MARIBOR Slovenia

MARIBOR Slovenia

Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia. It is the economic, university, cultural and sports centre of the north-eastern part of the country. It lies at the heart of central Europe, at the junction of important traffic routes from central Europe to the south-east, and from western Europe to the Pannonian lowlands. It is located by the river Drava, at the point of contact of five different regional units: the Drava valley, important for traffic and energy, the Pohorje with livestock-rearing and tourism, the forests and farms of Kozjak, Slovenske gorice with its vineyards and orchards, and the arable Drava plain.
Maribor has experienced ups and downs in its almost thousand years of history. It gained town rights in the 13t" century, and in the Late Middle Ages the town had to ring itself with strong walls to ward off the Turkish army which pressed there towards the heart of Europe. The remains are still well preserved