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By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 31st March 2019 | Updated: 3rd January 2024
Maribor is a city in Northern Slovenia with beautiful old town squares, impressive parks, and vineyard-covered hills. Often people visiting Slovenia head straight to Ljubljana or the lakes, and miss out on this wonderfully quaint city, so make sure you add it to your list of places to go if you are ever in Slovenia. That being said, here are 7 things you must see in Maribor and its surroundings, Slovenia’s second-largest city and wine town.
Planning Your Trip? Use our favourite travel resources below:
Accommodation: We recommend Booking.com
Rental Car: We recommend Rentalcars.com
Flights: We recommend Kiwi.com
Tours: We recommend Get Your Guide
Is it worth visiting Maribor?
With the medieval center, cobblestone streets at every turn, a rich history linked with the nearby wine-growing region, and of course its beautiful surroundings, yes Maribor is most definitely worth visiting.
Things to see in Maribor
1 – The Oldest Vine
Maribor is situated bang smack in the middle of Slovenia’s incredible wine region, so why not visit the Oldest Vine there is for your first thing to do in Maribor? Located alongside the river the oldest vine is a sight to behold.
Situated on an old building alongside the river, (and with its own bar right outside!) the Modra Kavčina vine is over 400 years old and holds a Guinness World Record as the oldest vine in the world still bearing grapes.
2 – Maribor Water Tower
Just a short stroll from the Oldest Vine, this quaint water tower is Slovenian medieval history at its best. From the timber roof to the custom-designed benches outside this old building is worth a stop by just to relax with the ducks riverside.
3 – Maribor Cathedral
Maribor Cathedral is an impressive building located alongside a cute little park just outside the old town area of Maribor. Dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, this roman catholic cathedral and its wonderful Romanesque style architecture is worth a view even if you can’t go in.
4 – Main Town Square
The main town square in Maribor, also known as Glavni trg, is surrounded by colourful Romanesque buildings. It is the second largest square in Maribor with famous historical buildings/monuments of the town hall, Aloysius Church, and a Plague Column within it. Make sure you grab a coffee and watch the world go by!
5 – Mestni Park
Maribor city park is a beautifully landscaped park to help you escape the rush of the city and rewind in nature. It is well worth a stop by for a wander through, with winding footpaths and a sculpture trail alongside numerous ponds, streams, and towering trees.
6 – Pyramid Hill
After a short walk through Mestni Park, you can head out and up a steep set of footpaths until you find yourself surrounded by vines and with incredible views back over the city and beyond. This is Pyramid Hill, once the spot where Maribor Castle was situated. All the vines should (if you’re anything like us!) make you want to try some of the local brews…
7 – Maribor Wine Trail – The Heart Shaped Road
The final thing you must see in Maribor is the Maribor Wine Trail. Just out of Maribor, with incredible wine and incredible views lies the heart-shaped road. With vineyards as far as the eye can see and plenty of opportunities to try the wine too, you should definitely take a trip out to Špičnik!
There are numerous farm and wine shops that you can stop by to try some wine delights but be warned you will need a designated driver as it is much easier to drive yourself around and about. (I drew the short straw here, but it just meant that we had to buy a bottle or two to try later…)
Planning your own trip to Maribor? Make sure you check out our Travelling Tedaldi Amazon Store Travel Guides for all your guidebooks and maps. (We’ve done the hard work for you and linked all the things we used to plan our trip!)
Things to see in Maribor FAQs
Where is Maribor?
Maribor is located in northeastern Slovenia on the banks of the Drava River at the border with Austria.
How to get to Maribor
Maribor is relatively easy to get to with a car, but if you are coming via public transport / flying to visit Maribor, it is a little more complicated. The nearest airports to Maribor are actually located in Graz, Austria, and Zagreb, Croatia, with it taking roughly 45 minutes to get from Graz to Maribor, and 1.5 hours from Zagreb to Maribor.
How to get from Ljubljana to Maribor
The easiest way to get between Ljubljana and Maribor is via car, with the drive taking approximately 1 hour 20 minutes for 130km. You can also take a train between the two which takes roughly 1 hour 40 minutes.
How to get from Lake Bled to Maribor
It takes 1 hour 50 minutes, 185km driving to get between Lake Bled and Maribor, which is the easiest mode of transport between the two. You can also take the train / bus between them, however this takes on average 4 to 5 hours.
How to get around Maribor
Maribor is a small city, (even though it is the second largest city in Slovenia), so there isn’t really much need to be hopping on and off public transport. You can easily get around the city on foot or by hiring a bicycle.
How long to spend in Maribor?
Maribor is a great place to spend the day or visit on a day trip, any more than 2 days and you might run out of things to do.
What is Maribor known for?
Maribor is known for being the location of the world’s oldest vine, (which is no mean feat as the vine is over 400 years old), as well as being in the middle of the region for some of the best wine growing in Slovenia.
What is the best time of year to visit Maribor?
Maribor is a bit off the main tourist trail in Slovenia, so it doesn’t get as busy as some other locations in Slovenia, such as Lake Bled, which means it is great to visit throughout the year. We visited at the start of the summer and it was surprisingly quiet.
Is Maribor a nice city?
Maribor is a lovely city to visit whilst in Slovenia, with a wonderful old town, historic vines, and of course vineyards and wine tasting to be had!
Is Maribor safe?
Maribor, as with the majority is considered very safe and boasts low crime rates. Any crimes that do occur are often petty crimes such as pickpocketing, which can happen in any town or city across the world.
Maribor Tours
Tours are a great way to learn about a place and these for Maribor are no exception:
Conclusion: Is Maribor worth visiting? Things to see in Maribor
There are our top things to do in Maribor, from the wine tasting to the vine viewing and everything in between. Maribor is a great city to visit in Slovenia.
Gemma Tedaldi
Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.
