
Slovenia’s oldest town
Create memories in an old town of new experiences! Ptuj is considered Slovenia’s oldest town, where cultural heritage, history, a tradition of winemaking, ethnographic legacy, archaeology, and natural heritage come together. The town played a leading role in key historical moments over the past two millennia. Among the notable figures connected with Ptuj are Markus Antonius Primus, the Lords of Ptuj, Parzival, Bishop Victorinus of Poetovio, painter France Mihelič, and photographer Stojan Kerbler.
Ptuj will captivate you with spa tourism, the discovery of its rich past, and authentic cuisine. Alongside cultural heritage and thermal water, outstanding wines remain one of the city’s defining symbols – as do the famous and mysterious kurents, part of UNESCO cultural heritage.
Take a walk through Ptuj, which over the centuries has preserved its medieval urban layout, Roman monuments, and the beautiful façades of historic buildings. Its streets lead to the magnificent castle, offering views over a mosaic of red-tiled rooftops belonging to monasteries, houses, and churches.
And in the embrace of history, just nearby, the green Mestni Vrh awaits – a diverse hilly landscape dotted with vineyards, orchards, and welcoming homesteads, offering the perfect escape into nature among vines and uplifting vistas.
Ptuj invites you to experience what was once ancient – today, in a boutique way.
Destination Ptuj
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Ptuj – where ancient history, vibrant tradition, and rich culture meet
Ptuj Castle is home to one of the most visited museums in Slovenia, where you can explore museum collections of national significance, while the Poetovio Archaeological Park allows you to discover the archaeological remains of the Roman city of Petovio, the largest Roman settlement on Slovenian soil.


Kurentovanje
One of the top 10 carnivals in the world, when the city transforms into the largest open-air ethnographic museum of intangible cultural heritage. The Kurent, the most widespread and internationally recognized Slovenian ethnographic figure, can be explored year-round at the Kurent House, using the latest modern technologies.
In the chronicles of the old parish books of the Church of St. Mark in Markovci, the figure of the Kurent is already mentioned in writing as early as 1829. An important part of the so-called "Fašenk in Markovci" are other traditional ethnological carnival characters, such as the ploughmen, fairies, the rusá (wild man), the bear, chickens, whippers, and the wedding-themed kopjaši (lance bearers).


Taste of Ptuj
A fusion of culinary tradition and contemporary creativity
Taste local specialties through a modern culinary and wine experience in the oldest Slovenian town
In the setting of the oldest Slovenian town, surrounded by wine-growing hills, taste the richness of local culinary specialties, lovingly prepared according to old local recipes and with a touch of modern hospitality. Refine the flavours with unique wines from the Haloze and Slovenske gorice regions.


Active ways to spend your free time
Ptuj, with its surrounding hills and the Drava River plain, offers wonderful opportunities for leisure time.
The wine-growing Mestni Vrh, with its vineyards, orchards, and panoramic views of the oldest Slovenian town, surprises both hikers and cyclists.
Active nomads – motorhome travelers – can stop in the nearby Municipality of Markovci, at the newly built motorhome stopover (PZA) in the village of Zabovci near Lake Ptuj, where, in addition to camper facilities, there is also an outdoor fitness area and a so-called pump track – an attractive, multifunctional sports facility.


Ptuj Lake – a paradise for birdwatchers
Največje slovensko stalno jezero je hkrati tudi eno izmed najprivlačnejših. Na zavarovanem območju obrečne pokrajine gnezdi več kot 230 vrst ptic, med njimi tudi redke in zaščitene vrste, ki jih prihajajo opazovati ljubitelji ptic iz vse Evrope.


Terme Ptuj – Spa and Thermal Park
Relax at the Thermal Park of Terme Ptuj, a large water park with outdoor and indoor pools and numerous water attractions for all generations.
The water from Ptuj’s thermal springs is especially recommended after physical exertion and for musculoskeletal injuries, and it also has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system. That is why the water park at Terme Ptuj is often visited by athletes as well.


Municipalities within the Ptuj destination
Markovci
Ptuj






How to Reach Ptuj
Ptuj lies along major transport routes, making it easily accessible from both Slovenia and the surrounding countries.
| Ljubljana | 1h 30min | |
| Maribor | 30min | |
| Dunaj | 3h 30min | |
| Zagreb | 1h 20min | |
| Budimpešta | 3h 30min | |
| Gradec | 1h 30min |





