If you don't feel inspired to get to the summit like the locasl do - on foot - there's always the option of the cable car. Whenever we have friends and family staying with us in Maribor, the cable car is one of the first activities we take them to. After that they fall in love with Maribor. Not only is the view from the top breathtaking but the scenery along the way produces a constant chorus of "oohs" and "aahs" as the cabin slowly makes its way to the summit.
This mountainous region is known as the Pohorje Massif, but the peak that dominates Maribor is just Pohorje. If you're driving there are plenty of parking spaces at the lower cable car station. Now, you could drive up the back road to the summit but you'd miss the thrill of the ascent so do park up and take the cable car.
Coming from town by public transport, take bus number 6 from outside the bus station or catch it from outside the Vecer newspaper offices in the shopping area or, across the river, from in front of the Borova shoe store. The destination is "Vzpenjača" (cable car).
The bus stops right outside the lower station. The cable car runs all day from 8.00am until 8.00pm. You buy your ticket from the window on the first floor next to the entrance to the cable car. There is a whole array of diffrent prices for different age groups, etc plus single and return fares. However, to give an idea, the adult single standard fare is 7 Euro, and the return is 9 Euro.
Place the bar-coded ticket in the turnstile machine and walk through. the attendant will point to which car you should go in. Follow the seating pattern as indicated. I think six can fit in one gondola but that would be cramped. Four is OK. The doors close automatically as the car moves along the rail and there is quite a "clunk" as the car moves off the inside rail onto the main cable. Going from bottom to top you have a low stretch and stay quite close to the ground for a few minutes until the ground suddenly disappears, followed soon after by the tree tops as you leave the canoy and a yawing chasm opens up below you.
Now and then you can spot walkers and mountain bikers on the trails and paths below. This really is a bird's eye view as town slowly fades and becomes just a collection of blurred blocks of flats. At the top the land appears again and you arrive at the upper station. Your cabin comes off the rail and into the upper station. The doors open when the cabin has stopped.
There are a couple of cafes at the summit. The Hotel Bellevue has a pleasant terrace although views are limited. The best view is at the wooden cabin though you do have to sit outside and this means mozzies in summer and a chold chill in winter. Just beneath the chalet are ponies and goats. The wooden chalet does lovely mulled wine in winter and does a fantastic barbecue just perfect for hungry skiiers.
You don't need to sit in one of the cafes to take in the views. You can simply walk past the original cable car (from the time the cable car first opened) and part of the way down the first part of the hill and you'll see all of Maribor spread out before you.
Magical!