🍷The first Slovenian wine boutique
Vinoteka Maribor
at the Water Tower
On the left bank of the Drava, right beneath the city wall, stands the Renaissance-era Water Tower from 1555. Since 2009 it has housed a wine boutique with around 180 wine labels from winemakers of the Podravje region — by the glass or bottle, with a view of the river.
The story of the place
A defence tower that became home to Slovenian wine culture.
The Water Tower is the south-eastern defence tower of Maribor's city wall, built in 1555 as part of the city's fortification against Ottoman incursions. It is said to owe its name to the fact that it guarded the city from the river side — the Drava flows right at its foot, on the site of the former Lent harbour, where rafts and cargo barges once docked.
Since 1989, the Water Tower has been home to the first boutique of Slovenian wines. Since 2009 it has been run by Dušan Kelbič, a certified wine consultant (3rd level), who introduces visitors to the wines of the Maribor Wine Cooperative — around 45 winemakers of the Podravje wine region, each represented by two labels. Above the entrance still hangs the wrought-iron wine sign depicting Dionysus, the work of a master blacksmith.
Today the tower is part of the cultural programme of the Narodni dom Maribor and one of the central venues of the Lent Festival — a place where wine culture meets the city's history.
- Built
- 1555, Renaissance defence fortification
- Wine boutique since
- 1989 – first Slovenian wine boutique
- Managed by
- Dušan Kelbič, certified wine consultant (3rd level)
- Location
- Left bank of the Drava, Lent city centre
- Wines
- Maribor Wine Cooperative, around 45 winemakers
- Programme
- In cooperation with the Narodni dom Maribor
What awaits you in the tower
Podravje wines, from grower to glass.
The selection is deliberately narrow and focused — only wines from the Podravje wine region, wines we truly know and stand behind.
Around 180 labels
Wines from around 45 winemakers of the Maribor Wine Cooperative, two labels from each — from everyday wines to top-tier bottles, selected together with the cooperative's experts.
Wine by the glass
You don't need to open a whole bottle to discover a new vintage. Part of the selection is always available by the glass too, alongside snacks from local producers.
Wine to take home
Popular and rarer labels can also be taken home — along with a recommendation on which wine pairs with which dish or occasion.
Tastings and events
The tower breathes with the seasons of wine.
Private groups and tastings
The wine boutique welcomes smaller private groups for guided wine tastings tailored to the occasion — from business gatherings to birthdays.
Themed wine and culinary events
Throughout the year we host events tied to the Podravje calendar: young wines, matured Styrian wines, chestnuts and must, and other seasonal presentations.
Concerts and exhibitions in the tower
In cooperation with the Narodni dom Maribor, we also host smaller concerts, exhibitions and lectures in the tower.
Central summer venue
During the Lent Festival, the Water Tower is one of the venues of the riverside events — at that time it also stays open later into the evening.
Come visit us on the Lent
Right by the Drava, beneath the walls of old Maribor.
Address and contact
Vodni stolp, Usnjarska ulica 10
2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Opening hours
| Monday – Thursday | 10.00 – 22.00 |
| Friday – Saturday | 10.00 – 22.00 |
| Sunday | 10.00 – 17.00 |
On special occasions and during the Lent Festival, we stay open later into the night.