This quaint city on the banks of the Drava river holds the impressive status of being Slovenia’s oldest town. Settled by the Celts in the Late Iron Age, the settlement came to prominence back in 69AD when Roman Emperor Trajan granted it city-state status, naming it Colonia Ulpia Traiana Poetovio - quite a mouthful though correctly pronouncing Ptuj (P-too-ee) is no mean feat either. As Roman Poetovio the city was an important military, commercial and administrative centre with up to 40,000 residents - a population it’s never matched. As the centuries rolled past, countless different feudal lords and rulers as well as foreign invaders featured in the city’s diverse history. The Ptuj Regional Museum is the best place to delve into the city’s complex past. It's no spoiler to say that disease, fires and foreign invasions, hobbled the development of Ptuj which since the 1700s has been largely a provincial centre and market town. It continues this role today as the cultural and economic capital of the lower Podravje region though these days it also draws large numbers of tourists (especially Slovenes) exploring the city’s rich history and cultural traditions, including its vibrant culinary and wine culture. Ptuj is also the venue of one of Slovenia’s biggest cultural events the annual ‘Kurentovanje’ carnival.