Oldest Vine in the World

The vine was planted sometime around 1570. It survived Ottoman raids, medieval fires, phylloxera in the 1870s, WWII bombing, and a 1963 dam that raised the Drava nine feet. Tone Zafošnik rescued it by hand in 1981. Guinness certified it in 2004. Every year it still produces 25 litres — roughly 100 tiny bottles that go exclusively as diplomatic gifts. Pope John Paul II got one. The Dalai Lama. Putin. Emperor Akihito. Bill Clinton. Brad Pitt. You cannot taste THAT wine. But Vinag's cellar beneath — 2.5km of tunnels, the largest classic wine cellar in Europe — pours the same Žametovka variety.

What to do there

5 things to do

1. 1 Touch the Vine That Outlasted Empires History · Free

   Where: Vojašniška 8, Lent district, Maribor — 5-minute walk from the main square, along the south bank of the Drava River. You will see the vine covering the entire facade before you read the sign.

   What: This vine was already 100 years old when Shakespeare was writing. It was growing here when Ottoman armies besieged Maribor in the 1500s — the house it grows on was literally part of the city wall. It survived medieval fires, the phylloxera epidemic that destroyed 90% of European vines in the 1870s (riverbank drainage kept the aphid away), Allied bombing in WWII, and almost died in 1963 when a downstream dam raised the Drava nine feet and waterlogged its roots. In 1981, viticulturist Tone Zafošnik stepped in, pruned it back, and gave it another life — tending it until his retirement in 2010. Guinness World Record certified 2004.

   How: Stand at the base and look up. Touch the trunk if you can reach it — circumference 81 cm, about as wide as a dinner plate. Count the gnarled main limbs spreading 15 metres across the facade. This is the original plant. The same root system that was here during the Ottoman siege.

   Backup: The vine is always visible from the street, 24 hours a day, year-round. Even if the building is closed, the exterior alone is the experience.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Taste the Grape That Goes to Heads of State Wine · Price: low

   Where: Inside the Old Vine House, Vojašniška 8, Lent. Enter through the main door beneath the vine. The tasting room post-2024 renovation holds 200+ wines from 50+ Styrian winemakers with a long communal tasting table.

   What: The vine produces only 25 litres of wine per year — bottled in 250ml bottles as official diplomatic gifts from the City of Maribor. Pope John Paul II received one. So did the Dalai Lama, Vladimir Putin, Emperor Akihito of Japan, Bill Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brad Pitt, Michel Platini, and Garry Kasparov. You will not taste that wine. Nobody outside city protocol does. But you CAN taste Žametovka — the exact grape variety — poured from Styrian producers in the tasting room. The closest legal experience to drinking history.

   How: Tickets from €5.70 at the door. Ask specifically for a Žametovka — rich, darkly colored, sweetness-forward. Then ask for the pumpkin seed oil plate: local bread + bučno olje (the dark green PDO-protected oil of Štajerska). This is what locals actually eat with their wine.

   Backup: Vinag Cellar shop at Trg svobode 3 (5 minutes away) carries bottles of Žametovka from regional producers, open Mon–Sun 11:00–18:00.

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3. 3 Descend Into Europe's Largest Classic Wine Cellar Wine · Price: moderate

   Where: Vinag 1847, Trg svobode 3 (Freedom Square) — a 500-metre walk from the vine along the riverside promenade. Find the modest door on the square that drops you 18 metres underground.

   What: Built 1847, expanded after WWII by merging with an ancient brewery cellar — now 15,000 m² of tunnels stretching 2.1 kilometres under the city centre. 144 wooden barrels. 3 million litre capacity. A wine archive where the oldest vintages are stored. This is not a boutique cellar. This is a cathedral underground that predates the Old Vine's Guinness certification by 157 years.

   How: Book at vinag1847.si or pay at the door. Classic Package €20 (tour + 3 wines), Premium €33 (5 wines + cheese plate). The 1.5-hour guided tour walks 2 km of tunnels — ask specifically to see the wine archive and the oldest wooden barrel. Temperature is a constant cool underground, so bring a light layer in summer.

   Backup: If tours are full, the Vinag shop at street level sells bottles to take away, including Štajerska whites and Žametovka.

   Log Memory
4. 4 Walk the Medieval Riverbank Where the Vine First Rooted History · Free

   Where: The Lent promenade along the River Drava — stretch between the Old Vine House at Vojašniška 8 and the Old Bridge (Stari Most), roughly 400 metres along the waterfront.

   What: Lent is the oldest part of Maribor, and the vine was planted here when this street formed the inner perimeter of the city wall. The River Drava in front of you is why the vine survived phylloxera in the 1870s — the drainage and soil near the riverbank was hostile to the aphid that wiped out vines across the rest of Europe. The same river nearly killed it in 1963 when a new dam downstream raised the water nine feet. Find the place where the river comes closest to the vine's house — you can see why both salvation and near-destruction came from the same water.

   How: Start at the Old Vine House. Walk east toward the Old Bridge. Count the cafe tables and wine bars along the riverbank — grab a glass of local wine at any riverside terrace (€3–8) and watch the Drava. Best at golden hour when the light hits the old facades. At the Old Bridge, count the centuries this water has been running past this vine.

   Backup: If it is raining, any Lent wine bar with a window facing the river serves the same mood with shelter.

   Log Memory
5. 5 Witness the October Harvest of the World's Oldest Vine Adventure · Free · Optional

   Where: In front of the Old Vine House, Vojašniška 8, Lent — the ceremony takes place on the street and square facing the vine, with standing areas and specially erected viewing stands.

   What: Every October, the City of Maribor harvests this vine in public as a civic ceremony. Pickers dress in historic costumes. There are speeches, dancing displays, and hundreds of spectators. The 35–55 kg of grapes harvested will become roughly 100 bottles of 250ml wine — each destined for a head of state, a spiritual leader, or a celebrity. You are watching the birth of one of the rarest diplomatic gifts on the planet. After the harvest, the 10-day Old Vine Festival runs through the city, closing on St. Martin's Day (November 11) with the largest St. Martin's celebration in Slovenia.

   How: No ticket required for the outdoor ceremony — it is a free public event in Lent each October (typically the first week). Check visitmaribor.si/en/events for the exact date each year. Arrive 30 minutes early for a good position near the vine. The ceremony lasts 1–2 hours. If you visit outside October, the Old Vine House museum inside shows footage from past harvests.

   Backup: The Old Vine Festival fills all of October across Maribor's Lent district with wine stalls, cellar events, and winemaker tastings — even if you miss harvest day, you will not miss the spirit of it.

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