Maribor is the second-largest city in Slovenia with about 95,500 inhabitants, it's also the largest city of the traditional region of Lower Styria and the seat of the City Municipality of Maribor.

Maribor was first mentioned as a market near the castle Castrum Marchburch ("March Castle") in 1204, and received town privileges in 1254. It began to grow rapidly after the victory of Rudolf I of the Habsburg dynasty over King Otakar II of Bohemia in 1278. Maribor withstood sieges by Matthias Corvinus in 1480/1481 and by the Ottoman Empire in 1532 and 1683.

Maribor has a humid continental climate, bordering on oceanic climate. Average temperatures hover around zero degrees Celsius during the winter. Summers are generally warm. Average temperatures during the city's warmest month (July) exceed 20 degrees Celsius, which is one of the main reasons for the Maribor wine tradition.

Many historical structures stand in Maribor. Of the remains of city walls surrounding the old downtown, the most prominent are the Judgement Tower, the Water Tower, and the Jewish Tower. Maribor Cathedral was built in the Gothic style in the 13th century. Maribor Synagogue was built in the 14th century, and is the second oldest synagogue of Europe. Today it serves as a centre for cultural activities. Other prominent Medieval buildings are Maribor Castle, Betnava Castle, and the ruins of Upper Maribor Castle on Pyramid Hill. Town Hall was constructed in the Renaissance style, and the Plague Column in the Baroque style.

The city hosts the University of Maribor, established in 1975, and many other schools.

Every June, the two-week Lent Festival (named after the waterfront district called Lent) is held, with hundreds of musical, theatrical and other events. Every year the festival attracts theatre, opera, ballet performers, classical, modern, and jazz musicians and dancers from all over the world, and of course many visitors. There is also mime, magic shows are being held and acrobats perform during the festival.

Maribor is known for wine and culinary specialities of international and Slovene. There are also many popular restaurants with Serbian cuisine. The Vinag Wine Cellar (Vinagova vinska klet), with the area of 20.000 m2 and the length of 2 kilometres, keeps 5,5 millions litres of wine. The house of the oldest grapevine in the world (Hiša stare trte) at Lent grows the world's oldest grapevine, which was in 2004 recorded in Guinness World Records. The grapevine of Žametovka is about 440 years old.

Ulm has a lot to offer both inside and outside its city limits. Here, for example, an impressive mix of architecture meets historic sites and numerous gardens and parks. These are ideally complemented by great museums, theaters and collections of world class. The most popular Ulm attractions can be found in the city center.

High, higher, Ulm Münster! With 162 m, the Ulm Cathedral has the highest church tower in the world. At the same time the Ulm Cathedral is the largest Protestant church in Germany. The construction of the imposing church began in 1377 and spread over a period of 500 years. The profane reason for this: In 1543 the money for the further construction was missing. However, church construction was nearly completed by this year. To this day, it has been preserved in its original substance.

The Fishing Village (Fischerviertel): The talk is about the fishmonger Ulm, which is the most important old town complex in Ulm. Situated at the mouth of the Blue River in the Danube, the fishing village enchants with half-timbered architecture, old alleys and winding passages, as well as its numerous bridges. Once upon a time, craftsmen, whose work was related to the water, lived and worked here. Among them were Fischer, Gerber, Seifensieder or Müller.

Architecture: Opposites attract! If the city houses impressive historical buildings on the one hand, it shows an exciting architectural interplay with super-modern buildings on the other side. Ulm's town center, for example, is home to historic buildings such as the Town Hall, the Market Square and the Ulm Cathedral. On the other hand, there are modern buildings such as the White Town Hall and the pyramidal, glassy Central library.

Ulms Museums: If you are going on a trip to Ulm on the Danube, you will be surprised by the range of museums and exhibitions. For example, you can get an insight into the age of primordial and early history or the art of modernity in the cultural institutions of the city. To choose one of the museums in Ulm is anything but easy. How about visiting the Museum of Bread Culture? It gives you an exciting insight into the importance of grain and bread for the cultural development of mankind. A focus is on the depiction of the lack of bread or its history and present.

The Crooked House from the 15th / 16th century, the best-known house in the old town of Ulm, is located in the Fishermen's quarter on the banks of river Blue.According to the Guinness Book of Records, this building lodges, since 1995, the "most crooked hotel" of the world. After a complex renovation, it is corrected and secured in its crooked position.

The Town Hall Ulm: It is located close to the Ulm Cathedral and can be recognized by its impressive exterior paintings from the early Renaissance period. The paintings depict doctrinal representations of commandments, virtues and vices, dating back to 1900. In fact, they are considerably older. However, they had to be re-applied because of the weather.

Einstein Fountain: Once Ulmer, always Ulmer! One of the most famous sons of Ulm is none other than Albert Einstein. On March 14, 1879, the world-famous genius was born in Ulm. Although Einstein lived only 15 months in the city, he felt that he will be connected with the city even after his death.

The Danube Aquarium: A visit to the zoo with Danube Aquarium should not be missing on your to-do list of the most exciting attractions in Ulm. In the zoo you can marvel at more than 2,000 animals up close. There are numerous native species as well as exotic inhabitants to admire. When visiting the zoo, for example, you will discover arrowgift frogs and iguanas. In the tropical house, monkeys, crocodiles and colorful birds await you.

A holiday in Ulm is more than worthwhile. The Donube city is the right place for adventurers and explorers as well as for culture and nature fans. These most popular Ulm attractions promises you a colorful mix that shows how versatile the city is. Therefore you can look forward to an impressive combination of tradition and modernity, from history and innovation as well as exciting experience.