Fresh pasta prepared by grandmothers on Sundays: Freshly harvested vegetables that come straight from the uncle's garden to the table, mixed with other dishes for a true aromatic experience, a delicious meat stew with wine in the autumn, a roast with potatoes in winter, marzipan cookies in December ... It is said that the days make a difference in life, but I believe that the seasons are the main factors that shape life, along with seasonal culinary delights that accompany the seasons and anchor themselves in us as a reminder of these unforgettable tastes.

Traveling has always been my passion and I like to help tourists and travellers. Especially when it comes to discovering my country – Slovenia. I am convinced that we rarely get the opportunity to get to know the true soul of the place, which also includes the typical cuisine of a country. I think you should listen to the locals in the restaurants or at the inns, because that is essential to get to know more about trips, the land and cuisine.

After all, that is precisely what is crucial when it comes to collecting the best memories on a journey. That's why you talk to people. As far as food is concerned (especially our European and Mediterranean diets), a cookbook often opens the door to history and the world of memories and traditions passed down from generation to generation. For example, I will never forget the typical Strangolapreti from Trentino or the Bucatini Amatriciana from Trastevere. This is because of their delicious taste, but also because of the stories told by the innkeepers and the waiters of the restaurants when I tried them for the first time.

Therefore, my tip when discovering Maribor, the second largest city in Slovenia, is to try the Maribor Culinary Path. This is a very elaborate culinary package, where you will experience the most typical dishes from the city and the region, from the Štajerska region and Slovenia. The culinary and gastronomic traditions are authentic pillars of life, the memories of the inhabitants and the common history.

At each of the four excellent culinary stations, which you will discover with the culinary package, you will have the opportunity to sample the most typical traditional dishes of the area. Tradition and innovation are skilfully combined and refined with strictly local and various aromatic ingredients and products depending on the season and enriched with typical ingredients, which are selected by the chefs with love and care.

But that's not all. On your gastronomic tour of Maribor, you will also have the opportunity to get to know the four best restaurants and clubs in the city, where the food is in the foreground, but the location and the ambiance are not inferior. At the first culinary station, at the Pri treh ribnikih restaurant (The Three Ponds), you can immerse yourself in a very special environment. The restaurant, situated in the green of the large city park, surrounded by flowerbeds, green fields, large trees and three ponds, is walking distance from the central path through the park. The restaurant is only a few steps away from the city hills Mestni Vrh and Piramida, from where you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the city and surrounding vineyards.

Over 300 years old, the Pri treh ribnikih Restaurant spoils its guests with unforgettable specialties: shrimp, wild boar and the famous Pohorje omelette. Of course, here you will also get a large selection of excellent quality wines from the best winemakers in the region, who treat their profession with dedication.

The gastronomic excursion will continue in the Restaurant and Café Sedem, where students of the famous Maribor Hotel School will demonstrate the skills they acquired in the classroom, prepare traditional dishes and conjure up delicious innovative creations that will not disappoint their desserts. The leitmotiv on the Sedem menu is to experience traditional cuisine and the seasonal peculiarities that always accompany the young chefs in their creations, as well as to immerse themselves in the world of unique flavours and tastes.

The Gostilna Maribor restaurant is housed in an elegant historic building overlooking the main square of the city. When the weather allows it, you can dine on the terrace and watch everyday life go by in the city. Here guests can discover the secrets of regional cuisine. Here you will find, among other things, different versions of a recipe, which varies in different parts of Slovenian Štajerska region, in line with the seasons, in which families may not miss the dish on the menu.

Amongst the herbs and spices that you will experience on entering the Gostilna Maribor restaurant are the scents of freshly baked bread, obara (beef stew), chopped, roast chicken, apple strudel and apricot dumplings. Thanks to the creativity and skills of chef Gregor Jager, dining here is sure to be a culinary experience!

Last but not least, visitors must visit the Old Vine House on their gastronomic journey through Maribor. In the heart of the oldest district of Maribor – Lent, overlooking the Drava River, the oldest grapevine in the world has meandered on the house facade for more than 400 years. The vine has survived the attacks on the city walls in the late Middle Ages, which included the Old Vine House. And the bombing raids in the Second World War, which did not spare the house, could not stop the vine.

Today, the Old Vine House is a place of tradition and wine culture of Maribor, the Štajerska region and the entire Slovenia. This is the ideal place to taste the best wines in the country. The house of the Old Vine is not only a popular wine cellar, it also houses a museum. In addition, there are many events involving wine, which are becoming increasingly popular with Slovenes and tourists. Take part in the events, which are influenced by the seasons, and accompany the most important phases of the millennia-old wine tradition.