Ptuj

Ptuj is the oldest town in Slovenia with a documented history, standing on the site of the Roman Poetovio, which was a substantial city long before anything else in the country existed. What survives now is a small, quiet, remarkably intact old centre on the bank of the Drava: a single main street of baroque and Gothic facades, a city tower with Roman tombstones built into its base, a monastery, and above it all a castle on the hill holding a good regional museum, including a famous collection of carnival masks. The town fills once a year for Kurentovanje, the pre-Lenten carnival, and is otherwise sleepy. Thermal springs on the far bank feed a large spa complex, and the surrounding hills produce wine, with a cellar in town claiming to be among the oldest in the country.

History

The area was settled in the Stone Age and by Celts in the Late Iron Age. In 69 AD the Danubian legions chose Vespasian as emperor here, the first written mention of the town; Poetovio was the base of the legion Legio XIII Gemina, and Trajan granted it city status. The Archbishopric of Salzburg gained influence over it between 874 and 890, it received city rights in 1376 and became part of the Duchy of Styria in 1555 (Wikipedia, Ptuj).

Highlights

• The castle - the hilltop museum with its collection of carnival masks.
• The city tower - with Roman tombstones set into its base.
• The old main street - baroque and Gothic facades along the centre.
• The wine cellar - the historic cellar beneath the town.

When to go

April to October is pleasantest; Kurentovanje in February transforms the town and fills every bed for miles. Summer is quiet and warm, and the thermal spa across the river operates year-round. A day covers the town comfortably.

What to expect

It is small and quiet, and outside carnival there is not a great deal happening, which is either restful or dull depending on what you want. The castle museum is good but conventional. Ptuj is two hours from Ljubljana in the far east, so it usually needs a reason, whether carnival, the spa or a wine trip, rather than a detour.

Nearby

Maribor is half an hour northwest; the Jeruzalem wine hills lie east.

Key facts