Named after Maribor Castle today, Grajski trg used to be called Florian Square in the past. In 1700, Maribor suffered a particularly bad fire, and a column to St. Florian was erected in the square. St. Florian is the saint invoked against fires, floods, and natural disasters.
The northeastern part of the square is dominated by Maribor Castle. Built in the second half of the 15th century, Maribor Castle was one of the defensive measures taken in face of the Ottoman invasions. It also doubled as the administrative court of the sovereign prince. Nowadays, the castle houses the Maribor Regional Museum.
Ibis Styles Maribor City Hotel on the western side of the square stands on the site of a famous 18th century inn, named Schwarzer Adler (The Black Eagle). Beside being a popular inn, it was an important stop for coach drivers.
The statue of Bacchus under a canopy at the corner of the former Orel hotel (today C&A) depicts the Roman god of wine, flowers, partying, and marry-making sitting on a barrel of wine. Bacchus is the counterpart to the Greek Dionysus.
Opposite to the castle stands the Town Savings Bank. This neo-baroque palace belonged to the rich baker family Scherbaum. Thanks to the Scherbaums, the first electric lightbulb in this part of Europe was installed in Grajski trg in 1883.
Worth mentioning is also the corner of the Astoria Café—probably the most famous corner in Maribor. Called “Ezl ek,” this corner used to serve as a meeting (and flirting) for generations of Maribor’s youth.
