Ptuj Castle, a thousand years above the Drava

A hill settled since the Neolithic

People were living on the hill above Ptuj by the 5th millennium BC. In Roman Poetovio there was a fortress with temples up here, and in the early Middle Ages the Slavs used it as a burial ground. The medieval stronghold dates from the 11th century, when the castle and town belonged to the Archdiocese of Salzburg. In 1132 the archbishops granted it to the Lords of Ptuj, who held it for more than three hundred years and founded the Dominican and Minorite friaries. The tombstone of the last of them, Friedrich IX, is still set into a wall on the ground floor.

From 1656 to 1802 the Scottish Leslie family lived here and turned it into a Baroque manor. The last owners were the Counts of Herberstein, from 1873 to 1945, when the castle was nationalised and passed, furniture and all, to the Ptuj museum.

What to see at Ptuj Castle

The Ptuj-Ormož Regional Museum keeps its most visited collections here. There are furnished state rooms, a well-stocked armoury, Gothic and Baroque art, reliquaries, paintings on glass, an exhibition on the castle’s history and the traditional carnival masks of the area. Visit Ptuj also highlights a 17th-century collection of turquerie and tapestries showing scenes from the Odyssey.

The highlight for me is the collection of historical musical instruments, the largest in Slovenia. Among them is the tibia, a bone double flute sheathed in bronze and brass from the 2nd or 3rd century, which Romans thought could ward off evil spirits. Note that the Baroque section of the castle gallery is closed for works until further notice.

Roman stones in the walls

Before you go in, look at the walls. They’re studded with Roman stones bearing reliefs and inscriptions, such as lion-shaped crowns, the face of Serapis and dedications to Jupiter and the nymphs. Some were reused as building material, while others were placed along the entrance passage in the 20th century so visitors could see them.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Ptuj before prices climb.

Wine and views over the Drava

From the courtyard you look out over the old-town roofs, the Drava and, on clear days, Lake Ptuj. The tourist board also suggests a toast in the castle cellar beside a 40,000-litre barrel and a wine tasting in darkness in a tunnel under the hill, the kind of extra that puts it among the castles in Slovenia I’d rate for more than the view.

Hours, tickets and tips

Allow at least an hour and a half for the collections. If you’re here in February, see the masks before you watch Kurentovanje, because the Kurents will make much more sense. And if you’re in a group, book a guided tour by phone three days ahead.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Ptuj Castle and choose by the reviews.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Ptuj before prices climb.