Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ptuj and Maribor are conveniently located on the train network, and are easy to reach
from Ljubljana, as well as from international destinations like Zagreb, Vienna, and Bud-
apest.
With a storied past, a much-vaunted castle, and easygoing locals who act like they've never
metatourist,Ptujischarming.PopulatedsincetheEarlyStoneAge,Ptujhasalongandcol-
orful history that reads like a Who's Who of Central Europe: Celts and Romans, Dominican
friars and Habsburg counts, Nazis and Yugoslavs...not to mention a fuzzy monster named
Kurent. The people of Ptuj are particularly proud of their Roman era, when “Poetovio” was
a bustling metropolis of 40,000 people (nearly quadruple today's size). But even as it clings
toits noblepast, today'sPtuj isrefreshingly real, with asleepy small-town ambience andan
interesting castle/museum.
While it hosts plenty of visitors (mostly Germans and Austrians, who call it “Pettau”),
Ptujishardlyatouristtown.Realpeople,notnightclubsorsouvenirshops,populatetheOld
Town. If this makes Ptuj feel a bit less polished than the big-name sights in western Slove-
nia, so much the better—think of it as a diamond in the rough.
Ptuj is squeezed between its historic castle and the wide Drava River. With just 11,000
people (23,000 in greater Ptuj), it still ranks as Slovenia's eighth-largest town. The Old
Town is shaped roughly like a triangle, with the castle and two monasteries as its three
points. You can walk from one end of the Old Town to the other in about 10 minutes, but
since the town slopes uphill from the river to the castle, there's a bit of up and down.
Tourist Information
Ptuj's TI shares the square called Slovenski trg with its landmark City Tower. They hand
out a good town map and
A Short Guide Through Ptuj,
with historical and sightseeing in-
formation. The TI also has a free Internet terminal (daily May-Sept 9:00-20:00, Oct-April
9:00-18:00, Slovenski trg 5, tel. 02/779-6011,
www.ptuj.info
).
Arrival in Ptuj
The humble
train station
is about a 10-minute walk from the center. Exit the station to the
left, then cross the busy road to the
bus station.
From the bus station, the Old Town is just
on the other side of the big commercial center. If you're
driving
in from the expressway,
