Ptuj Castle, Slovenia: Free Views, Tickets & Museum
Ptuj Castle is one of the main places to visit in Ptuj, Slovenia. The castle overlooks the city from Castle Hill and is an easy walk from the old town.
You can walk up Castle Hill for free and see the courtyards, gates and views without buying a ticket. Inside are some artworks, artefacts and displays about the site’s history.
Ptuj Castle History
They built Ptuj Castle in the middle of the 12th century to defend against the Hungarians. The city was part of the Archdiocese of Salzburg at that time. After changing hands many times, it became a nationalised museum of regional history in 1945.
Free Parts of Ptuj Castle
The free part offers a view of the city, where you can see the church spires, river, and nearby lake. It is also a good place for a walk, with seats at the top if you want to stop for a drink.
You can also explore the inner courtyards and gates for free. The only parts that charge an entrance fee are inside. This includes the main building and the museum next to the ticket office.
Dog Walks
I enjoyed a few dog walks up the hill to the site’s courtyards, each time taking a different route. This includes narrow paths from the town centre, a route from the archaeological park and the cobbled street from the Franciscan church.
Tickets for Ptuj Castle
I purchased tickets on the day at their ticket office, which also doubles up as a tourist shop. It impressed me how many languages the person at the ticket desk spoke while I was waiting.
The all-in-one ticket that I chose was well worth it and covered all aspects of the castle. You can also get concessions or separate tickets for each part. You can find the opening hours and current ticket prices on their website.
Inside Ptuj Castle and Museums
Main Gate
The main gate separates the outer courtyard from the viewpoint to the inner courtyard. This gate is rather decorative, and when you pass through it, a cobbled path leads up to the main building. The gate is wooden and has a crest over the top.
Inner Courtyard
The inner courtyard is a cool place to mooch around and see the exterior, including the porticos on each floor. There are many decorative features, a well and a historic grapevine.
11th/12th-Century Well
The well in the courtyard was built in the 11th or 12th century, and it is supplied with groundwater from the fields of Ptuj. The well is 55.25 metres deep and apparently suitable for drinking.
Collection of Traditional Carnival Masks
One of the must-see exhibits is about the famous Kurentovanje carnival that takes place in the city each year. This includes exhibits of the unique costumes worn for the event.
Collection of Musical Instruments
The collection of musical instruments includes some decorative church organs and instruments used in classical music. The exhibition also covers the people who built the instruments, with some example workshops. This highlights the craftsmanship that went into creating them.
They also cover the historic local bands from the Ptuj area. This includes the Ptuj military band, which paid tribute to Leopold II with a large parade in nearby Maribor. The last mention of the historic band was in 1848, and three years later it was disbanded. They then established a music society in the city that continued the military bands’ traditions.
Throughout the Centuries Exhibition
The ‘Castle Throughout the Centuries’ exhibition tells the story of the site from the 11th century onwards. This exhibit tells the story of those who have lived here. It also covers the additions to the site over the centuries and the architectural styles used. They also have models of the castle at various stages of its life. They also have details of archaeological digs and things found at the site.
Master Weavers Exhibition
An exhibit at the museum next to the ticket office is about master weavers. The section covers all things weaving, including the skills and materials used. You can see historical woven products in the section. This includes some mighty fine tapestries on the walls.
Exhibition of Feudal Dwelling Culture
The Exhibition of Feudal Dwelling Culture offers a glimpse of the furniture and decorations used in the castle’s living quarters. Some of the skills used to create the furniture looked amazing and showed how the upper echelons of society lived over the ages.
Art Galleries & Exhibits
On my visit, there were galleries and art exhibits. They seemed to blend into one, possibly because I did things in the wrong order. Anyway, there were loads of paintings and sculptures. The exhibitions include the following:
- The Castle Gallery
- The Collection of Glass Paintings
- Medieval and Early Modern Period Art 1200–1550
Some of the art really caught my eye while perusing the galleries, especially the distinctive pieces.
Dragons seem prominent in Slovenia, and here in the castle it is no different. This impressive dragon candle holder hung from the ceiling and caught my attention.
Out of all the paintings in the galleries, this one really piqued my interest. This oil painting is called Ice on the Drava River. Franz Joseph Fellner created it in 1766.
On theme, they also had some paintings of dogs.
Festival Hall
The festival hall is where they host events. They adorned the walls of Festival Hall on the upper floor with some very good paintings.
Next to the Festival Hall was a small chapel with some lovely features. This included a decorative altar and a historic organ for the chapel.
The Collection of Arms
Sadly, the arms collection was closed due to renovations. However, for those who are interested in weapons, there are some in other exhibitions.
One such exhibit was the Ptuj Sword, which has the names of the town’s judges that served in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Best Places for Views of Ptuj Castle
There are various places to see the castle in all its glory. My two favourite places were the river and the view at the Archaeological Park.
From the Archaeological Park
The Archaeological Park is a beautiful place for a walk. Here you can learn about the area’s Roman history and wildlife, and enjoy views of the nearby countryside and the castle. This is the best place, as the elevation of the archaeological park offers a great vantage point.
If you then approach the castle via the path up to the main gate, you can see another special view.
From the Riverbank
On the far bank of the river, there are panoramic views of Ptuj Castle. It looks stunning here with part of the old town, too. It’s a good vantage point, especially early in the morning at sunrise.
Is Ptuj Castle Worth Visiting?
I really enjoyed my visits to Ptuj Castle in Slovenia. Most were dog walks through the free areas and around the outside. The inside was well worth visiting to learn some of the castle’s and region’s history. The museums inside were engaging and had some unique topics. One highlight was the outfits from the city’s unique carnival.