Water Tower Maribor

The Water Tower, in Slovene Vodni stolp, is one of the surviving towers of Maribor's old fortifications, standing right at the edge of the Drava in the Lent district, the oldest part of the city. In the sixteenth century, Maribor was a border town on the front line against Ottoman raids, and its walls and towers were strengthened to protect the city. The Water Tower dates from that period, and it was built on the riverbank, where the wall met the water, to guard the approach along the Drava and to protect the lower town against attack from the river side. It has a pentagonal plan, with thick walls of stone and a pointed roof, and its form recalls the defensive architecture of the Renaissance, when towers were designed to resist artillery.

The tower stands close to the water and was built on a raised base, so that floods did not damage it, and the Drava did flood Lent often over the centuries, sometimes severely. Next to it, the Judgement Tower, another surviving part of the walls, rises a little farther along, and the two make a picturesque pair at the edge of the old quarter. Together with the remains of the walls and the Old Vine House, they give a good sense of how the city was laid out before modern development, with the river quarter enclosed within defences and the boatmen, millers and merchants of Lent living in its narrow streets.

Today, the tower no longer has any military function. It has been converted into a wine shop and tasting room, which fits well with Maribor's identity as a wine city, and visitors can step inside, see the thick masonry and the interior of the old tower, and taste or buy wines from Štajerska and other Slovene regions. The setting is atmospheric, with the stone walls, small windows and vaulted spaces creating a cool, quiet interior that suits the storage and tasting of wine. The tower is open daily at times that may change with the season, and it is wise to check before visiting. A visit usually takes an hour or so.

The tower is a good starting point for a walk along the Drava River Promenade, which runs along the water through Lent, with cafes, restaurants and views of the river, and in summer, the quay is lively with terraces and events. Beautiful architecture, the Lent district and the Maribor Castle are in the same part of the city, and Freedom Square Maribor, Maribor Art Gallery and Calvary Hill (Kalvarija) are within walking distance. Restaurants and cafes nearby make it easy to combine a tasting with a meal. Spring and autumn are quiet seasons, and the riverside is especially pleasant in the evening.