The bell of the Kurent, the 5 bells (the cowbell, the largest, the 15 cm across, the 2–3 kg each, the 5 that the hang from the chain around the waist of the Kurent), the “ting-tang-tong” that is the heard before the Kurent is the seen (the bells announce the Kurent, and the sound is the of the 300 Kurenti at the Ptuj carnival all the ringing the together, the most powerful sound in European carnival), and the Kurent that is the bounded around the corner of the medieval Ptuj street with the sheepskin, the feathers, the red tongue, the horns, the five bells the swaying, and the leap that is the designed to the frighten the winter away, is the essential Slovenian experience. The Kurenti (the Kurent is the singular, the Kurenti is the plural) are the most famous of the Slovenian traditional carnival figures, and the Kurentovanje, the carnival in the Ptuj, is the largest and the most spectacular pre-Lent celebration in the Slovenia. Here is your guide.

The Kurenti of Slovenia, Pre-Lent Celebrations

• The Kurent, the essential Slovenian tradition: The Kurent is the traditional carnival figure from the Ptuj and the surroundings (the Štajerska region, the north-eastern Slovenia), the sheepskin (the Kurent wears the sheepskin, the 25 kg of the wool, the mask of the leather with the horns, the feathers, the bright tongue of the red leather, the chain with the 5 cowbells that are the hung around the waist, the green-and-red woollen socks (the “ježevke”, the hedgehogs), the huge boots of the felt, the wooden club covered with the hedgehog skin at the end, the “ježevka”, that the Kurent uses to threaten the onlookers, and the essential purpose of the Kurent: to chase the winter away and to usher in the spring. The Kurent is the male, the tradition is the only the men wear the Kurent, and the figure is the pagan, the pre-Christian, and the UNESCO Intangible Cultural heritage. The Kurentovanje, the carnival in the Ptuj: the 10 days before the Ash Wednesday (the February, the dates vary: the check the ptuj-tourism.si for the exact dates, and the essential event: the Sunday of the carnival, the main parade: the 1,000 participants, the 100,000 visitors, the Kurenti, the traditional figures from the all-of-the-Slovenia and the invited international groups, the 4–5-hour parade through the Ptuj, and the essential Slovenian festival experience. The essential: the arrive the 2 hours before the start for the good viewing spot on the Prešernova ulica, the main street. The Ptuj is the 30 km from the Maribor, the hotels: the Ptuj is the sold-out the months in advance, and the essential strategy: the stay in the Maribor (the €50–80/night for the double) and the drive or the bus to the Ptuj (the 30 minutes). The essential ticket: the parade is the free, the evening events at the hall are the €10–20. More Slovenia →
• The Ptuj and the Slovenia beyond the Kurentovanje: The Ptuj, the oldest town in the Slovenia: the Ptuj is the Roman (the Poetovio, the largest Roman settlement in the Slovenia), the castle (the 12th-century, the museum, the view of the Drava River, and the best castle in the eastern Slovenia. ~€6), the cellar wine-tasting (the Ptuj wine cellar, the oldest in the Slovenia, the 1917, the largest in the country. ~€5 for the 3-wine tasting, and the essential Ptuj experience: the Sauvignon Blanc and the Renski Rizling). The essential Slovenia beyond the Ptuj, the 3-day itinerary: the day 1: the Maribor (the second-largest city in the Slovenia, the oldest vine in the world, the 450-year-old Žametovka grapevine on the Lent, the Lent-Festival, and the riverfront), the day 2: the Ptuj and the Kurentovanje, the day 3: the Lake Bled (the church on the island, see #1551) and the Ljubljana (the Dragon Bridge, the Prešeren Square, and the best small capital in Europe. The essential Ljubljana experience: the riverfront café, the coffee for the €2, and the best-value café in Europe). The essential Slovenia food: the Kranjska klobasa (the Carniolan sausage, the smoked, the €5, the best sausage in the Slovenia), the potica (the rolled nut-bread, the €4 per the slice, and the essential Slovenian pastry), the štruklji (the boiled pastry roll, the sweet or the savoury, the €6, and the most Slovenian dish)