While inthe former Yugoslavia Maribor was synonymous with heavy industrialization, in the early years of independence it represented bankruptcy and economiccollapse. Yet Maribor has retained its charm and is getting more and more interesting for tourists
In 2012 Maribor together with the Portuguese city of Guimaraes will be theEuropean Capital of Culture. A year after that the city will host a Winter Universiade – a kind of Olympic games for students. It’s an excellent opportunity for the second largest Slovenian town and the center of the eastern part of the country to further reposition itself and cast away its obsolete industrial image. In truth, life in Maribor already has little in common with its socialist past: it’s a picturesque place with lots of charm and a bustling cultural and sports life.
THE OLD VINE
The Old Vine growing in the old part of town is the pride of the citizens of Maribor. This 400 year old vine is registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest. In the eyes of Maribor's citizens the Vine represents the town's rich and long tradition in making finewines. Visitors can explore this tradition in a museum located in the Old Vine House, the building behind the vine itself. Alternatively they can explore the old and large wine cellars in Maribor.The Old Vine House is also the starting point of three wine roads that lead through the sunny hills around the town. Opportunities to taste delicious wines from southern Styria abound both in the town and in its surroundings. You can even try the wine produced from a small harvest of Blue Franconian grapes from the Old Vine itself – a rare treat.
The Old Vine House is located in Lent, the picturesque medieval part of the town on the banks of Drava river. With its narrow streets,defense towers, former Jewish ghetto and numerous cafes and restaurants, Lent is a nice place to explore anytime. In early summer it becomes the venue of one of Slovenia'stop international multicultural festivals. Programs ranges from classical music to jazz and ethno from all over the globe, to theater, dance, puppet shows, stand-up comedy and workshops: in two weeks the visitor can get as much culture as one can take. And most events are free.
“PURE ENERGY”
The city'srich cultural life isn’t limited to the Lent Festival. Maribor is the center of Eastern Slovenia and as suchhosts the country's second largest university, excellent drama and opera theaters, and many museums. The city's wealthy and energetic cultural life is reflected in the slogan used in the 2012 European Capital of Culture campaigns:“Pure Energy.”
The slogan could well stand for the city's close contact with nature. It is surroundedmostly by sunny hills and its nice CityPark leads directly from the center of town to Kalvarija and the Piramida hills. Across the DravaRiver on the outskirts of the western part of the town the PohorjeMountains begin. These wooded mountains offer unspoilt nature with wild animals, rare plants, marshes, waterfalls and even a protected primeval forest. As such Pohorje offers many hiking and cycling opportunities.
In winter,meanwhile, Pohorje offers a number of ski slopes – in fact you can take aregular city bus and go skiing. And the ski slopes at the outskirts of Maribor aren’t average ones: they possess superb terrain where the Golden Fox women’s World Cup competitions take place every year as the first race in the calendar. It is here that the ski races of the 2013 Winter Universiade will be held.
There are many things to do in Maribor.And it’s not difficult to find nice accommodations, either: from the five star Habakuk Hotel to one of the surrounding farms which offer agritourism accommodations in the near vicinity. And should you wish to explore some other places in the region, Maribor makes an excellent starting point: the city is well connected with brand newhighways to the surrounding towns and a number of Central European capitals, many of which are only a short ride away.
