City shopping mall, Maribor

One of the first big shopping malls in Maribor

City is one of Maribor's first bigger shopping malls. When it opened in December 1997, it was the biggest and most modern shopping mall in Maribor, as well as in this part of Slovenia. It replaced Merkur, the biggest shopping mall in Maribor for decades, which slowly went bankrupt at the end of the 1990s. City however was only briefly the most popular mall in town. In 2000 a newer bigger mall opened on the other side of the river Drava. It was Europark, which is still no 1 in Maribor today. City slowly lost its magic, because big shopping centers emerged all over Maribor and people start to avoid the center for shopping. Europark for example has free parking, while city doesn't. That's one of the reasons, why people generally avoid City. Usually those who work or live in the area frequent there, while others choose to shop elsewhere.

Besides shops, there's are a supermarket, post office, various cafés and restaurants as well as offices in the building. One the first floor is Panda, a local restaurant chain, famous for simple lunches and snacks and a popular spot for those who work in the area. In 2002 another similar building was built nearby and named City 2, but it's mainly used for offices.

See some photos of City Maribor:

City (on the right, in the middle) seen from the Titova cesta (Tito road).

The main area when you enter the mall.

Cafés along the escalator.

The main alley is small. There are 3 floors.

Opening hours:

Monday - Friday: 8h-20h
Saturday's: 8h-15h

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Homepage][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Kolosej multiplex, Maribor

Maribor's infamous black box

Kolosej is Maribor's first multiplex, opened in 2004. For 3 years it was the only cineplex in the city and that's why it attracted a lot of people. I remember how popular it was at first, because it doesn't only house 10 movie theaters, it also includes a night club, which was at that time the number one in Maribor, as well as bars, billiards, bowling and some shops. Then came 2007 and another multiplex was built a bit further from the old center called Planet TUŠ. Kolosej lost a lot of people, because it was smaller and had less things to offer. Soon after that the popular night club closed. The future for Kolosej doesn't look to bright. There are some plans to build a hotel and apartment building close to the building, in hope of reviving the whole area.

Kolosej was designed by the architect Janko J. Zadravec, who later complained that the building wasn't constructed completely according to his plans. I'm still not happy about that building being built at the current location near the river Drava. I feel it's totally out of place, because it doesn't connect with any other buildings in the area. The unusual thing is the facade, which is actually a fabric that covers the whole structure. That's probably a first in Slovenia. And I've never seen something like that abroad. Kolosej is probably the most controversial and outstanding piece of modern architecture in Maribor. I'm not saying the design is bad, I just think it doesn't belong in that area. It could be built elsewhere.

See some photos of Kolosej (from Aug 2010):

The main entrance to Kolosej Maribor. The front yard is small. I don't like the concrete paving.

The main entrance again.

A closeup on the fabric, which consists of some metal elements.

The inside is dark. A lift in the center, the theaters are on first floor.

Here you can buy candies and beverages.

My girlfriend playing pool with me. They have nice tables.

The western part of Kolosej with stairs leading down to the river banks of Drava. Opposite is Europark.

There's also a big underground garage in the building (650 parking spaces), but you have to pay for parking, unless you see a movie or play pool or bowling. In that case you have to ask for a free parking ticket at the counter.

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Europark shopping mall, Maribor

Maribor's most famous shopping mall

Europark is so far Maribor's biggest and most popular shopping mall. It was opened on August 23, 2000. At that time it was one of the biggest shopping malls in Slovenia (and still is today). This year the mall celebrated its 10 years anniversary and it can show some pretty impressive numbers of a very successful decade of growth and profit. In the late 1990s, when the design of the Viennese architect Heinz H. Brunner was made public, many people criticized it, especially the so called local sheriff of Maribor's architects Bogdan Reicheberg, who said the building looks "massive and only serves the purpose of being noticed instead of focusing on the ambiance". He also said, that it should've been built 5km away from where it stands. Looks like some of our local architects think, if they've done some good projects in the 1980s, that they have own the city now. Luckily nobody listened to Reichenberg end of 1990s, because Europark is today one of the best examples of modern architecture in the city and one of the most popular parts of Maribor. That's partly, because it was built so close to the city center and the Tito bridge (Titov most). Now you can park your car in Europark for free and go to the old town by foot. If it's snowing or raining, you can do everything inside the huge mall: Shop, eat, go to post office or bank, meet friends... Europark enriched Maribor unlike any other shopping mall. Rarely Maribor succeeds to make something amazing and Europark is definitely something like that. It's built at the right spot and at the right time.

At the time of completion in 2000, Europark measured 28,000 sq meters, but in 2007 a new part was added and the building is now 40,000 sq meters large. A big part of it is a huge parking garage, which currently houses 2600 free parking spaces. There are 120 shops, bars and restaurants in the building giving jobs to around 1000 people. Maribor is probably one of the best shopping destinations in Slovenia and if you choose to come here, Europark should be your top spot for a shopping adventure as well as for exploring the city by foot. The old medieval center is within 10min of walk.

See some of my photos of Europark (take in August 2010):

The front side of Europark, that glass part on first floor is a restaurant.

One of the entrances of Europark near Titova road.

Inside Europark: Shops, shops and shops.

You can shop from afforadble to expensive brands.

Big Bang is a Slovenian store that sells cell phones, music CDs, computers, TVs, cameras...

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Maribor called Tako's.

This is the huge garage on the eastern part of the structure.

There's also a big supermarket inside the building called InterSpar, was also an investor of Europark, that's why they have such a prominent spot in the building.

Opening hours: Europark is open every day.

Monday - Friday: 9h-21h, bars until 22h
Saturday's: 8h-21h, bars until 22h
Sunday's: 9h-15h

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Homepage][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Maistrov trg/Maister square, Maribor

One of my favorite squares in Maribor

Prva Gimnazija Maribor, Maribor's first secondary school.

Trg Generala Maistra, sometimes also Maistrov Trg (pronounced "My·straw terg") or in English General Maister square is one of the squares in Maribor north o the old medieval center. It's located next to the Maribor castle and serves as the front yard of Maribor's first secondary school named Prva Gimnazija Maribor, which I had the honor to attend. Most of the area is occupied by a park. The square is named after Rudolf Maister, a famous Slovenian commander and general, a poet and political activist. He made sure, that Maribor and the surrounding countryside didn't become part of Austria in 1918. He organized the first Slovenian army and disarmed local German forces, that planned to take over control of Maribor (then Marburg an der Drau) and annex it to the First Austrian Republic. That's why Maister is deemed a hero for the people of Maribor and Slovenia, while for the Austrians, he remains a controversial historic figure. The square used to be named Leninov trg (Lenin square) in the past (1945-1992), but was renamed in honor to Rudolf Maister in 1993. A statue of the general was placed here in 1987. People like to put candles and wreaths in his honor here. Opposite of the statue a linden tree was planted on 26. June 1991, a day after Slovenia declared its independence from Yugoslavia.

See some photos from Maistrov trg:

The statue of General Rudolf Maiser Vojanov.

A plaque commemorating the day of Slovenian independence and the planting of the linden tree.

The northern part of the Maribor castle.

The newly built Maistrov dvor, office and apartment building, completed in 2010.

If you visit Maribor's Maister square, you will see these important buildings and sights:

1 Maribor castle (Mariborski grad)
2 Prva secondary school (Prva Gimnazija)

3 Maister manor (Maistrov dvor)

4 Statue of Maister (Spomenik Maistru)

5 Independence linden tree (Osamosvojitvena lipa)

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Vojašniški trg/Barracks square, Maribor

One of the less known historic squares in Maribor

Vojašniški trg (pronounced as "Voh·yash·neesh·key terg") or Barracks square is one of the 6 remaining medieval squares in Maribor, located at the southwestern part of the old town, close to the Round tower and the the former Franciscan monastery. The square is connected with the Vojašniška ulica or Barracks street on the east side and with the Vodnik square on the west side. The name comes from the barracks, that were put here during the reign of Joseph II in the late 18th century. He converted many monasteries into barracks. The square is still in a bad shape, even though the barracks are gone for a while already. However, things are gradually improving. A big part of the square was recently renovated, the area around the former Franciscan monastery called Minoriti. However, there's still a lot to renovate and reconstruct, before the square will look as new.

See some photos of the Barracks square/Vojašniški trg:

The wall on the left will be removed one day, it was build to give the barracks a backyard.

Mostly poor people live in the houses of this square.

Cars parked everywhere make the square unfriendly for pedestrians.

This area around Minoriti (which is today a puppet theater), is freshly renovated.

This is the worst part of the Barracks square, the nearly in ruins Žiče manor.

Once they renovate this part of the square, it will really be one of the most beautiful squares in Maribor, full of rich history and very interesting for foreign and local visitors. Maribor needs to rediscover these beautiful medieval spots, they are our historic treasures.

If you visit Maribor's Barracks square, you will see these historically important buildings:

1 Minoriti (Franciscan monastery)

2 Žiče manor (Žički dvor)

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Trg revolucije/Revolution square, Maribor

A big square on the right side of the river Drava

Trg Revolucije (pronounced as "Terg Ray·voh·loo·tsee·yeh") or Revolution square is one of the few squares on the "right side of Maribor", usually called Desni breg (Right riverbank of Drava). This square got its current form after 1913, when the Old bridge (Stari most) was completed. It connected the old medieval center of Maribor with the other side called Tabor, that was starting to grow and develop in the late 19th century with the arrival of the railways of the Austrian Südbahn (connecting Vienna with Trieste).

The square in 1930s, before the heavy traffic that we can see today. (Photo: Source)

The most significant building is the former Železnina (store selling tools).

The square has a nice view on Maribor's medieval center.

Unfortunately the square today lost its glory. Most buildings are run down and the central part is just a simple lawn. We could have a statue or a monument here, something significant. And the whole traffic should be redone, this beautiful square is one big confusing roundabout. With that said, I still think it's one of Maribor's most beautiful squares.

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][All photos by MKL, 2010, except the historic]

Vodnikov trg/Vodnik square, Maribor

The square that houses Maribor's day market

Vodnikov trg (pronounced as "Vod·nee·kow terg") or Vodnik square is a big square in Maribor near the river Drava and close to the Round tower and outside the former southwestern part of the defense wall around the medieval core of the city. It's named After Valentin Vodnik (1758-1819), a Slovenian poet. Today the square is used as Maribor's main day market (Mariborska tržnica). The square went through a big change in the recent two years, the new day market was redesigned. A big underground garage was built under the multiple leveled structure that facilitates Maribor's main market. Many people were not happy with the design of the architects Rok Benda, Primož Hočevar and Mitja Zorc, because it doesn't fit well in the area. But not only that. It turned out that the modern (you could say extraterrestrial) design of the umbrellas, that were praised as revolutionary, didn't do the job well. Not only is the whole level wet, when it rains, the first snow destroyed some of them, which cost a lot. The garage is mostly unoccupied, the shops inside the structure are empty and less and less people are going to the market here, they rather go to big shopping malls, because it's more convenient. The day market today (in 2010) is barely making any profit. Basically money was thrown out the window and the bad and unpractical design destroyed the once vibrant area of Maribor's daily life. It's a shame.

See some photos of Vodnik square:

The famous Round or Judgement tower and parts of the medieval defense wall.

The main level of Maribor's day market with the freaky umbrellas. Photo from August 2010.

This is how the open market looked like in November on a busy day.

The Vodnik square from near the river Drava. You can see the entrance to the garage.

This square, that used to be on a small slope is today an ugly multileveled day market, that doesn't attract people and keeps losing money. I don't know what the architects were thinking and what was on mayor's mind, but this is definitely a shame. New things are not always good for an old city such as Maribor. Sometimes all it needs is a good renovation and few additions. But well, now we have to live with this. I still hope some improvements will be made and that the market will attract more people.

If you visit Maribor's Freedom square, you will see these historically important buildings:

1 Round tower (Sodni stolp)
2 Minoriti (Franciscan monastery)

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]