Maribor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maribor
The Drava River with Lent in the background Maribor Town Hall Basilica of Our Mother of Mercy Maribor Cathedral Maribor Castle University of Maribor
Flag Coat of arms
Maribor Location in Slovenia Show map of Slovenia Maribor Location in Europe Show map of Europe
Country	Slovenia
Traditional region	Styria
Statistical region	Drava
Municipality	Maribor
First mention	1164
Town privileges	1254
Area
• City	40.98 km2 (15.82 sq mi)
Elevation	274.7 m (901.2 ft)
Population  (2023)
• Urban	96,209
• Metro	329,014
• City Municipality	113,000
Demonym(s)	Mariborčan (male), Mariborčanka (female)
Time zone	UTC+01 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02 (CEST)
Postal code	2000
Area code(s)	02 (+386 2 if calling from abroad)
Climate	Cfb
Licence plate	MB

Maribor (UK: /ˈmærɪbɔːr/ marr-IB-or, US: /ˈmɑːr-/ MAR--, Slovene: [ˈmáːɾibɔɾ]) is the second-largest city in Slovenia. It is the biggest city in the traditional region of Lower Styria. Maribor is an important center for business, government, education, and culture in eastern Slovenia.

The city was first mentioned as a castle in 1164. It became a settlement in 1209 and a full city in 1254. For a long time, Maribor was part of the Habsburg monarchy. In 1918, Rudolf Maister helped secure the city for the new State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. This state later joined with the Kingdom of Serbia to form the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In 1991, Maribor became part of independent Slovenia.

In 2012, Maribor was chosen as a European Capital of Culture, sharing the title with the city of Guimarães in Portugal.

City Name: How Maribor Got Its Name

Maribor was first called Marpurch around 1145. Later, it was known as Marchburch or Marburc. This name comes from old German words meaning 'borderland' and 'fortress'. In modern times, its German name was Marburg an der Drau, which means 'Marburg on the Drava River'.

The Slovene name Maribor was created by Stanko Vraz in 1836. He made it up to sound like other place names, such as Brandenburg. Locally, people used to call it Marprk or Marprog. The name Maribor became popular among Slovenes in 1861. This happened when Lovro Toman published a song called Mar i bor, which means 'to care and to fight for'. The city is also known as Marburgum in Latin and Marburgo in Italian.

Maribor's History: From Ancient Times to Today

Early Settlements: Prehistory and Roman Times

The oldest signs of people living in the Maribor area are from about 5,000 BC. This was during the Copper Age. Larger settlements from around 4400 to 4200 BC have been found. More settlements were discovered nearby, including one from the 4th millennium BC.

During the Bronze Age, around 3000 BC, more people settled in the Maribor area. In the 13th to 12th century BC, new settlements were found in Pekel. Around 1000 BC, new groups of settlers arrived. Old burial sites from this time have been found in areas like Mladinska ulica and Pobrežje.

In the Iron Age, people started building settlements on hills. One important hill town was Poštela in the Pohorje Mountains. It was used in the 2nd century BC.

During Roman times, the Maribor area was part of the Noricum province. It was on the border with Pannonia. Roman farms, called villae rusticae, were common here. An important trade route also passed through, connecting major Roman towns.

Medieval History: Castles, Trade, and Sieges

Maribor in the 17th century. A copper engraving by Georg Matthäus Vischer, 1678.

After the Roman Empire fell, Slavic people settled in the Maribor area. A Slavic cemetery from the 10th century AD was found in Radvanje. This area was part of different empires, including the Frankish Empire.

To protect against Hungarian raids, a castle was built on Pyramid Hill. This castle was first mentioned on October 20, 1164, as Castrum Marchburch. A town quickly grew around the castle. Maribor was first called a market town in 1204 and became a city in 1254.

The city grew fast after 1278. It built strong walls, and trade, winemaking, and crafts became very important. Maribor controlled trade in the region, especially wine. The first churches were built, and Jewish people also arrived, building their own neighborhood and the Maribor Synagogue.

Maribor Castle. A copper engraving by Georg Matthäus Vischer.

In 1478, a second castle, now known as Maribor Castle, was built. In 1480 and 1481, King Matthias Corvinus tried to capture the city but failed. In 1496, all Jewish people were ordered to leave Maribor.

The Maribor Town Hall was built in 1515. In 1532, the Ottoman Empire attacked Maribor with a huge army led by Suleiman the Magnificent. The city was defended by its local soldiers and citizens. Maribor successfully defended itself, and a legend tells of a shoemaker who flooded the Ottoman army.

Modern Period: Growth and Changes

In the 17th century, many fires destroyed parts of Maribor, leading to rebuilding. The plague also caused many deaths in 1646, 1664, and 1680. After the plague ended, a plague column was built in 1681.

In 1846, the Southern Railway came through Maribor. This brought a lot of economic growth. In 1859, Bishop Anton Martin Slomšek moved his church headquarters to Maribor. He encouraged the use of the Slovene language. Maribor also got its first higher school.

The first daily Slovenian newspaper started in 1868. On April 4, 1883, the first electric light in Slovene areas was installed in Maribor. The famous electrical engineer Nikola Tesla lived in Maribor from 1878 to 1879. The Maribor National Hall was built in 1899, becoming a key place for Slovenes in Styria.

Postcard of Maribor National Hall.

By 1900, most people in the city were Austrian German speakers. However, the areas around the city were mostly Slovene. In 1913, a new bridge, now called the Old Bridge, was opened over the Drava River. During World War I, tensions grew between Austrian Germans and Slovenes.

After the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell in 1918, both the new State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs and German Austria claimed Maribor. Slovene Major Rudolf Maister took control of the city with his troops. He disarmed Austrian soldiers and secured Maribor for the Slovene state.

Rudolf Maister

On January 27, 1919, an incident occurred where Slovenian troops fired on Austrian Germans gathered in the marketplace. Nine people died. This event is known as Marburg's Bloody Sunday. Maribor officially became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1919. Rudolf Maister is now considered a Slovenian national hero for his actions.

After 1918, many Austrian Germans left Maribor. The city became the fastest-developing city in Yugoslavia until World War II.

World War II and Recent History

Adolf Hitler on the Old Bridge in Maribor, Yugoslavia in 1941.

In 1941, Nazi Germany took control of Lower Styria, including Maribor. Adolf Hitler visited Maribor on April 26, 1941. The Nazis began to remove Slovenes from the area. This led to resistance from Slovene partisans.

Maribor was an important industrial city with arms factories. Because of this, the Allies bombed the city many times during the war. About 47% of the city was destroyed, and many civilians died. By the end of the war, Maribor was one of the most damaged cities in Yugoslavia.

Maribor in ruins, 1945.

After World War II, Maribor became part of SFR Yugoslavia. The city was rebuilt and became a major industrial center. In 1991, Slovenia became independent. This caused economic challenges for Maribor, as it lost its market in Yugoslavia. Unemployment rose.

In 2012, Maribor was a European Capital of Culture. In 2013, it was the European Youth Capital.

Maribor's Geography and Climate

City Landscape and Hills

The Drava River flows through Maribor. On the river, there is Maribor Island (Mariborski otok), which has the city's oldest public bath.

Maribor has two main hills: Calvary Hill and Pyramid Hill. Both are surrounded by vineyards. Pyramid Hill has the ruins of the first Maribor castle and a chapel. It offers great views of the city and the countryside.

City Districts and Connections

Maribor is divided into 11 districts (Slovene: mestne četrti). The Drava River separates some districts in the north from others in the south. These districts are connected by four road bridges, a rail bridge, and a pedestrian bridge.

Maribor's Climate: Warm Summers and Sunny Days

Maribor has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. Average temperatures are around zero degrees Celsius in winter. Summers are generally warm, with July temperatures often above 20 degrees Celsius. This warm weather is good for Maribor's wine tradition.

The city gets about 900 millimeters (35 inches) of rain each year. It is also one of the sunniest cities in Slovenia, with an average of 266 sunny days a year. The highest temperature ever recorded in August was 40.6 °C (105.1 °F) in 2013.

Maribor's Architecture: Old Buildings and New Plans

Maribor Town Hall

Maribor has many old and important buildings. Parts of the old city walls still stand, like the Judgement Tower, the Water Tower, and the Jewish Tower. Maribor Cathedral was built in the Gothic style in the 13th century. The Maribor Synagogue was built in the 14th century and is one of Europe's oldest synagogues. Today, it is a cultural center.

Other famous medieval buildings include Maribor Castle, Betnava Castle, and the ruins of Upper Maribor Castle on Pyramid Hill. The Town Hall was built in the Renaissance style. The Plague Column is a beautiful example of Baroque style.

There were plans for a new modern area called the Drava Gate, also known as Maribor Manhattan. This project would include new apartments, offices, and a tall skyscraper. However, it has been put on hold due to money issues.

In 2008, the Studenci Footbridge was updated. Its design won an award. In 2010, Maribor held a competition for new designs for the Drava River banks, a new art gallery, and a new footbridge. The footbridge and riverbanks will be built soon. A new cultural center called MAKS is also being built.

A new Faculty of Medicine building was started in 2011 and finished in 2013. There are also plans to renovate the Maribor Public Library and Town Hall Square. The Maribor Island in the Drava River is also planned for renovation.

Parks and Green Spaces in Maribor

The bandstand in Maribor City Park

Maribor City Park is the main park in the city. It has a City Aquarium and Terrarium. A long path leads to the Three Ponds (Trije ribniki). The park has over 100 different types of trees.

Culture and Education in Maribor

Headquarters of the University of Maribor

Maribor is home to the University of Maribor, which was founded in 1975. There are also other higher education schools like Alma Mater Europaea. High schools include Maribor High School No. 1 and Maribor High School No. 2.

Every June, the two-week Lent Festival takes place. It is named after the Lent waterfront area. This festival has hundreds of music, theater, and other events. Performers from all over the world come to the festival.

The more-than-400-year-old Žametovka grapevine growing outside the Old Vine House in Maribor. Right of it grows a daughter grapevine that has been cut from it.

Maribor is famous for its wine and delicious food. Some local dishes include mushroom soup with buckwheat, sausages with sauerkraut, and a special cheese cake called gibanica. The Vinag Wine Cellar is huge, covering 20,000 square meters (215,000 sq ft) and stretching for 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). It holds 5.5 million liters (1.4 million US gallons) of wine.

The Old Vine House (Hiša stare trte) at Lent has the world's oldest grapevine. This grapevine, called Žametovka, is over 400 years old. It was even listed in the Guinness World Records in 2004.

Maribor has several radio stations, including Radio City, Radio NET FM, and Radio Maribor. The Pekarna Cultural Centre is a place for alternative arts and culture. It is located in an old military bakery area.

Sports in Maribor

Team Sports: Football, Basketball, and More

Maribor is home to the football club NK Maribor. They play in the top Slovenian league, the Slovenian PrvaLiga. NK Maribor has won the national title a record 16 times. They have also played in the UEFA Champions League group stage three times. Their home stadium is Ljudski vrt.

Winter Sports: Skiing on Pohorje

The Maribor Pohorje Ski Resort is right outside the city on the Pohorje mountain. It has hosted women's slalom and giant slalom races for the Alpine Skiing World Cup. This competition is called the Golden Fox (Slovene: Zlata lisica). It first took place in 1964.

Hosting Major Sports Events

Ljudski vrt stadium, the home of NK Maribor

In November 2012, Maribor hosted the World Youth Chess Championship. The city's Ljudski vrt stadium was also a venue for the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. In July 2023, Maribor hosted the 17th European Youth Olympic Festival.

Adventure Parks for Fun

Maribor has several sports parks for adventure. These include the Pohorje Adrenaline Park, the Pohorje Bike Park, and the Betnava Adventure Park. These parks offer activities like ropes courses and zip-lines.

Transportation in Maribor

• List of bridges in Maribor
• Maribor railway station
  • Tauern Railway
• Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport

Maribor's International Connections

Twin Towns and Sister Cities

Maribor is connected with many cities around the world as twin towns or sister cities:

Partner Cities

Maribor also has partnerships with these cities:

Images for kids

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  Maribor railway station

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  Pohorje

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  Maribor Castle tower.

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  Street in Maribor

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  Slovene National Theatre Maribor

See also

In Spanish: Maribor para niños