Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia. It lies near the mountains and one of the country's most important ski resorts, Pohorje. It is also known for its wine production dating back to the Middle Ages.
The city developed around the Marchburch castle on the Drawa, which in the Middle Ages was the main communication and commercial route of this part of Europe. It experienced the greatest development under the Habsburg rule from the 16th century until the First World War.
Maribor has a nicely preserved, mainly Baroque old town that stretches over the banks of the Drawa. The boulevards on the river are filled with restaurants, cafes and wine bars. There are also many richly decorated Old Town tenement houses on the market square and its surroundings.
The most important monuments of the city include the fifteenth century castle, which today houses a museum, the cathedral of St. Jana, originally built in the Romanesque style, and rebuilt into the classical style and the Renaissance town hall. The local wine cellars are also famous.
Wine traditions in Maribor go back to the Middle Ages. Grown here considered the oldest vines in the world. Stara Trta, whose shoots are climbing around the neighboring building, is about 400 years old and still bear fruit. Every year in Maribor takes place the famous wine festival, which is visited by guests from all over Slovenia.
