February in Slovenia, the month of the kurenti

Kurentovanje, Ptuj’s February carnival

The organisers have published the dates of the 67th Kurentovanje, seven days starting on 3 February 2027 and ending on the 9th. It’s Slovenia’s largest carnival, and the Tourist Board points out that the rounds of the kurenti, the sheepskin-clad figures who chase winter away, are on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list, and that Lonely Planet named it among the world’s ten most interesting carnivals. Ptuj is a town worth the trip on its own, with its castle and old centre. Everything about the carnival is in Kurentovanje in Ptuj.

8 February, Prešeren Day

Every 8 February the country honours Prešeren with its day of culture, which the government counts among the work-free days. It honours France Prešeren (1800-1849), whose poem «Zdravljica» supplies the words of the anthem in its seventh stanza. Expect shops and offices to close. The full list of holidays is in Slovenian public holidays. Two days later, on the 10th, the Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana opens its 10th Winter Festival with the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra.

Skiing and biathlon in February

In the mountains February is deep winter. The official statistics give an average of -1.8°C at Rateče and -8.3°C at Kredarica, the year’s lowest at that high-mountain station. The ski resorts are in full swing, and on Pokljuka the IBU Cup biathlon takes the first week of the month, 1 to 7 February. The official calendar also lists a Para Biathlon World Championships on Pokljuka from 22 to 28 February, still marked as to be confirmed. The plateau and its forests are covered in Pokljuka.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Ptuj for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

February weather, drier than you’d think

One detail worth knowing is that February is the month with the least rain in Ljubljana, 75 mm on average, and in Maribor, 36 mm. The capital’s average climbs to 2.5°C. It’s a good month to pair the carnival with a couple of city days. In Koper, the Days of Young Olive Oil carry on until 15 February. And if you’re heading east anyway, two exhibitions are worth a detour, «Rock Otočec» at the Dolenjska Museum in Novo Mesto, until 8 February, and «Beyond the Academy», four self-taught painters at the Božidar Jakac Gallery in Kostanjevica na Krki, until 28 February.

What’s still closed

Vintgar stays shut until spring, and Bled Castle closes at six in the evening. On the roads, compulsory winter equipment still applies. If you fancy something other than carnival, March brings the Planica ski flying, which I cover in Slovenia in March. The full winter, snow and festivities included, is in Slovenia in winter.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Ptuj on GetYourGuide.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Ptuj for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.