Visiting Ptuj, Slovenia: What to See in This Charming Little Town

I hadn’t heard of Ptuj until my tour guide in Ljubljana said she was from there.

Never one to pass up on going to lesser visited and lesser heard of places, I changed my plans slightly to spend 1 day in Ptuj.

Here’s how I spent the day in Ptuj including where I stayed and where I had the best meal in Slovenia!

History of Ptuj

Ptuj proudly claims that it is the oldest town in Slovenia with evidence of a settlement here in the Stone Ages and written evidence of it being a Roman city in 69AD with the name Poetovium. It changed hands many times during the Middle Ages before becoming a part of the Habsburg monarchy, then the Austria-Hungary empire and Yugoslavia before Slovenian independence in 1991.

What to do in Ptuj

I arrived in the evening and after parking up and taking a picture at the Aluminijasta Skulptura, I walked across the pedestrian bridge and walked around the colourful laneways. I went for dinner at the Amadeus restaurant (more on that below) and walked around the Town Square where a few places were open for drinks. It isn’t a lively town after dark, even on a perfect summers evening. 

The following morning I walked across the bridge again and strolled around Mestni Park enjoying the riverside views. Next to the park is the large cone shaped building of the Miheličeva galerija which is a small art gallery in a former grain building that is open from 12pm until 6pm Tuesday to Sunday in summer with reduced winter hours.

After walking past the Minoritski Samostan monastry with the Marijin steber statue outside to commemorate victory over the Turks, I had another coffee in the Town Square looking towards the Town Hall.

I then went to what I think was the best thing to do in Ptuj and climbed up the Bell Tower. The tower was first constructed in the 16th Century but has been rebuilt and added to over the years with the current roof having an 18th Century Baroque style. Open every day in summer from 9.30am to 8.30pm, (shorter hours on Sunday), it only costs €7 to climb the steps through 4 different floors, each a mini museum explaining the history of the town, the tower and how the clock and bell work. At the top, you can see the mechanics of the clock and stand next to the bell when it goes off on the hour!

Many people say that Ptuj Castle is their highlight of what to do in Ptuj, and whilst it was cool to look out over the city, I still preferred the bell tower if I had to choose! It is a short but steep walk up to the 12th Century castle from the town centre but it gives amazing views over the red rooftops of the city below, the river and the green plains of eastern Slovenia. Inside, the castle is now a museum of regional history and contains one of the largest collections of musical instruments in Slovenia.

Once you’ve done all of that, I recommend taking some time to walk around more of the laneways and see if you can spot any of the small art galleries or art installations that dot the town. There are some small shops selling boutique clothing, small art galleries and some artisan products available to purchase in the most unassuming buildings.

How to get to Ptuj

There are multiple ways to get to Ptuj, but the easiest and the one that I did was by hiring a car and driving. One of the great things about Slovenia is how compact it is.

I drove from Ljubljana and was only a 2 hour drive from the Slovenian capital. If you want to break up the drive on the way, I can recommend stopping off at the beer fountain in Zalec for a unique site.

There are also multiple buses per day from Ljubljana and other cities around Slovenia including Maribor which is only 20 minutes away (up to 45 minutes on a bus). Buses can take up to 3 hours and can be booked here. It may be easier and quicker to get a bus via Maribor.

There also appears to be a direct train that runs twice per day from Ljubljana to Ptuj or an indirect service multiple times per day. Prices and times can be checked on the Slovenian Trains website.

You may also like: Visiting Škofja Loka, Slovenia: A Day Trip Guide

Where to stay in Ptuj

As I had a car, as part of my central European road trip, I had to choose a hotel that also offered parking. Because of this I stayed at the Hotel Pomaranča which is just over the river from the old town. The rooms were clean and basic, the sort of thing you would expect from a hotel on the roadside designed for travellers passing through. It was far enough away from the road that I couldn’t hear any traffic noise and there was an onsite restaurant (menu). Parking was free. All in all, I was happy with my stay there and can recommend it.

If you’re looking to stay in the town centre, I can recommend staying at MuziKafe (more on that below) or a classic hotel in the city, Hotel Ptuj.

If you don’t mind staying in a casino, the Hotel Admiral is a budget option that is well reviewed.

• Budget option: Hotel Admiral
• Heritage choice: Hotel Ptuj
• Quirky stay: MuziKafe
• Where I stayed: Hotel Pomaranča

Where I ate in Ptuj

I had dinner at Amadeus restaurant (location here), just up the hill in the old town. I had the veal fillets and it was absolutely delicious.

Every meal I had in Slovenia was a mix of meats and vegetables but this one tasted the best and was most affordable.

It was a proper local restaurant, the staff didn’t speak much English and there was a group of elder local men in there discussing something important with lots of wine flowing!

For breakfast or a daytime meal, I can highly recommend visiting muzikafe (location here), the cute courtyard is a lovely place for a coffee and light bite, even if you aren’t staying there.

There are two cafes in the main square as well that have good coffee and alcohol if you want to relax somewhere central.

Summing up the what to do in Ptuj

• Walk the laneways
• Climb the bell tower
• Explore the castle
• Relax in the old town square
• Visit Mestni Park
• Take a picture at the Aluminijasta Skulptura

Summing up visiting Ptuj in Slovenia

Ptuj is a small town in Slovenia that I had no idea about until just a few hours before when I decided to visit. It is small towns like this that I love, and if you also enjoying getting off the beaten path to discover places like Ptuj, then you should absoutely make this a stop during your travels around Slovnia.

Dan

Dan is an avid traveller from London. His first big adventure was in 2010 living in Malaysia for 3 months. He has been on the road almost constantly since 2015 travelling to destinations that aren’t on the mainstream tourist trail and working full time and travelling since 2021.