Maribor Castle, castle ruin on Piramida hill in Maribor, Slovenia

Obermarburg, also called Maribor Castle, was a hilltop castle on the Piramida hill north of Maribor's old town. It had a Romanesque ring wall with an irregular pentagonal plan and was rebuilt several times. It burned down in 1528, was renewed in Renaissance style in 1560, and was demolished in 1784. A chapel with a stone statue of Mary has stood on the site since 1821.

A hilltop castle, later called Upper Marburg, stood on the hill above Maribor now known as Piramida; it was built around 1106 and is considered the main castle of the Drava March. The Romanesque ring castle with an irregular pentagonal plan was rebuilt several times, burned down in 1528, was renewed in Renaissance style in 1560, and was demolished in 1784 by the Brandis family. Its role had been taken over by the town castle at the end of the 15th century.

The hill is called Piramida because a pyramid-shaped obelisk was built on the castle site in the 19th century. Since 1821 a chapel with a stone statue of Mary has stood on the hill, replacing a pyramid made from the castle ruins. The castle gave the town its name, Marburg an der Drau.

The best way to explore is to move through the rooms and exhibition areas one by one to see all the details. Comfortable shoes are helpful since the floors are uneven and there are stairs connecting the different levels.

The hill is called Piramida only because a pyramid-shaped obelisk was put up on the castle site in the 19th century; the name has nothing to do with the Middle Ages. Since 1821 a chapel with a stone statue of Mary has stood on the hill, built in place of a pyramid stacked from the rubble of the castle.