Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Finally, look on the right wall, with 17th-century Eurofied visions of people from other
cultures:Africans,NativeAmericans,andAsians,allwithexaggeratedfeatures.Thisquirky
collection is typical of Slovenian museums: Since they can't afford great works by famous
artists, they collect items that may seem obscure, but actually have an interesting story to
tell.
At the far end of the Festival Hall, you can poke into the castle's chapel.
• Exiting the Festival Hall, go straight ahead along the arcade to its end, where you'll take
the tight, medieval spiral staircase up one level. At the top, the row of sandstone dwarves
leads to two skippable rooms of paintings. Instead, turn left into...
Medieval Knights, Founders, and Patrons of the Arts:
This exhibit tells you more
than you ever wanted to know about the Lords of Ptuj. Touring its several rooms, you'll see
family trees and crests, artifacts from lords gone by, models of local buildings, and a fine
1380statueofSt.George(Ptuj'spatronsaint)slayingthedragon.Thedarkenedroomshigh-
light the Middle Ages, with some precious statues by the greatest local masters of the day.
• Exit to the right, and walk to the end of the arcade.
Castle Gallery:
This painting gallery features works from the Baroque period, the 16th
to the 18th century. As most of these are lesser painters' copies of famous works by great
masters, you likely won't recognize many names in here. One name in particular you won't
recognize,againandagain,isJohannChristian Schröder(1655-1702),aPraguecourtpaint-
er whose depictions of biblical scenes constitute the majority of the collection.
• Head back down to the courtyard. Ask one of the attendants to direct you (across the court-
yard from the main staircase) to the...
Collection of Musical Instruments:
This fun and well-presented exhibit groups instru-
ments by type of music, which you'll hear as you enter each room. The first section celeb-
rates Ptuj's civic marching band, a prized local tradition. The next section displays ancient
Roman instruments. The tibia (in the display case), dating from the second century
A.D.
, is
the only one ever found; it had two pipes made of bone leading to a single mouthpiece (il-
lustrated on the wall). The next section features woodwinds and strings, including a rare,
preserved lute. And the last section shows off a Bösendorfer piano and other keyboard in-
struments.
• As you exit, you can ask to be directed to the anticlimactic finale (to the right), the...
Collection of Arms:
Squeezedintoonecornerofahuge,vaultedroomisanarmorycol-
lection spanning several centuries, from the 1400s through World War I. They're displayed
on racks, as they would have been in a real armory. Also in this hall, look for models of the
castle as it appeared in 1657 and in 1812.
• Your castle visit is over. Enjoy the views, then head back down into town.
