Architectural and landscape design in Mariborsko Pohorje: between leisure planning and tourism development during Yugoslav socialism (1948-1980)

After World War II, Maribor, Slovenia’s second-largest city, was mainly set up as an industrial center. Besides the urban plan by Ljubo Humek and Jaroslav Černigoj (1949), social housing and the partial reconstruction of the Old Town, the local administration also paid attention to planning areas for leisure and tourism. This issue, however, has not been adequately studied until now. This paper is organised in three parts: the first part outlines the earliest ski infrastructures in Mariborsko Pohorje by studying the local press, and highlights the role of the architect Branko Kocmut in particular. The second part concentrates on the master plan for the Pohorje resort, developed by Ljubo Humek, together with the skier Franci Čop, which is available in Maribor Provincial Archive. The last section is focused on the subsequent efforts made by the State and the local communities to transform Maribor into a modern winter resort, particularly after Tito’s visit in 1969.