Maribor / Slovenia

Alpine Town of the Year 2000 (not a member of the association)

The town of Maribor is situated where the Pohorje Mountains, the Drava Valley, the Kozjak mountain range, the Dravsko polje and the hills of the Slovenske gorice meet. Today it is the second largest city in Slovenia.

Maribor, which today is not only an important regional centre but also a university town, was able to further consolidate its position by building a new university library. For many years now, both regional institutions (e.g. Regional Museum, Regional Archive, Museum of People’s Liberation, Office for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage) and certain state institutions (e.g. the Railway Agency, Energy Agency, Slovenian Post) have had their headquarters here.

The particular strengths of the town are its favourable traffic position at the junction of the Alpine foothills and the Pannonian Basin, its highly qualified specialists, good opportunities in the field of education, research and development, a highly developed culture, a high-quality and diverse natural environment and the scenic interlacing of the Pohorje mountains, the vineyards and the Drava plain; reasons why this area is one of the most picturesque landscapes in Slovenia.