Ljudski vrt: a natural, cultural, architectural and sporting landmark of Maribor. It is a city trademark. Games have been played at Ljudski vrt since 1961. Ljudski vrt (People's garden in English, Volksgarten in German) got its name after a public park that was set out in the area in 1873 where the stadium now stands. The park was later turned into a shooting range for the army and in 1920, the first football pitch was built here. Today's pitch was built in 1952.
The main stand with its famous arch was built 10 years later. The arch is 129.8 meters long 18.4 meters high. In 1994, the wooden benches on the main stand were replaced with plastic chairs. In 1998, the remaining three concrete stands were renovated and in 1999, when the club qualified for the Champions League, the club had to upgrade the VIP stand, the locker rooms and other parts which required a makeover in order to be able to play at the highest level of European club competition. In 2008, a new page was turned in the history of the stadium as Ljudski vrt was completely reconstructed into a modern structure.
The stadium witnessed many important victories and is connected with a few milestones. We remember two dates with special fondness: on 24 August 1994, the first floodlit match took place and on this day Maribor also registered its biggest win in European competitions (10-0 against Estonian club Norma). The second date is 10 May 2008, the day when the first match took place in the renovated stadium (Maribor - Nafta) which was an amazing spectacle. All 12,435 available seats were taken. The renovation of Ljudski vrt signalled the beginning of a new era. Today, the support from the stands is even louder and the team in purple represents an even greater hurdle for the opponents. The same goes for the Slovenia national football team, for it is no coincidence that it achieved new highs after moving its games to Maribor. The new stands provide greater comfort and offer protection from the rain for all visitors. The pitch was lowered by 65 centimetres and under the turf, an undersoil heating system and a new drainage system were installed. The works that will make it possible to use the undersoil heating will be completed in the second phase of the project. The first phase of the so called Ring project that began on 1 August 2006, when the contract for the reconstruction was signed at the seat of the Municipality of Maribor envisioned the construction of the stands to the point at which they were suitable for use. But the roof that covers all the seats is not the only achievement. Access to the stadium and the ticket control system were also improved so that Ljudski vrt now meets all UEFA criteria.
In the second phase of the renovation, we plan to furnish the premises that remain unused after the conclusion of the first phase. These are the premises under the new stands that will host gyms, club premises, conference halls and spaces that will be leased out. The reconstruction of the west stand is also one of the future projects.