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Wine heritage · Maribor, Podravska
Old Vine House
Žametovka vine over 400 years old on the façade of a house in the Lent neighborhood, recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest vine still producing grapes. The house houses a wine museum.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About Old Vine House
The Stara trta, the old vine, grows on the façade of the Hiša stare trte, a 16th-century house in the Lent neighborhood on the banks of the Drava, which was part of Maribor’s old city walls. It is a plant of the žametovka variety, also called modra kavčina, one of the oldest red grape varieties cultivated in Slovenia. An analysis carried out in 1972 confirmed an age of about 400 years, and the Guinness Book of Records gives it the title of the oldest vine still producing grapes.
The vine survived wars against the Ottomans, city fires and the bombings of World War II. It almost died after the construction of a dam on the Drava, which changed the water level around its roots, and has since been cared for by a local vintner. Cuttings from it are offered as gifts to Maribor’s partner towns and institutions.
The house functions as a museum and center for Styria’s wine culture, with an exhibition on the vine’s history, multimedia resources and wine tastings from the region, charged separately. Each year, the spring pruning and the autumn harvest are done in a public ceremony, and the grapes collected yield a small amount of wine in their own bottles.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About half an hour to see the vine and the exhibition; an hour with tasting.
Best time
Late summer and autumn, when the vine is laden; the ceremonial harvest usually takes place between September and October. The house is open year-round; check opening times before you go.
How to get there
It’s on Vojašniška ulica in Lent, a few minutes’ walk from Glavni trg and the Old Bridge (Stari most).
Tip
Notice the younger vine planted beside it, grown from a cutting of the Stara trta.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Old Vine House
Where is the world’s oldest vine located?
In Maribor, Slovenia, on the façade of Hiša stare trte in the Lent district by the Drava River. The Guinness Book of Records lists it as the oldest still in production.
How old is Maribor’s Stara trta?
More than 400 years, according to a 1972 analysis that formed the basis for the Guinness World Records entry.
What grape does the Stara trta produce?
Žametovka, also called modra kavčina, a traditional red grape of Slovenia.