Kurentovanje Carnival in Ptuj: Kurents, Masks and Visiting Tips

Kurentovanje carnival brings sheepskin costumes, ringing cowbells and a determined campaign against winter to Ptuj, Slovenia. Venice may have the more familiar masks; here, the figure everyone waits for is the Kurent. I went for the procession and photographed a celebration in which village traditions, music and a fair amount of mischief share the streets. This guide explains the characters in my photographs, what the festival celebrates and how I would plan a first visit.

Kurentovanje 2027 Dates and Main Parade

The organizer currently lists the 67th Kurentovanje for February 3–9, 2027, with the International Ethnographic and Carnival Parade on Sunday, February 7, at noon. I would choose that Sunday for a first visit centered on the procession. Check the official Kurentovanje program again before traveling, as times and routes can change.

What Is Kurentovanje Carnival?

Kurentovanje is Ptuj’s annual carnival festival, combining traditional masked characters with parades, music and contemporary costumes. The organized event began in 1960, drawing on older carnival customs from the surrounding villages. Its best-known figure is the Kurent, whose bells and jumping are traditionally intended to drive winter away and welcome spring. The main Sunday procession is a good introduction to the variety of costumes, especially if you have only one day in Ptuj.

The parade brings local groups and visiting performers into the same streets, so the character of the procession keeps changing. Marching musicians and elaborate costumes sit alongside the older rural figures. Food is part of the occasion, too: sausages, sweet pastries and the inevitable carnival doughnuts make a useful excuse to stop between photographs. For more ideas beyond the festival, our guide to traditional Slovenian food explains dishes you can look for while traveling around the country.

Krofi, Slovenia’s carnival doughnuts, were easy to find around town. Jam is the familiar filling, with vanilla cream and chocolate among the alternatives. They belong to the season as much as the masks do, and arriving early gives you time to enjoy one before settling along the parade route.

What stayed with me was the range of the procession. Some groups came to make people laugh, others carried masks that looked quite capable of clearing the street on their own. Even among all that competition, the Kurents remained the figures I most wanted to photograph.

What Is a Kurent?

A Kurent, also called a Korant, is the shaggy masked figure associated with the carnival traditions of the Ptuj region, documented by 1880. Kurenti is the Slovenian plural; you will also see Kurents in English. In local belief, their arrival brings good fortune, while the sound of their bells drives away winter and evil. Watching them move through the procession, jumping to keep the bells ringing, makes the connection between costume and sound quite clear.

The outfit, known as a kurentija, includes a sheepskin coat, a large head mask and a chain of cowbells around the waist. Masks vary by local tradition, including feathered and horned forms, so horns are not a requirement for every Kurent. Long tongues, decorated faces and different colors give individual masks their own character. The wooden staff is called a ježevka, traditionally fitted with hedgehog skin at one end.

There is an important distinction behind the UNESCO recognition: the door-to-door rounds of Kurenti were inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. The inscription concerns the living custom of the rounds, rather than the whole modern carnival festival. Kurentovanje provides a public setting in which visitors can encounter that heritage.

The rounds also take Kurents to homes in the surrounding communities, where their visit traditionally wishes the household luck and prosperity. Seeing them in a large procession gives one view of the tradition; the visits to homes explain its place in village life and why it matters beyond the festival route.

The Kurent’s precise origins are uncertain. The figure belongs to the carnival heritage of Ptujsko and Dravsko polje, Haloze and Slovenske gorice, where many customs concern the return of spring and the fertility of fields and livestock. I find that regional context more useful than trying to assign every detail of the costume a single, definite ancient meaning.

Five cowbells are traditionally worn at the waist, and the jumping keeps them sounding as the group moves. The sheepskin, head mask and bells make this a physically demanding costume, without every outfit needing to weigh the same amount. You may also notice handkerchiefs attached to a Kurent’s staff or outfit, traditionally given by girls as tokens of affection. From close by, those small details are as interesting to photograph as the complete mask.

Participation has changed over time. Once associated with young men, the custom now includes women as well, and I saw children taking part in the procession. That was one of the more encouraging sights of the day: the tradition was being learned and carried on, alongside all the jumping and noise.

I also photographed the masks in black and white, where the wool, faces and shapes become the main subject. You can see that approach in the gallery below. Alongside the Kurents, the rest of the procession deserves attention of its own.

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Kurents in Black and White

Other Characters of Kurentovanje

The Dornava Carnival Group

Dornava has its own long-established carnival group, traditionally listed in local programs as Dornavski cigani. Its performers take on theatrical roles such as musicians, fortune-tellers and knife sharpeners. These are local masquerade characters, not a description of Roma people or everyday life. Their props and comic performances add a different rhythm to the procession.

The Devil

The devil, or hudič, accompanies the Kurents and traditionally helps keep the group’s rounds running smoothly. A pitchfork and net are among the recognizable props. The young participant in my photograph made the role rather less intimidating than some of the larger masks passing through town.

The Whip Crackers

Whip crackers, known as pokači, announce themselves with sharp cracks intended in tradition to drive away evil and encourage good fortune. The sound was one of the more startling parts of the procession. I photographed both younger participants and experienced performers, and the latter could produce a particularly forceful snap.

Jürek and Rabolj

Jürek and Rabolj act out the seasonal struggle directly. Jürek, associated with Green George and spring, confronts Rabolj, who represents winter. Their staged fight ends with winter’s defeat. It gives a clear narrative to the same wish expressed by the Kurents’ bells: the cold season should make way for new growth.

The Rusa

The rusa is a playful animal character traditionally associated with health and fertility in livestock. It reminded me of a Chinese lion, with less acrobatics and more unruly behavior. The driver with a whip has the task of managing the creature, which seems to have its own ideas about how the procession should proceed.

Old Woman Carrying Her Man

Baba nosi deda, the old woman carrying her man, uses a costume built around a basket and a dummy to play with the impression of one person carrying another. The wearer’s movement gives the arrangement its comic effect. It is a small piece of street theater among the larger groups and a reminder that carnival has plenty to say about ordinary relationships, too.

Straw Bride Looking for Her Groom

The straw bride belongs to a mock matchmaking custom. Performers in women’s clothing pull a trough containing a straw bride and offer her to eligible young men, boasting about her supposed wealth. Onion garlands replace a more conventional bridal arrangement. The exaggerated promises and improvised courtship make the scene a public joke about marriage.

The Spearmen

The spearman, or kopjaš, comes from wedding customs in Markovci, where the role is to accompany the couple and entertain their guests. Spearmen led the first Kurentovanje procession in 1960 and became part of the carnival tradition. Their dark suits, decorated hats and ribboned spears give them a very different appearance from the wool-covered Kurents.

The Plowmen

The plowmen, or orači, perform a symbolic version of fieldwork. The custom is associated with protecting the community and marking the first furrow of a new growing season. A decorated plow is pulled by participants playing horses, with a whip cracker leading the group and a Kurent among the accompanying figures. It makes the festival’s connection to agricultural life particularly easy to recognize.

These photographs cover only part of the procession. There are more local figures and visiting groups than a single set of images can explain, which is one reason to give yourself time to watch the different sections pass.

Tips for Visiting Kurentovanje

Arrive early for the main parade. That was my most useful lesson from the day: you can look around Ptuj, stop for a doughnut and choose a viewing position before the streets become busier. If you want to visit Ptuj Castle as well, check its opening hours separately and allow enough time to get back to the route. For photography, choose a place with a clear view and keep room for the procession to move past.

Before the parade, I could see participants preparing in the park and around town, which gave me a closer look at their masks and clothing. Ask before making a portrait, particularly while someone is getting ready, and follow the stewards’ directions. Warm layers and shoes suitable for standing outdoors are sensible choices; for young children or anyone sensitive to sudden noise, consider hearing protection around the bells and whip cracking.

Use the organizer’s latest route, transport and weather notices when planning your day. Rain alone should not be assumed to mean an automatic cancellation. Keep some time free around the procession, too: the music, preparations and conversations in the streets are part of the occasion.

Is Kurentovanje Worth Visiting?

For travelers interested in living traditions, street photography and the less familiar side of Slovenia, I would make time for Kurentovanje. The noise and crowds need a little planning, especially with small children. My strongest memories are of the Kurents jumping through the procession, the children in costume and the comic figures that interrupted the more imposing masks. Arrive with enough time to look closely, and the differences between the characters become a large part of the pleasure.

Practical Details for Kurentovanje in Ptuj

Kurentovanje FAQ

Sources and Further Reading