Maribor a settlement since the Bronze Age
Maribor is the second largest city of Slovenia, with a population of 133,000. It is the capital city of the Štajerska region, in the north-east of Slovenia. Maribor is located at the centre of five natural geographic regions and along the Drava River. Surrounded by fields and vineyards, the city is the gateway to the famous Pohorje mountain range and hills. The Pohorje region is a major recreational area for outdoor activities. As well being a popular ski resort it offers: horseriding, trekking and hiking, sports centre facilities and the thermal spa complex Terme Zreče. Maribor is known for its wine-growing regions of Mariborske gorice and Slovenske gorice, which produce high quality white wines.
Maribor has the distinction of a grape vine that is over 400 years old, and has been accepted as the oldest vine in the world which still bears grapes in the World Guiness Book of Records in 2004. The produce of the Old Vine ranges between 35 and 55 kilograms. Žametovka, also called modra kavčina, is one of the oldest Slovenian vintage wines. The wine is bottled in 2,5 decilitre bottles, which were designed by the Slovene artist Oskar Kogoj especially for the noble wine. The harvest of ‘Stara trta’ (The Old Vine) is celebrated every October. There are many events, exhibitions and festivals for wine throughout the year. The Vinag wine cellar, with an area of 20,000 square metres, is one of the largest classic wine cellars in Europe.
Maribor holds annual international fairs, and cultural festivals. The city has a medieval area, the second university of the country, Maribor University (1975), and many galleries. The magnificent palace museum is one of the best in the country with archeological, ethnographic and clothing exhibits. The Maribor area has had continuous human settlement since the late Bronze Age (1600.BC).
Learning activities
1 Send a postcard
Text-type: postcard
Linguistic element: conjunctions
Write a postcard to your family about a day in Maribor
http://maribor-pohorje.si/
2 Prepare a tour program
Text-type: tour program
Linguistic element: prepositions
Write a program for a days tour in the city
http://maribor-pohorje.si/
3 Construct a bulletin
Text-type: events bulletin
Linguistic element:
Prepare a daily bulletin of Maribor according to categories
http://maribor-pohorje.si/
4 Trace a map
Text-type: map and legend
Linguistic element: verbs
Select one of the virtual trips, and using a map, label points of interest and trace the walking route
http://www.sraka.com/vodniki/vodnik/angles/sprehodi.htm
5 Note-taking for a talk
Text-type: talk
Linguistic element: adverbs
Give a talk on the ‘Stara trta’ – Old Vine
6 Speechmaking
Text-type: radio interview
Linguistic element: direct speech
Prepare a script for an interview at the Vinag Wine Cellar
http://www.vinag.si/
Comprehension – reading and responding
Read the text ‘Living in Maribor – Traditions ‘ from the web site, Maribor,
http://maribor-pohorje.si/
Answer the following questions in English.
1.Name the yearly festivals celebrated.
2.Where is New Year’s Eve celebrated in Maribor?
3. What are the names of the traditional pipes?
4.Where are the oldest reed pipes depicted?
5 What are the characteristic folk dances of Štajerska?
6. What were the cottage industry items produced?
7. What are the looms called for linen-making?
