The capital of Slovenian Styria is flourishing with botanical gardens, parks and forests. Any business and congress guest that visits the city, can choose from a rich list of green spots that adorn the city and its surroundings and can be visited as a part of an incentive programme or just as an off the beaten track pause between the meetings. In addition, some of the parks provide for additional surprises…
We present here the main nicely arranged parks and forests:
Maribor City Park
Protected as a landscape monument, the beautifully landscaped City Park charms visitors not just with its trees, among which many are almost 150 years old, flower beds and water fountains, but also with a hill of roses, three ponds, and Aquarium and Terrarium. The aquarium, one of the better known in SEE, hosts as many as 120 species of freshwater and saltwater fishes and is combined with a terrarium where one can see over a hundred species of reptiles, as well as poisonous snakes, various amphibians, and insects.
Botanical Garden of University of Maribor Pivola
For even more vivid colours one should take a stroll through a breathtaking Botanical Garden of University of Maribor – Pivola. The Botanical Garden is set under the green slopes of Pohorje mountain and provides walking paths among the domestic and foreign flora. Visitors can also see trees, bushes, perennials, medicinal herbs and aquatic plants from Asia, Africa, Amarica and Australia. The most astonishing are the exotic trees that include 120-year-old Sequoias, a Thuja tree with a circumference of 364 cm, Caucasian fir tree, Tsuga Canadensis, Lawson’s cypress trees, Red leafed beech tree, Larch trees, Magnolias, and Yew trees.
Botanical Garden Tal 2000
This private botanical garden maintains the largest collection of growing (wild) aquatic and waterside plants in Slovenia including rare, endangered species, collection of poisonous plants, and a collection of minerals. Visitors can also look at some medicinal herbs and can purchase aquatic, waterside and decorative plants to take home, as well as bioenergetic points.
Other parks and forests
Park in the Slomškov trg square, Park in the Maistrov trg Square, Park in the Kidričev trg Square, Magdalenski Park, Park by the Betnava Mansion, Stražun Forest.
Avenues
Two-sided avenue of small leafed Linded trees is approximately 1000 m long avenue, one of the rare avenues still preserved in Slovenia. Another popular promenade is the one-sided avenue of Chestnut trees.
Plantations
Park plantation at Pohorski dvor which includes very old and beautiful domestic and exotic trees and shrubs. Exotic trees can be also admired in the Plantation of exotic trees in Razvanje among which four trees boast between 340 to 400 cm of impressing circumferences, and in the Park Plantation with exotic trees in Bresternica. While the Park plantation at the Faculty of Agriculture has new foreign tress and avenue of Pterocarya fraxinifolia.
Betnava wood (Betnavski gozd)
Betnava wood, located on the outskirts of the city, is covered with spots for relaxation and recreation: hiking, walking, cycling. In the wood one can also find a Trim path for recreation. For further enjoyment and unique experience, it is possible to visit the Betnava Manor and the Beekeeping Centre Maribor. Both located in the forest’s immediate vicinity.