Maribor, in the northeast, is the second largest city in Slovenia after the capital.
The Town Hall is located in the central square alongside a nice looking monument. Upon closer inspection, the column monument turned out to be the Plague Monument, dedicated to the memory of the 1/3 of the city's residents who died in the plague in the late 17th century. The monument today is a baroque replica built in 1743.
Just down the street and near the river bank is the Judgement Tower. A tower in one form or another has stood here since the 14th century but they either burned down or otherwise completely rebuilt during the past several hundred years. The tower's purpose has always been defense, despite its ominous name.
If you've ever wondered where you might find the oldest living grapevine in the world, look no further than Maribor. The Guinness Book of World Records has certified the grapevine growing on the Old Vine House to be about 440 years old, making it the oldest in the world. The vine still produces enough grapes for up to 100 small wine bottles annually. The mayor then gets to give out the rare wine. Inside the Old Vine House is a small museum about the history of wine in the region and, predictably, a wine store. The museum features maddeningly vague tidbits of curious information, like that there was a 300 year wine war between Maribor and the nearby town of Ptuj.
The Water Tower is one of the only features of the old city wall still standing.
Maribor had a significant Jewish population beginning in the 14th century, reaching its heyday in the mid 15th century. At the end of the 15th century, Emperor Maximilian I forced the Jews out of the city. A small Jewish population resurfaced over the centuries but during WWII, they were sent to concentration camps. The synagogue is among the oldest in Europe and one of just two remaining in the entire country.
A church has stood in this spot for hundreds of years. The current Franciscan Church dates to the turn of the 19th century.
Appropriately enough, there is a castle in Castle Square. As is often the case, the castle has been rebuilt and remodeled multiple times due to destruction, decay, and defense.
The castle houses a museum with many different collections, ranging from apothecary tools to antique furniture.
There is also a large collection of tin soldiers posed according to different battles through history.
My favorite aspect of this collection is that they've also included a more modern variation of tin soldiers.
Ah, Lego, is there anything you can't do?