Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a chain of five bells around its waist, and jumps around and swings its hips to get
them clanging as loudly as possible. Kurents travel together in packs, so the com-
bined noise can be deafening.
Traditionally the role of Kurent was played by young men of the village—they
were able to pull it off physically (the costume could weigh 90 pounds) and used it
as an opportunity to catch the eye of a potential wife. (As the Kurents parade through
the streets, young women still toss them handkerchiefs in approval.) Leading up to
the procession, the young man would make his own costume in secret. That way,
the monster would be all the more frightening and impressive when it was finally
revealed. Ideally, they'd use the stinkiest animal hides they could find, to make the
beast smell as hideous as it looked and sounded.
These processions have evolved into modern extravaganzas. These days, men and
women of any age buy their Kurent costumes in a store, and Kurentovanje's daytime
parades are followed by evenings of music, celebration, and general debauchery. In
recent years, in a sort of “creature exchange” program, characters from Mardi Gras
celebrations in other countries have come to take part in Kurentovanje.
Imagine about 350 of these hairy beasts, each one with five huge bells clanging
at top volume, stomping down Prešernova street. Or come the Sunday before Ash
Wednesday, and see for yourself. For details on all the festivities, check out
Kurentovanje ends at midnight on Shrove Tuesday (before Ash Wednesday),
when people move into the more pensive season of Lent... confident that spring will
soon return.
• Going through the door, you enter the...
Feudal Dwelling Culture Collection:
This exhibit displays artifacts belonging to the
castle's previous owners. The route takes you more or less clockwise in a roughly chrono-
logical order, from the 16th to the 19th century. In the first few rooms—where receptions
wereheldandguestswere(hopefully)impressed—you'llseeseveral17th-centurytapestries
from Brussels depicting the travels of Ulysses. Notice that nearly every big room has its
ownceramicstove(fedfrombehindthewallbyservants).Lookingup,you'llseethatwhile
someoftheroomshaveexposedwooden-beamceilings,othersareadornedwithcake-frost-
ing stucco work—it's original, was created by highly skilled masters, and is still intact after
nearly 300years. Atthe endofthe first hall isagallery ofportraits ofthe Herbersteins, who
furnished this part of the castle and were eager to establish their legitimacy as a ruling fam-
ily.
