Feel-good towns of Slovenia

The Maribor of ballet dancer and choreographer Edward Clug

The magic of Slovenian cities and towns lies in their friendly and playful rhythm tailored to people. How is Maribor, Slovenia’s second largest city, perceived by the renowned ballet dancer Edward Clug?

The magic of Slovenian cities and towns lies in their friendly and playful rhythm tailored to people. In the streets that cross and merge into picturesque squares, where people gather, residents and visitors alike. While sitting outside a coffee shop, you’re bound to be greeted by familiar faces passing by. A visit to the theatre is a date with the city. A walk in the park is a trip to the city’s primary forest. These are cities and towns with the soul of an old man, full of stories and history, and cities and towns that jump over walls with childlike playfulness and chart the course of urban life for new generations.

Welcome to feel-good towns of Slovenia.
The first sip of coffee turns my sleepy thoughts into inspired dreams.
A bridge doesn't stop the river's flow,
It simply invites you to see it from a new perspective.
The smallest of all museums.
Here the world's oldest grapevine
sways in step with the present.
My canvas is the stage,
yet every canvas shapes my next step.
A city has its surfaces
and its depths.
It's natural to move, to find your own choreography!
I surrender to inspiration at every step.
Here every table sparks creativity.
Maribor has given me space for magic.
Feel it for yourselves!

🌿💚

Watch videoFeel good towns of Slovenia - Edward Clug

The city’s creative playground

Maribor, Slovenia’s second largest city, is most frequently acclaimed with titles such as the city of the oldest vine in the world, the city by the Drava River, the city lying at the foothills of the vast green (or snowy, depending on the season) Pohorje Hills. It is also a city boasting a university spirit, a city of sports, and a city whose heart beats in harmony with numerous events and festivals, and whose character is shaped by galleries and museums, art studios and cafés, homely bistros and distinguished wine houses. A notable building housing a theatre that is a creative playground and a haven of a globally recognised and renowned artist can be found in the old city centre.

Twenty years ago, the international world of ballet, previously mainly accustomed to classical performances, became acquainted with a show that featured music by the alternative rock band, Radiohead. It was instantly a global hit. Ballet title: Radio & Juliet. Ballet ensemble: Slovene National Theatre Maribor (SNG Maribor). Choreographer and dancer: Edward Clug.

A man waves to a person in an open window of a building adorned with greenery. Nearby, people sit at outdoor café tables under umbrellas.

Clug, born in Romania, joined the Maribor ballet ensemble immediately after graduation in 1991. Although the Maribor ballet ensemble may not have been among the very best in the former Yugoslavia at the time, Clug joined a young generation of dancers who wanted something more. Maribor became and remained his home, his dance floor, his stage. Today, he is not only the artistic director of the Maribor Ballet, but also regularly cooperates with numerous established ballet companies and opera houses around the world, such as the Vienna State Opera, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, or La Scala in Milan. In only one season, Clug and his ballet ensemble performed in Dubai, Hong Kong and São Paulo.

A person is leaning against the pink plastered wall of a building and holding a drink. Next to them, a black bicycle is parked against a white wall covered in graffiti.

A person walks on a curved wooden bridge under a clear blue sky. In the background, charming historic buildings with red-tiled roofs.

The city is friendly, exceptionally warm. Maribor is genuine. Maribor is – in one word simply – great. And I think that visitors detect that immediately and also feel it.

Edward Clug – ballet dancer and choreographer

"Our beautiful Maribor"

"What does Maribor mean to me? The city is friendly, exceptionally warm. Maribor is genuine. Maribor is – in one word simply – great. And I think that visitors detect that immediately and also feel it. We, the people of Maribor – if I can call myself one of them – find it self-evident that we’re friendly, polite and hospitable. What else could I say about this beautiful Maribor," ponders Clug. His thoughts are accompanied by the lively and at times discordant sounds of the city on a vibrant early autumn midday.

We met Clug only a few days before one of the artistic highlights taking place in the second largest Slovenian city, Ballet Under the Stars. He was in the midst of preparations for the exceptionally popular event that takes audiences away from the four walls of the theatre and onto Main Square, against a backdrop of the colourful façades that characterise the place. And under the stars.

A man stands in an ornate ballroom with chandeliers, watching five people dancing.

People are rehearsing on an outdoor stage in a historic town square, featuring colorful buildings and a clock tower.

"It’s nice when I step out from the theatre building on Slomšek Square and walk through Poštna Street towards Main Square," the charismatic choreographer says, describing a sort of substantive and spatial triangle set between SNG Maribor, the Cathedral and the University. Most recently, the ballet performance Tango was staged in the middle of the square, which bears a wealth of emotions and nostalgia for Clug. The performance was created out of the need for different modes of expression by a young generation of dancers and artists decades ago. For them and the Maribor Ballet, it signified the beginning of changes for which they are still lauded with standing ovations and sold-out halls by audiences around the world.

Dynamic changes in the city by the Drava River

Maribor, too, is experiencing changes and shifts. "Unlike the majority of cities I visit during the season, I experience Maribor subjectively. It’s like looking at yourself in the mirror over the years – and not really seeing yourself. The one thing I see and experience are the dynamic changes ... architectural, substantive and urban, which are very evident, very welcome and very logical."

Besides being incredibly beautiful, Maribor is also so very modest, approachable, unpretentious. There are no codes of rules or conduct, and no dress code.

Edward Clug – ballet dancer and choreographer

Clug’s favourite spot is somewhat secluded from the city centre itself. "This is a place where Maribor is in the palm of my hand. It’s Malečniška gorca," a small hill with a church, at the foot of which the artist and his family made a home for themselves fifteen years ago. However, he only stays there some four months a year, he reckons. Clug retreats and rests here after touring global metropolises and weathering the creative storms brought upon his schedule by his career as an artistic director, choreographer and dancer. He not only experiences cities and towns spatially, but also temporally. "Perhaps time slows down in Maribor in a way, or it passes differently than elsewhere," he contemplates. "Life in Maribor is the epicentre of my existence. I don’t think about it, I simply experience it. It’s good not to dwell on it too much ... but to simply be."

Two people view paintings in a gallery with vibrant green and blue curtains. Artworks depict abstract figures.

A city with no code of rules

On travels that take him, as a choreographer and artistic director, to global metropolises, where the cobbled streets of Maribor are replaced by broad avenues, and creative art studios, small shops and intimate cafés are supplanted by department stores selling prestigious fashion brands and global chains with extravagant names, Clug comes to appreciate anew the simplicity of Slovenian towns. Their contact and interaction with nature. As he describes it so eloquently,

"Besides being incredibly beautiful, Maribor is also so very modest, approachable, unpretentious. There are no codes of rules or conduct, and no dress code. Maribor, and Ljubljana as well, have the structure of Central European cities and culture, which still feel somehow authentic."

Two men converse in an art gallery with vibrant green and blue drapes. They stand near portraits of people.

A person sits on a bench in a gallery, viewing a wall covered with various paintings, ranging from landscapes to portraits.

Grand art gallery with ceiling frescoes depicting historical scenes. A person admires diverse framed artworks on walls.

But fresh winds have swept through the city. The renovated Lent, Main Square and City Park, where ballet and opera performances are staged annually under the stars as a tribute to the city and its people, are "phenomenal achievements for our city," according to Clug. He is certain that Maribor will continue to patiently develop in a very organic way. "The platform is set and the contents will be created not only in accordance with the needs, but also based on the inspiration and creativity of every person who will contribute to this."

Locations on the city map

The renovated river embankment of Lent displays a bright and polished image to locals and visitors. Its open design and seating areas invite people to stroll and admire the city on one side of the river and the vast Pohorje Hills on the other. And in between? There is the broad Drava River, spanned by many bridges, including a new wooden footbridge. One can also find here a globally-famous treasure – the oldest grapevine in the world, which still produces a precious and extremely limited vintage each year. The grapevine is featured in the Old Vine House, too.

The recently renovated museum impresses with its stories, experiences and artefacts. Mysterious Minoriti (Cultural Quarter) is considered one of the most impressive venues not only in Maribor, but its broader area as well. After a short walk – also across the modern city market place if you wish – you will find Maribor Art Gallery, the epicentre of the visual arts in this region of Slovenia. A lesser-known gem of the city, however, is the Museum for One. Like most Slovenian cities and towns tailored to people, Maribor is surrounded by greenery, vineyards, fields, parks and forests. To escape the city’s hustle and bustle, the residents of Maribor seek refuge in the City Park with its Three Ponds.

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The youthful character of Slovenian towns with Joker Out

When the charm of Slovenian towns blends with the dynamic energy of a rock 'n’ roll band that swept across Europe.

How do these young musicians – each in their own way – experience the city in which they create and to which they happily return after intense recordings sessions and whirlwind tours abroad? How do the diverse characters of the city intertwine with theirs? Discover their favourite spots – where they hang out with friends, immerse themselves in art, indulge in great food and replenish their souls. And where they find their rare moments of tranquillity amidst the electrifying chaos of rock 'n’ roll life.

Feel-good towns with Joker Out

Watch videoFeel-good towns of Slovenia with Joker Out

Creative. Urban. With soul.

Despite their world-class architecture and art, we are not just tourists in Slovenian cities and towns, simply ticking off the sights on must-see lists from various guidebooks. We are curious visitors who mingle with the locals as we wander through the city streets and squares, and we can walk freely among the sights. We do not stand in long queues to see them. We have enough time and opportunities for an authentic experience and genuine contact. We can experience art, architecture and creators very personally. From the front row, up close, face to face. Discover the extraordinary cities, towns and experiences of Slovenian art and culture.

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Slovenia's cultural transversal

Galleries and museums, festivals and events, and hidden treasures of art in Maribor, Ljubljana and Nova Gorica.

Cities, places and spaces for people

The allure of Slovenian cities and towns lies in their ability to evoke a sense of humanity and freedom in visitors.

World’s Oldest Vine

For more than 450 years, the world’s oldest vine has remained firmly rooted in the heart of Maribor.

Creative art centres and venues

Some of the most exciting locations for lovers of art, culture and creative industries.

Maribor – Pohorje

The Styrian capital at the base of the green Pohorje Mountains

Dark secrets of Slovenia’s urban history

Odkrivajte pretresljive zgodbe slovenskih mest, ki razkrivajo mračnejšo plat njihove zgodovine.

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Contemporary architectural sights

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Arts & Culture Experiences

When culture is what inspires your journey, your holiday or your retreat, you choose Slovenia – a country of remarkable heritage and vibrant contemporary creativity. This representative thematic guide invites you to discover feel-good towns, presenting Slovenian modernism and a cultural transversal. It draws inspiration from the transformative power of contemporary artistic practices and invites you on journeys through time across Slovenia’s historic towns.

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The Maribor of ballet dancer and choreographer Edward Clug