4 Styria cities
Table of Contents
Old town centers in the 4 largest Styrian cities
In Slovenia, Styria is the largest province and occupies 30 percent of the entire country. Historically, this is only part of the Austro-Hungarian province of Styria, which is now three-quarters in Austria. Styria is located in the northeast of the country and is predominantly hilly. It offers many interesting places worth visiting; ski resorts, spas, hills, vineyards,… But here we will limit ourselves to the 4 largest cities. Of the 8 largest cities in the country, 4 are in Styria. These cities are Maribor, Celje, Velenje, and Ptuj.
Maribor
It is after Ljubljana, the second-largest city in Slovenia (almost 100 thousand inhabitants), and is the cultural and economic center of Styria. From the center of Ljubljana to the center of Maribor you need an hour and a half of moderate driving. I would suggest a circular route around the old part of town. The walk itself is about 45 minutes. Which in reality means about 2 hours, because in the meantime we will stop, eat, visit a museum or stay longer in the park. The easiest way to park is in the Lent car park, which is free on weekends.
From the Old Bridge, we start at the pentagonal Water Tower from the 16th century, which was part of the defensive walls. When building the accumulation dam, they had to move the tower a few meters to keep it above water level. Along the waterline, we continue 200 meters under the Main Bridge towards Lent. Within this old part of the city, in Vojašniška Ulica 8 in Pristan, is the oldest vine in the world. The vine is 450 years old and is entered in the Guinness Book of Records. There is also a museum in the house next to which it grows. Related to this vine are the abundance of events Old Vine Cut, St. Martin’s Day, and the Old Vine Festival.
The pier ends with the Court Tower, which was on the southwestern part of the city walls. This round tower dates from the 16th century and has burned down several times since then and has been rebuilt.
From the bank of river Drava, we head inland to the Main Square, which has been an urban center since the 13th century. There is a plague sign and a townhouse from the 16th century on the square.
We continue to Slomškov square. At the eastern end is the cathedral church of St. John the Baptist, which was first built in the Middle Ages and has been rebuilt several times since then. The most interesting moment is the regothization in the 19th century, where most of the Baroque acquisitions are removed and destroyed. Bishop Slomšek is also buried here.
On the west side of the park is the University building from the 19th century.
We continue north, past the medieval Celigi Tower.
We turn west to Peoples garden, the stadium of the Maribor football club. The facility accommodates 13,000 spectators and is a place where the hearts of Maribor residents beat purple, in the colors of the club.
Back to the east is City Park, the main green area in the city. If you have enough energy and will, you can continue towards Mestni vrh, Kalvarija, or Pyramidfor a great view.
On the way back we stop at Maribor Castle from the 17th century, where the museum is located today. It is followed by the Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy from the end of the 19th century.
We conclude the tour in the Jewish quarter from which the Jews were expelled in 1497. Here we find a Jewish street, a square, a cemetery, a tower, and a synagogue.
Of course, you can stay in the city longer and also explore the newer parts of the city on both banks of the Drava. If you want to do sports, there is Maribor island with a swimming pool and Mariborsko Pohorje with a ski resort. There are also some mansions nearby; Betnava, Viltuš, Hrastovec …
Ptuj
Ptuj is a city with a rich history. During the Roman Empire, the city was the most important center in Slovenia and with 30,000 inhabitants surpassed the then London and Vienna. It is one of the oldest towns in Slovenia. We arrive in the city in half an hour from Maribor. We park in the parking lot, which is located at the northern foot of castle hill.
In beginning, climb to Ptuj Castle. This triangularly designed medieval castle was rebuilt several times between the 11th and 17th centuries. Here you can admire the arcaded courtyard, the rooms, and the knight’s room furnished with the collections of the Provincial Museum. From the terrace of the castle, there is a beautiful view of the old town and Lake Ptuj.
We descend into the city along a narrow and steep path. We take a look at Slovenian square with the striking City Tower (the side towards the castle does not have a clock, because the manor did not contribute to the construction), which is also the first lapidary in Slovenia. The neighboring Church of St. Yuri has been using the tower for his own needs since their own burned in 17. century.
The path leads you further to the Town Square with Florian’s baroque statue, a protector against fire. The main building on the square is the historic City Hall – the Magistrate from the beginning of the 20th century.
We descend to Miorit square with the monastery and the sign of Mary.
The square continues into the City Park, which on the other hand is bounded by Lake Ptuj.
Here we turn and slowly move back along the bank, past the renaissance defense tower Pulverturm back through the narrow streets between the old buildings to Prešernova street and further west past the medieval Dominican monastery with a baroque portal, which is now owned by the municipality and is a museum and space for events.
A longer visit may include water activities along Slovenia’s largest lake or on the other shore in the discovery of Roman remains. Definitely, the best time to visit the city during the carnival, when loud carnival masks reign here – Kurenti.
Celje
Celje is another city with a long history, from the Celts, the Romans (Celeia, the Temple of Mars, the Huns), the Middle Ages (the Counts of Celje) to modern times. From Ptuj we will move in the next 45 minutes to the town at the confluence of Voglajna and Savinja. Parking Savinja banks is close to the city center and free of charge on weekends.
We would start at Celje counts square, where the National home is located, where the seat of the city municipality is today. There is also a statue of the photographer Josip Pelikan, and next to the aga kebab fast food there is also a memorial plaque to the traveler Alma Karlin. A little lower is the Count’s Palace, once the seat of the Counts of Celje, today the site of historical exhibitions and events.
The Old County is a Renaissance mansion, where the second part of the Provincial Museum is located, with the Celje ceiling-painting, which is the central attraction.
There is a lapidary in the garden and from there, there is a beautiful promenade on the Savinja banks, where the walls of the medieval town once stood. The southeast corner of the medieval walls is one of the few remainings, the Water Tower.
From here we head back inland to the Main Square. On our way, we pass the Gothic cathedral church of St. Danijela. On the square is the sign of Mary from the 19th century. From there we move along the city streets past the market to Vodnikova Street. The tour ends at the Theater Tower (part of the theater), which stands on the northwest corner of the medieval town.
For a longer visit, visit Celje Castle or the match by RK or NK Celje.
Velenje
It takes less than half an hour to get to Velenje. This place is an exception from other visited places. The modern city did not develop next to the medieval core, but on the other side of the Pakariver due to the coal mine and the Gorenje factory. The medieval core is located at the foot of the castle hill and has been neglected. They have recently realized its value and are currently renovating it with the help of European funds.
Definitely worth a visit here is the medieval castle, which is now a museum. In the small old town, Villa Bianca is worth mentioning, which is today a venue for events, and the parish church of St. Mary – Carmelite Mother of God, built in the Middle Ages and thoroughly reworked in the Baroque.
On a longer visit, you can go to Lake Velenje, the remains of Šaleški castle, after which the whole valley is named, to the RK Gorenje match in the Red Hall or try gourmet pampering at Villa Herberstein.
Bonus
Špičnik – heart at vinyards
Špičnik is less than half an hour away from Maribor and this is probably one of the most popular Styrian locations on Instagram. Here is a road that leads between vineyards and at a certain angle looks like hearts. A visit in the summer months means greenery and a less visible path, and on colder days the path is more visible but the vineyard is more barren. The road is quite bad in the last part and stops not far from Austria. When you arrive at the Dreisiebner homestead, you are greeted warmly and told that only customers have access to this vantage point. Treat yourself to some wine at a reasonable price, served by the local wine queen. I suggest you take another bottle home. If you want to avoid crowds while drinking rose, it is recommended that you are early or come in during the week.
Trojane – tradicionalni krofi
Halfway between Ljubljana and Velenje or Celje are the Trojane. Definitely a mandatory stop here after visiting Styria, where the border of this region is. GP Trojane is 2 minutes away from the motorway exit. The most famous donuts in Slovenia are sold here (not the best ever). They are really big and always fresh because they are sold in huge quantities. If you are not a fan of donuts, there are cream puffs, gibanice, hedgehogs …
