Vodni stolp or the Water tower is one of the 4 remaining fortified towers of the old medieval wall around Maribor. There were more towers in the past. The current form dates back in the year 1555, before there was a smaller oval tower in the area. The Water tower stood at the southeast part of the old Maribor, but today it's located on the eastern part of Lent. It was connected with the Jewish tower by a wall with a famous gate named Vodna vrata (meaning Water gate) located right next to it. In 1967 the tower was almost removed due to the rise of the river Drava, because a hydroelectric power plant was built near Maribor. A lot of historic buildings were destroyed in that time and the local communist government didn't care about it. Luckily, there was a brave engineer named Jože Požauk, who was engaged in lifting the whole tower 2.6m higher. Although his idea wasn't popular, he eventually succeeded, but it took 7 months to make it. After that, the tower was empty for 20 years. In the late 1980s renovations begun and a wine shop found its new home in the tower. It's named Vinoteka Lent. You can taste exquisite wine from the region, sit outside and enjoy the views.
Water tower closeup, the old stone facade.
[My SLOVENIA page][My MARIBOR page][All photos by MKL, 2006-2010]
[See also: JUDGEMENT TOWER][Info source: Narodni Dom]
[See also: JUDGEMENT TOWER][Info source: Narodni Dom]
Read also: [Maribor: City of towers]
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