Maribor Nightlife

... well, KGB is a short name for 'kulturno glasbeni brlog' or 'cultural and music den', so any simmilarity with Russian secret police is excluded. Although their occasional 'undreground' activites maybe go to someone's nerves when they hold sociology lectures.
Nevermind! This is one of the best 'dens' in Maribor, for they hold very diverse and attractive programme - like music concerts, poetry reading, already mentioned lectures and travelogues, theater etc, etc... and along with all that you're deep in the basement, in ancient cellar, the atmosphere is lovely, scented with damp, maybe mediaeval to some, ecclectic to others, but seldom boring or dull.

It is good place to go out, just in case you'd enjoy the night out here when in Maribor - check out their programme. Sometimes when there's good reason for people to come out, there will be very crowded with no place to move so it's good to come earlier then! There are tables to sit down and little place to dance, but that's not entierly impossible either... just more improvisation is needed then :)

This is ex-bakery in ex-military quarters in Maribor, therefore the name Pekarna (pekarna in bakery in English). In early years of independence it was squatted by group of 'alternative minded' people who wanted to have a place to do independent things. Nowadays noone bake anything there, but there are things going on often, especially on weekends.

In Pekrana compound there are few venues and places:
MC for indie rock, hard rock, punk, metal kind of music, sometimes with live concerts, opens daily in the evening when you can have a drink there.
Gustaf hall for live concerts, DJs and theatre; it's largest hall in Pekarna, has a bar and you can dance there if you feel like. Opens on weekends and sometimes during the week if there's festival.
A second-hand bookshop Bukvarna... the only place that opens during daytime and you can find heaps of used books here, not only Slovene books but mostly, yes.
KURD... here they also have live music, mainly harder stuff.
Hladilnica... large and cold exhibition place in the same house as Kurd, just above. Has been renovated by French artists and their resident colleagues, open occasionally.
Small park, nice green area with a few benches.
Infopoint... the office with news on events, open daily by the gates - go there if you're looking on where to go for live stuff, festivals and exhibitions in Maribor.

Pekarna gets crowded on weekends and especially for live events and festivals.Easy to meet people here and lots of international students and travelers hangs out here in season. It is still the only choice for alternative/underground/independent culture, so it may not appeal to general public, and yes, they do complain about the hectic outlook. For this reason Maribor city has made plans on making this place better looking in future - and on the other hand they build residental block right at the place so they have stronger excuse to remove the 'alternative' culture.

Pekarna host several international art workshops and graphic art festivals such as Magdalena.

The place in the basement of a block building near student campus and STUK at Gosposvetska gets crowded with youngsters and adults in evenings, especially on weekends or on special events. Most people frequenting this place are high school students and uni students.
Generally speaking music played here is harder stuff... metal, rock, hard rock, punk rock, hip hop but occasionaly something softer, sometimes there will be live music too.
I am not really keen on that place because the atmosphere is not really appealing. You can come here either to drink or to play pool (which I like sometimes) but if you want to talk to someone you have to talk very loud...
And then there that special room with large glass windows where you can go to smoke, but it's like being in the cage or aquarium with strange light and always full of people, so it really looks different from the main area and you actually feel being watched, hmmm... but it doesn't seem anyone really cares about it anyways.
It has a bit chaotic feel, though... like the name of the place says.

Prices are normally affordable for a students.

Dress Code: You'll be star of a night if you wear black gothic/latex stuff, but hey, nobody really cares what you wear. Though black is prevailing.

Many performances offered here.

Among them are the following:
- Comedy in Narodni dom,
- Children's season ticket Kekec – for children from 4 up to 8 years of age,
- Cycle of Chamber concerts,
- Cycle of concerts for young people,
- The Maribor Festival

- Fax: (+386) (0)2 229 40 55)

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Good nightlife spot is right below Maribor Art Gallery, the Satchmo. Although its name is widely known here, everybody call it just 'jazz'; or they say 'we've been to jazz', which will mean they went to Satchmo (and they had their cup of jazz too, of course). They open in the mornings due proximity of faculties in this district, but evenings and nights are more active with live stuff going on.
You don't really have to be fan of this particular style of music to find this place fine - it has sometimes live concerts, DJ's playing 80ies music, jam sessions, literature reading, and sometimes they host stand-up comedies (some in English, other in Slovene) and hold photo and art exhibitions.
You will probably enjoy its laid back atmosphere in the old basement of the historic building, or maybe you'd find somebody to chat too. In summer, you may want to sit outside when tables and chairs occupy small square in front of the building where artist left one of the sculptures reminding of sand dune and music will be playing quiet and nice, one of those songs you know from past or good modern one.
It is sometimes just fun to turn in for glass of wine or beer, watching life around you.

When you see man sitting alone by his table - well, he probably doesn't feel lonely at all.
It is that kind of a place... that 'jazz'.

Opening hrs:
mon-thur: 9 am - 2 am
fridays: 9- 3 am
saturdays: 7 pm - 3 am
sundays: 7 pm - 12 pm

Patrik's JB Pub, next to the Cathedral, is a place where you can spend relaxing time dinking cold beer or whiskey and watching people passing by.

Dress Code: Casual cloths, although it is not of much importance.

There are two areas for party in Maribor.
First one is Lent, this is a area by the river Drava where you can find lots of small bars CORRIDA, PIRANHA, BONGOS, TAKOS,...) and the second is in Gosposvetska ulica (street) where are student clubs ( STUK (look at the photo), TRUST, KAOS).

Dress Code: It depends from season to season. Normaly they will let you in with Jeans and Sneakers. You just need to be clean and not to smell like you are going to stable.

All the cafes along the riverfront in Maribor.
Outside seating is the norm and the Sunday afternoon I was in town, just packed with locals watching the football match. Enjoy the willows along the river between goals.