Kurentovanje is the biggest carnival event in Slovenia, which brings carnival joy and playfulness to the people of Ptuj. The traditional carnival mask is kurent or korant, which chases away winter and calls for spring with the ringing of bells and ritual.
Every girl must have tissues in her pocket, otherwise the curent will punish her with a hedgehog on her backside. Kurent, who collects the most handkerchiefs donated by the girls, is considered the most beautiful. This year's curation ends on February 28, so you still have a chance to catch original masks walking around the city, ethnographic groups and folklore, and have crazy fun at concerts that last late into the night.
A city with a rich past
In Ptuj, you should definitely visit the Ptuj Castle and walk through the rooms and arcades that conjure up the life of the castle's lords over the centuries. You can see a very interesting collection of weapons (more than 500 pieces), musical instruments (the richest in Slovenia, about 300 pieces), carnival masks and other items. From the castle walls, you can see the city below the castle and the pulse of life under the red-orange colors of the roofs. The old town center reveals many cultural and historical sights of Ptuj, which show the thousand-year history of this famous city.
Ptuj delicacies
In Ptuj, you can't pass up good cuisine and local wine, which is obtained from the surrounding Halok hills. Go for lunch and taste the delicacies of Ptuj cuisine: chicken in the Ptuj style, Styrian soup, Styrian štruklje, Hallo gibanica, sour soup with pork feet... For Sunday lunch, for example, Gostilna Perutnina Ptuj offers you a brunch - you can put together the quantity and content of your meal yourself , and you have at your disposal several types of soups, main meat dishes, side dishes and appetizers, and desserts. You choose your salad in the salad showcase. Brunch costs 2,690 tolars and a drink is also included in this price. Lunch should be upgraded with a tour of the oldest wine cellar in Slovenia. The Ptuj wine cellar in the very center of the city is equipped with light and sound effects that conjure up the sunrise, wine dripping from the barrel, thunder and lightning, must boiling... And the sommelier will teach you about the unity of growing and consuming good wines.
For recreational users
Just a short distance from the old city center lies one of the most beautifully arranged courses with eighteen holes for golf lovers, which is really something special due to the varied terrain and the large number of water hazards (for more information, call (02) 788 91 10). In the immediate vicinity of the golf course are Terme Ptuj, where you can relax in saunas and baths or treat yourself to an underwater massage (Terme Ptuj (02) 749 41 00, www.terme-ptuj.si). For an adrenaline challenge, treat yourself to a panoramic flight with a balloon or sports plane (Aeroklub Ptuj, (02) 740 83 02; Balloon Club Ptuj (02) 778 37 51). The surroundings of Ptuj offer many opportunities for fishing, as the Drava River is one of the most fishable rivers (Ribiška družina Ptuj (02) 746 22 21; Gostišče ob ribnik (02) 778 44 00). Riding clubs offer horse rentals for off-road riding and the possibility of learning to ride horses (Konjeniški klub Ptuj (02) 746 16 71).
Prešeren street full of fun
The oldest street in Ptuj, Prešernova ulica, will reveal many café corners where you can drink good coffee in peace and chat in good company. On weekends, they party late into the night in Styria. One of the bars with a long tradition is Orfej, where in a pleasant atmosphere and in a good mood, guests have fun until the morning hours. The Orpheus is in the immediate vicinity of the Mitra Hotel, under whose auspices is Teater Kamra - on Fridays and Saturdays they have musical evenings with piano and guitar. If you want a slightly different relaxation, we recommend visiting Kolnkište; alternative genres of music, ethnic music, and jazz bands are presented here. They also organize literary evenings with famous poets and writers.
How to get to Ptuj?
Now that we have a highway connection with Štajerska, it will take just under an hour and a half to get from Ljubljana to Ptuj. When you drive through the toll station in Tepanj, choose the Slovenska Bistrica south exit and continue along the regional road all the way to Ptuj. But you can also decide to travel by train; the IC train takes you there in just over two and a half hours.
