuj, Ormož (Slovenia), and ending on the Slovenian-Croatian border.

On foot
Maribor is quite a small town, so it's easy to get around the city centre on foot. There are two tourist information centres in Maribor: one at Partizanska ulica 6a, 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.

By bus
Maribor has an extensive bus network, but there is no need to use it unless you want to go to the outer districts of the city. For tourists, bus No. 6 is the most interesting one - it takes you under the Pohorje Mountain (lower station of the cable railway, hotels, apartments and campsites, wellness centre, restaurants; recreational activities: hiking, cycling,skiing, etc.).

Some bus numbers are more regular (arriving at stops every 15 minutes) than others (arriving at stops every 30 – 45 minutes). The approximate operation time of the bus lines is from 05:00 to 23:30 on weekdays and from 06:00 to 22:30 on weekends. Two circulator buses run from Monday to Friday from 11:15 to 00:00. Bus ticket can be purchased either on the bus (€1.10 for single-ride ticket) or in advance (2, 6, 10 or 20 ride ticket) in kiosks or at the Main Bus Station (at Mlinska ulica 1).

For visiting the wider surroundings of Maribor, local bus isn`t the best transportation choice due to rather irregular bus frequencies and poor bus links. Car rental recommended.

By car
Travelling around Maribor region and its wider surroundings is best by car. Thus, you can fully enjoy the picturesque countryside and visit the most hidden corners of the Pohorje Mountain and the wine hills. There's a good highway network around Maribor that directly connects the city with smaller places like Ptuj, Murska Sobota and Slovenska Bistrica. Regional roads are well maintained, as well.

If you go to the Maribor city centre by car, it might be difficult to find toll-free parking space during weekdays. Most of the inner city is covered by the "blue zone" that is payable. Alternatives are the parking garage below Trgovski centre City (€1.50/hour), the Forum parking garage (€1.00/hour), or the Kolosej parking garage (€1.20/hour). Usually, the longer you stay, the cheaper it gets. 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 17:00 and on weekends.

By bike
Maribor has a wide network of cyclepaths. Using a bike to get around, at least the central areas of Maribor, is one of the best choices. Bikes may be rented at the Tourist Information Centre, city hotels Piramida and Orel, cultural centre Pekarna - magdalenske mreže, the main train station, and at the cable railway station (under the Pohorje Mountain). Tourist Information Centre provides city map for cyclists who want to get to know the city from the bike and other cycling maps with cycling routes on the Pohorje Mountain and around the Maribor-Pohorje region. Maribor also hosts annual Mountain Biking World Championship on Pohorje Mountain.

By taxi
Taxis are available 24/7. You can go to a taxi rank (at the main train station at Partizanska cesta 50 and along the Svetozarevska street next to the Trg svobode square) or simply order one by phone. There are several taxi companies providing services for a reasonable price (about €0.70/km), e.g., Taxi Micro, Taxi Štajerka, Taxi Plus.

See




Do

 * Lent is a district located at the waterfront of Drava river. It's a beautiful place with lovely small avenues, restaurants and bars.
 * Watch football at NK Maribor, who play soccer in PrvaLiga, Slovenia's top tier. Their home ground Ljudski Vrt is 500 m north of city centre. Its renovation is way off schedule and capacity (as of 2021) is restricted to 11,700. Nevertheless it's sometimes a guest ground for other clubs with even smaller stadiums, e.g., for NŠ Mura in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League.
 * Planet Tuš - cinema multiplex (movies are presented in original audio language while equipped with Slovenian subtitles; this does not apply to computer-rendered and animated movies, which are dubbed for the children). Bowling centre. Shopping centre with free parking.
 * Kolosej - cinema multiplex (movies are presented in original audio language while equipped with Slovenian subtitles; this does not apply to computer-rendered and animated movies, which are dubbed for the children). Bowling centre.
 * Pekarna Cultural Centre - An alternative cultural centre in a former military bakery. It consists of several concert venues (the large Gustaf Hall and some smaller concert halls e.g. Supernova and Klub MC), gallery spaces (Hladilnica Gallery, several studios), a spacious second-hand bookshop called Bukvarna and band practice rooms.
 * Planet Tuš - cinema multiplex (movies are presented in original audio language while equipped with Slovenian subtitles; this does not apply to computer-rendered and animated movies, which are dubbed for the children). Bowling centre. Shopping centre with free parking.
 * Kolosej - cinema multiplex (movies are presented in original audio language while equipped with Slovenian subtitles; this does not apply to computer-rendered and animated movies, which are dubbed for the children). Bowling centre.
 * Pekarna Cultural Centre - An alternative cultural centre in a former military bakery. It consists of several concert venues (the large Gustaf Hall and some smaller concert halls e.g. Supernova and Klub MC), gallery spaces (Hladilnica Gallery, several studios), a spacious second-hand bookshop called Bukvarna and band practice rooms.
 * Planet Tuš - cinema multiplex (movies are presented in original audio language while equipped with Slovenian subtitles; this does not apply to computer-rendered and animated movies, which are dubbed for the children). Bowling centre. Shopping centre with free parking.
 * Kolosej - cinema multiplex (movies are presented in original audio language while equipped with Slovenian subtitles; this does not apply to computer-rendered and animated movies, which are dubbed for the children). Bowling centre.
 * Pekarna Cultural Centre - An alternative cultural centre in a former military bakery. It consists of several concert venues (the large Gustaf Hall and some smaller concert halls e.g. Supernova and Klub MC), gallery spaces (Hladilnica Gallery, several studios), a spacious second-hand bookshop called Bukvarna and band practice rooms.
 * Pekarna Cultural Centre - An alternative cultural centre in a former military bakery. It consists of several concert venues (the large Gustaf Hall and some smaller concert halls e.g. Supernova and Klub MC), gallery spaces (Hladilnica Gallery, several studios), a spacious second-hand bookshop called Bukvarna and band practice rooms.
 * Pekarna Cultural Centre - An alternative cultural centre in a former military bakery. It consists of several concert venues (the large Gustaf Hall and some smaller concert halls e.g. Supernova and Klub MC), gallery spaces (Hladilnica Gallery, several studios), a spacious second-hand bookshop called Bukvarna and band practice rooms.

Buy
Be sure to buy a bottle of wine. Wines from the region surrounding Maribor are among the best in the world. Especially the white wine. You can buy good quality wine at wine producers or at the normal supermarkets.

Buy "bučno olje" (pumpkin seed oil). This oil is a specialty of the Austrian and Slovenian part of Styria and has a very unique and wonderful taste. You can buy good quality oil at the normal supermarkets.

There are many possibilities to go shopping in Maribor. Maribor is now a trans - regional shopping centre. Good places to shop are: Shopping in old city or in shopping centres as Europark, Tuš, Mercator, Qlandia or if you need furniture and gardening equipment the stores Rutar, Merkur, Bauhaus and BauMax.
 * TPC City is an old shopping mall in the heart of city offering plenty of clothing shops and a supermarket.
 * Vetrinjska ulica is a small shopping street in the old centre starting at Grajski trg place offering loads of boutiques containing all sorts of international brands and very good ice cream at Iglu (on the corner next to the H&M).
 * Vetrinjska ulica is a small shopping street in the old centre starting at Grajski trg place offering loads of boutiques containing all sorts of international brands and very good ice cream at Iglu (on the corner next to the H&M).

Eat

 * Gostilna in Pivnica Štajerc (Vetrinjska ulica 30, Tel. 22344234) is a nice inn a few minutes away from Grajski trg. Offers rather traditional cuisine (including a great salad buffet) at reasonable prices. Starters are €3-6, main courses €7-10. Serves home-made beer, brewed in the cellar under the restaurant.
 * Gostilna in Pivnica Štajerc (Vetrinjska ulica 30, Tel. 22344234) is a nice inn a few minutes away from Grajski trg. Offers rather traditional cuisine (including a great salad buffet) at reasonable prices. Starters are €3-6, main courses €7-10. Serves home-made beer, brewed in the cellar under the restaurant.
 * Gostilna in Pivnica Štajerc (Vetrinjska ulica 30, Tel. 22344234) is a nice inn a few minutes away from Grajski trg. Offers rather traditional cuisine (including a great salad buffet) at reasonable prices. Starters are €3-6, main courses €7-10. Serves home-made beer, brewed in the cellar under the restaurant.

Sleep

 * Hotel Orel - a hotel located at Grajski trg in the centre. Any sights are within 15-min walking distance. Has single, double and triple rooms.
 * Garni Hotel Tabor - close to Dvorana Tabor Hall and Ice Ring Tabor.
 * Hotel Piramida - business hotel located in centre.
 * Hotel Bellevue - on the Mariborsko Pohorje plateau. Wellness centre. Near the ski slope and cable car.
 * Hotel Habakuk - one of the best Slovene hotels is in a beautiful natural setting at the beginning of the Mountain Pohorje, near the ski slope and cable car. Wellness-spa and conference centre. Reachable by city bus.
 * Hotel Piramida - business hotel located in centre.
 * Hotel Bellevue - on the Mariborsko Pohorje plateau. Wellness centre. Near the ski slope and cable car.
 * Hotel Habakuk - one of the best Slovene hotels is in a beautiful natural setting at the beginning of the Mountain Pohorje, near the ski slope and cable car. Wellness-spa and conference centre. Reachable by city bus.
 * Hotel Habakuk - one of the best Slovene hotels is in a beautiful natural setting at the beginning of the Mountain Pohorje, near the ski slope and cable car. Wellness-spa and conference centre. Reachable by city bus.

Connect
As of Sep 2021, Maribor has 5G from A1 and 4G from Telecom and Telemach. Wifi is widely available in public places.

Phone: The local area code is (0)2. The country code for Slovenia is +386. Internet TLD .si.

Go next

 * Budapest via Székesfehérvár and Veszprém. Take a direct train,-or drive on the E59/E65/E71/M7,-to the amazing Hungarian Capital. One of the few places on the World, which is proud owner of three UNESCO World Heritage places. Visit the Castle Hill area, enjoy the panoramic view to the Danube River, walking on Andrassy Avenue around hundred years nobleman's mansions and palaces.
 * Zagreb in Croatia is about an hour drive