Ljudski vrt Stadium is the main football stadium in Maribor. It is located along the Drava River in a part called Koroška vrata. The host of this stadium is Football Club Maribor, since 1960. During the renovation of the stands in 1961 and when the reconstruction was being done in 2008, breaks were made. The biggest renovations took place in 1994, when floodlights were installed and the wooden benches were replaced with plastic ones. Reception halls, club rooms were added in 1999.
The stadium was built in 1952, and it was first used by members of Branik Maribor, which formed in the 1960s. The stadium hosted the final of the Slovenian Cup, and in 2012 the stadium was one of the four stadiums where the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship was held. The place where the Human Garden is located has been used for burials for centuries, and it was first used for football in the 1920s. Before that, it was also used as a tennis court. Of course, the stadium owes its current appearance to numerous renovations, investments and reconstructions over the years.
But what sets this stadium apart from the others is the tribune with a concrete arch, which is protected by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, as an architectural landmark. The main stand is 129.8m long and 18.5m high. The stadium really makes Maribor even more graceful, and although it is one of the smaller stadiums in the world, it is considered one of the most beautiful. It represents a natural, cultural, architectural and sports attraction. We can say that it is a symbol of the city and occupies an important place in the cultural identity of Maribor.
Autor of the article:
Bojana Pantić - correspondent for the city of Maribor
