Located by the Drava River, Maribor is close to Austria. It is the second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Lower Styria. Maribor Airport is the second-largest international airport in Slovenia.

The residential area of Maribor was established during Roman times and was developed as a town in the 12th century. It was divided into Yugoslavia's territory in 1918.

Being a hub for railways and roads, Maribor is also a vital industrial center for the automobile, agricultural machinery, chemical, aluminum, textiles, timber processing, leather, and glass industries.

There are many ancient ruins in the city, including medieval Gothic churches, 15th-century fortresses and murals.

Maribor established sister city ties with Jinan, the capital city of East China’s Shandong province, in October 2018.