History of Maribor

After Ljubljana, Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia. About 120,000 inhabitants live in Maribor, which is a big city for small Slovenia. Maribor is located at an altitude of 300 meters above sea level, in the middle of the province called Styria, which is also on the territory of Austria. Maribor is popular among young people who come here to study. The University of Maribor and numerous higher education institutions are well known. Under the status of a trading place, Maribor was first mentioned in the 13th century, from when until 1918, it was under the administration of the Habsburg Monarchy.

Maribor was never occupied by the Turks. Before the very beginning of the First World War, the inhabitants of Maribor were mostly Germans. As many as 80% of the population were Germans and 20% Slovenians. Before the Second World War, an Orthodox church was built in Marbir. During the Second World War, during the German occupation, the Germans evicted Slovenians from Maribor, who went to Croatia and Serbia. By the way, Maribor is the only city in the former Yugoslavia that was visited by Hitler himself. After liberation, the city quickly developed into the largest industrial center in Yugoslavia. In Maribor today there are important buildings, such as: the Slovenian National Theater and the Slovenian Opera. The architecture of the city is typically Austro-Hungarian, which gives Maribor a real flair.

Maribor is divided into 11 city municipalities, and on the map of Slovenia it is very close to the Austrian border. And as a city on the border, it has always been significantly developed and attractive to many who came and stayed to live in it forever. The climate in Maribor is suitable for growing vines, and this has become a tradition of Maribor residents.
 
Two great earthquakes hit Slovenia, Maribor and the capital Ljubljana in 1511. A large part of medieval Maribor, as well as the capital, was destroyed in the earthquakes, so the architectural beauty of today sounds strange, due no less than the earthquake. Maribor is a city with late renaissance architecture that was restored in baroque style when the best Italian architects once built churches, building facades, courtyards, staircases, palaces, buildings that can be seen here today. Maribor is home to numerous masterpieces in its parks and notable buildings such as the City Hall.

The Napoleonic wars brought a so-called stylistic stagnation to Maribor, but the second earthquake in 1895 proved to be a golden opportunity to rebuild the city. Today, this is one of the most beautiful cities in Slovenia. The advantage of Maribor is that youthful energy that can be felt at every step. And maybe the reason for that is the headquarters of Maribor University and numerous schools.
The summer in Maribor is filled with music and theater festivals, and the streets of the old town and in the gardens of the cafes above which are overhanging beautiful willow trees that also provide shade for the visitors of this small town.