The age-old town of Ptuj is located in the Podravje region of northeastern Slovenia. It’s surrounded by vineyards, which stretch across the Slovenske Gorice Hills, the Haloze Hills, and the Drava and Ptuj Plain. The area where the town is located was settled as far back as in the Stone Age. In the first century, the Roman Petovia fortress developed here from a military camp.
Today, this town on the River Drava is known for having the oldest wine cellar in Slovenia and for the ‘Kurenti’ masks. During Shrovetide (or Pust in Slovenian), these masks chase away winter by dancing in a colourful attire with a fur coat, bells, and head masks with horns. The ‘Kurentovanje’ celebrations in Ptuj are the largest organised Shrovetide carnival event in Slovenia, and the door-to-door rounds of Kurenti are inscribed on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
