This study was undertaken to investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties of hot rolled Fe-13Mn-0.2C-1Al-1Si TWIP steel. Tensile tests were carried out at different strain rates to determine the Portevin-Le Chatelier (PLC) effect during deformation. Subsequently, the samples were investigated by light microscopy and SEM. The sample microstructures revealed inhomogeneous dislocation zones, deformation twinning and twin-dislocation interactions. Consequently, the PLC effect during deformation was determined to be responsible for the excellent mechanical properties of the TWIP steel. Keywords: TWIP steel, mechanical properties, microstructure, Portevin Le Chatelier effect V {tudiji je bila preiskovana mikrostruktura in mehanske lastnosti vro~e valjanega Fe-13Mn-0.2C-1Al-1Si TWIP jekla. Natezni preizkusi so bili izvedeni pri razli~nih hitrostih obremenjevanja. Kot rezultat nateznega preizkusa je bil ugotovljen u~inek Portevin-Le Chatelier (PLC) med deformacijo. Vzorci so bili nato preiskani s svetlobnim mikroskopom in s SEM. Mikrostruktura vzorcev ka`e nehomogena podro~ja dislokacij, deformacijske dvoj~ke in interakcije dvoj~kov z dislokacijami. Ugotovljeno je, da so odli~ne mehanske lastnosti TWIP jekla posledica vpliva PLC med deformacijo.