| The hill where Ptuj Castle stands was settled in prehistoric and Roman times and due to its strategic position also attracted medieval feudal lords. Here they built a castle in the 9th or 10th century, from which a tower survives today in the western forecourt. In the first half of the 12th century, since this castle had succumbed to the winds of time, Archbishop Konrad of Salzburg, then Ptuj's feudal lord, ordered the construction of a new castle, whose imposing residence, today's Leslijev wing, remains today. Major reconstructions in the Renaissance and Baroque periods left a strong stamp on the castle. Today, Ptuj Castle is a museum. On the ground floor visitors can inspect musical instruments used in the past by wealthy Ptuj noblemen and citizens. The instruments reflect various faces of the musical past, and recordings of the music once played on them enliven the exhibit. The most beautiful castle chambers are on the first floor. Displays of period furniture, tapestries, paintings and small everyday objects present household furnishings from the second half of the 16th century to the second half of the 19th century. On the second floor, visitors encounter traditional Carnival costumes and masquerade figures from Ptujsko polje, Dravsko polje, Haloze, and Slovenske Gorice such as the remarkable Kurenti, Orači, and Ploharji. The castle art gallery boasts some of the most beautiful examples of Gothic and Baroque art in Slovenia. |