In the city of Maribor, eastern Slovenia

 "As you travel around Slovenia,

Think of the tales the hills could tell you.
Share the awe of natural wonder;
Tread the trails, but as you wander
Honor the age-old endeavors to be
Literate, informed, democratic and free."
— Jacqueline Widmar Stewart (Author of Finding Slovenia)
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(in the economic, administrative, educational, and cultural center of eastern Slovenia) Despite being the country’s second-largest city (and the seat of the Eastern Slovenia region), Maribor has about one-third of the population of Ljubljana (Slovenia's capital), and feels like a provincial town. It exudes a lot of charm (thanks to its delightful Old Town along the Drava River). Maribor's central streets buzz with cafes and student life, and the riverside Lent district hosts a major summer arts festival. The city is the gateway to the Maribor Pohorje, a hilly recreational area to the southwest, and the Mariborske and Slovenske Gorice wine-growing regions to the north and east.

+ Maribor was first mentioned as a castle in 1164, as a settlement in 1209, and as a city in 1254. Like most of the Slovene ethnic territory, Maribor was under Habsburg rule until 1918, when Rudolf Maister and his men secured the city for the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs, which then joined the Kingdom of Serbia to form the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. (In 1991 Maribor became part of newly-independent Slovenia).

+ In the 17th century, numerous fires razed the town. As a result, it was rebuilt many times. In addition to fires, the largest plague epidemics occurred between 1646 and 1680, causing the loss of 35 percent of Maribor's population. In 1846, the Southern Railway was built through the town, which resulted in great economic growth and territorial expansion. In 1859, Anton Martin Slomšek, a bishop of the Diocese of Lavant, transferred the seat of the diocese to Maribor. Four years later, Maribor was connected with Carinthia (with the construction of the railway from Maribor to Prevalje). The first daily Slovenian newspaper was established here in 1868 on today's Slomšek Square. In April 1883, the first electric light in the Slovene ethnic territory was installed on Castle Square. The renowned electrical engineer Nikola Tesla lived in Maribor from 1878 to 1879, where he received his first job. Maribor National Hall was built in 1899, and it became a political, cultural, and economic center for all Styrian Slovenes.

+ Of the remains of city walls surrounding the old downtown area, the most prominent are the Judgement Tower, the Water Tower, and the Jewish Tower. Maribor Cathedral was built in the Gothic style in the 13th century. Maribor Synagogue was built in the 14th century, and is the second oldest synagogue in Europe. (Today it serves as a center for cultural activities.) Other medieval buildings are Maribor Castle, Betnava Castle, and the ruins of Upper Maribor Castle on Pyramid Hill. The Town Hall was constructed in the Renaissance style, and the Plague Column in the Baroque style.