Things to do in Ptuj
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Kino Ptuj
This wonderful Art Deco movie theatre has a couple of screenings a day.
reviewed
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Dominican Monastery
Just past Sunny Park (Sončni Park) in Muzejski trg is the former Dominican Monastery, which contains the lapidary and archeological collections of the Ptuj Regional Museum The monastery was built in 1230 but abandoned in the late 18th century when the Habsburgs dissolved the Catholic religious orders.
The beautiful eastern wing has a cross-ribbed Romanesque window and Gothic cloisters with 14th-century frescoes of Dominican monks in their black and white garb. There's also a refectory with 18th-century stucco work, a chapter hall and a large Roman coin collection.
reviewed
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Church of St George
Behind the City Tower in Slovenski trg is the Church of St George, which reveals an array of styles from Romanesque to neo-Gothic. The church contains some lovely late-14th-century choir chairs decorated with animals, a carved relief of the Epiphany dating from 1515 and frescoes in the middle of the south aisle and the restored Laib Altar, a three-winged altar painting by Konrad Laib (c 1410-60) completed in the mid-15th century.
Near the entrance is a carved 14th-century statue under glass of St George slaying the dragon.
reviewed
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Ribič
Arguably the best restaurant in Ptuj, the 'Angler' faces the river and the speciality here is - not surprisingly - fish, especially boiled or fried trout. The seafood soup served in a bowl made of bread is exceptional. If the oil on the salad tastes odd (nutty, a little smoky), that's because it's pumpkin-seed oil (bučno olje), a speciality of the Drava Plain region. Make sure to have the dessert speciality: chocolate fondant with ice cream. There's live Slovenian folk music some nights.
reviewed
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Slovenski trg
Murkova ulica, which has some interesting old houses on it, leads westward from Mestni trg to funnel-shaped Slovenski trg, the heart of old Ptuj. In the centre, the City Tower (Mestni Stolp) was erected in the 16th century as a belfry and later turned into a watch tower. Roman tombstones and sacrificial altars from Poetovio were incorporated into the tower's exterior walls in 1830; you can still make out reliefs of Medusa's head, dolphins and a man on horseback.
reviewed
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Minorite monastery
On the east side of Minoritski trg, which has a 17th-century plague pillar of Mary and the Infant Jesus in the centre, is the massive Minorite monastery, which was built in the 13th century. Because the Franciscan Minorites dedicated themselves to teaching, the order was not dissolved under the edict issued by Habsburg Emperor Joseph II in the late 18th century, and it has continued to function in Ptuj for more than seven centuries.
reviewed
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Ptuj Regional Museum
The Ptuj Castle houses the Ptuj Regional Museum on its three arcaded floors, but mostly worth the trip for the views of Ptuj and the Drava. The shortest way to the castle from here is to follow narrow Grajska ulica, which starts just west of the Garni Hotel Mitra and leads to a covered wooden stairway and the castle's Renaissance Peruzzi Portal dating from 1570.
reviewed
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Church of Sts Peter and Paul
On the northern side of the Minorite monastery's inner courtyard, the Church of Sts Peter and Paul is one of the most beautiful examples of early Gothic architecture in Slovenia. Reduced to rubble by Allied bombing in January 1945., it was painstakingly rebuilt over the decades and has now risen - phoenix-like - as a gem of modern architecture on the same spot.
reviewed
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Mestni trg
At the end of Krempljeva ulica, which runs north from Minoritski trg, is Mestni trg, a rectangular square once called Florianplatz in honour of the St Florian Column (1745) standing in the northwest corner. To the east is the neo-Gothic town hall on Mestni trg 1, designed by an architect from Graz in 1907.
reviewed
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Ptujska Vinska Klet
One of the largest cellars in Slovenia, this is the place to go if you want to buy wine, especially local tipple such as Haloze Chardonnay, Šipon or Laški Rizling. The cellar also stocks Zlata Trta, the 'Golden Vine' sweet wine dating from 1917 and the oldest vintage in Slovenia.
reviewed
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Orpheus Monument
In front of the City Tower stands the 5m-tall Orpheus Monument, a Roman tombstone from the 2nd century with scenes from the Orpheus myth. It was used as a pillory in the Middle Ages; those found guilty of a crime were shackled to iron rings attached to the holes on the lower half.
reviewed
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Mithraic shrines
The key attraction at the Dominican Monastary are the Mithraic shrines at Spodnja Hajdina (key at house No 37a) and Zgornji Breg (key at Ulica K Mitreju 3), a couple of kilometres west of town where you can see the Roman tombstones, altars and wonderful mosaics unearthed in Ptuj.
reviewed
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Gostilna Amadeus
This very pleasant restaurant above a pub and near the foot of the road to the castle serves štruklji (dumplings with herbs and cheese; around €4.30), steak and pork dishes and fish. Service is very warm and efficient.
reviewed
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Ptuj Castle
Parts of the Ptuj Castle date back to the first half of the 12th century (eg the west tower), but what you see here is an agglomeration of styles from the 14th to the 18th centuries put into place by one aristocratic owner after another.
reviewed
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Prešernova ulica
Pedestrian Prešernova ulica, the town's market in the Middle Ages, leads westward from Slovenski trg. The arched spans that look like little bridges above some of the narrow side streets are to support older buildings.
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Kitajski Vrt
Ptuj's only Chinese restaurant is almost opposite the Ribič and has a fair few vegetable dishes on its menu. It's not especially authentic but if you crave noodles, you'll find them here.
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Little Castle
The renovated yellow pile called the Little Castle was the erstwhile home of the Salzburg bishops and a number of aristocratic families over the centuries.
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Feluka Bar
This über-trendy designer bar is on the wrong side of the tracks from the centre but attracts the crowds with its wonderful décor and drinks.
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Caffeteria
Ptuj can compete with Ljubljana in the earnestness stakes now that it has its own cosy teahouse serving a number of herbal concoctions and tisanes.
reviewed
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Teater Kamra Caffè
A café-cum-music pub attached to the Hotel Mitra with occasional live music, the Theatre Room Café attracts Ptuj's Bohemian set.
reviewed
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Anka
Licences for fishing in the Drava are available from the Hotel Poetovio in Ptuj and Anka, a travel agency near the Ribič restaurant.
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Super Li
If you're up for an old-fashioned disco scene head for this place neat to the Hotel Poetovio. There are live bands on Friday night.
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Picerija Slonček
The cosy 'Little Elephant', with an interesting marble fountain out front, serves pizza and some meatless dishes as well as grills.
reviewed
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Drava Tower
About 150m west of the monastery is round Drava Tower, a Renaissance water tower built as a defence against the Turks in 1551.
reviewed
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Café Evropa
By day and evening a popular café, the Evropa turns into on of Ptuj's hottest clubs on Friday and Saturday nights.
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