I finally visited Maribor, one of the cities chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2012 along with Guimarães in Portugal. It was only a short stop over for two hours and I am glad that I was there! It was actually a 9-day trip to the different places and countries in Southeast Europe. We visited 4 countries and another stop-over to Bosnia-Herzegovina and that is then a total of 5 countries. Not really bad, considering the many things included during that trip and the hotels we stayed ranges from 3 to 4 stars hotel. Tour guides, breakfast buffet and dinner, trips to various places were also included in that holiday package.
The Franciscan Church in Maribor. Taken last April 2013. © www.europetravelpad.com
It was a long trip with the bus to our first destination for sightseeing which is Maribor. The trip started in Regensburg, Germany. I have to drive around 40 kilometers to this city and parked my car in a parking lot. It was good because parking was free and my car is safe. I am always happy everytime we arrive safely and my car is still in the parking lot without any damage.
The Maribor Castle. © www.europetravelpad.com
It was not really a long day in Maribor but I already experienced most of its famous sights. This is the advantage if you are traveling alone because you can do all what you want without considering other people. I traveled that time with a group of German tourists but I am alone without anybody or any friend coming with me. I can always decide where and what to do.
Since we were given the time to explore the city on our own, I did not wasted my time but went around and maximized the things that needs to be done.
Among the few sights I experienced in this city are;
The Slomškov Square where the Cathedral of Maribor is located and the statue of Bishop Anton Martin Slomšek. There is also park with a pool and a small statue of Korlek. The square is surrounded by mighty buildings: the Rectorate of the University of Maribor, the Slovene National Theatre and the building of the main Maribor Post office.
The Glavni trg or the Main square. The main square is the largest of Maribor’s squares and it is one of the most important one in the city centre with historical sights and the hustle and bustle of town life flow. The the Town Hall (Mestna hiša Rotovž), the Plague Column (Kužno znamenje), and the Aloysius church (Alojzijeva cerkev) are located in the main square.
The Maribor castle (Mariborski grad). Built by Emperor Frederick III in the 15th century to fortify the northwestern part of the town wall. The castle is located right in the centre of Maribor, surrounded by the Castle square (Grajski trg) and the Trg svobode square (Trg svobode).