Take a journey through Maribor’s history

Pokrajinski muzej Maribor (Maribor regional museum) is housed in Mariborski grad (Maribor castle), with its famous staircase, Viteška dvorana (Knights’ hall) and charming courtyard. Explore permanent exhibitions from the archaeological display Prvi dotik (First touch), through Med bliščem in bedo srednjega veka (Between splendour and misery in the Middle Ages), to Portret meščanstva (Portrait of the bourgeoisie), about cultural life in 19th-century Maribor. Rich collections of fine art, fashion, weapons and crafts have a special appeal.

For the museum’s 120th anniversary, 120 objects were selected to tell the stories of Maribor and the people who shaped it. Among them are a fibula from the 10th century BC, Maribor’s city seal from around 1300, a seating set from the mid-18th century, Rudolf Maister’s cap, Marshal Josip Broz Tito’s uniform and women’s snakeskin ankle boots made at the Kleinschuster factory in the 19th century.

Muzej narodne osvoboditve Maribor (National liberation museum Maribor) displays material illustrating the turbulent history of the border city in the 20th and 21st centuries. It chronicles rises and falls, from one of the fastest-growing cities to one of Yugoslavia’s most devastated communities after the Second World War. Discover Maribor’s industrial boom, the struggles for the northern border with General Rudolf Maister and the fate of Maribor residents during and after the Second World War.

The exhibition Industrijski Maribor v 20. stoletju (Industrial Maribor in the 20th century) presents the city’s rich industrial heritage, which still shapes it today. Did you know that just four years after Edison invented the light bulb, Slovenia’s first electric light was already shining in Maribor?

Maribor’s story is inseparable from the World’s oldest grapevine. At Muzej najstarejše trte na svetu (Museum of the World’s oldest grapevine), discover the resilience of the 460-year-old modra kavčina vine, its caretakers and its remarkable heritage.

Muzej za enega (Museum for one), housed in a former kiosk, measures just 7.5 square metres and is Slovenia’s smallest museum. It preserves the tradition of a former social meeting place where you can discover historical facts, legends and anecdotes about Maribor.

Lutkovni muzej Maribor (Maribor puppetry museum) is located in the attic of Lutkovno gledališče Maribor (Maribor puppet theatre). Nearly 100 of the most interesting and recognisable puppets created and performed on the theatre’s stage are on display. Find more information about the exhibition and theatre programme at Informacijska točka Minoriti (Minoriti information point). If you encounter the biggest spider you have ever seen, you are on the right track.

Fotografski muzej Maribor (Photography museum Maribor) displays part of the extensive collection of over 1,100 cameras, movie cameras and projectors assembled by Avgust and Maria Bohanec. Avgust held the official title of first exclusive Leica representative in the USA.