Ptuj.info

24TH PTUJ CASTLE GAMES

Ptuj Castle

SATURDAY, September 5, 2026

The rich tradition and culture of the Middle Ages on the streets of Ptuj. A medieval market comes alive in the city.

The Society – Društvo cesarsko- kraljevi Ptuj, which works to preserve and revive the town’s medieval traditions and the life of what was then a thriving European trading centre, will once again this year, 2026, organise a medieval spectacle – the 24th Castle Games.

We invite the people of Ptuj and visitors to a family day travelling back in time to Ptuj’s past. We look forward to presenting the audience with a colourful and varied medieval programme featuring knightly duels, dances, a tribute to the lady, market traders and a castle feast.

ON FRIDAY, September 4, 2026, we will set up the castle camp at Ptuj Castle.

ON SATURDAY, September 5, 2026, the 24th CASTLE GAMES will take place.

• 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM In front of the Town Hall, there will be a parade of all groups, which will be presented to the town, the townspeople, and the mayor.

• 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM – EVENT AT THE CASTLE Following the reception of guests by the Prince and Princess in the arcaded courtyard, the following will take place: Knights’ tournaments, dancing, music and a circus. The Castle Tavern will be open (Fine wines will be provided by the Central Slovenske Gorice Winegrowers’ Association and the Castle Café). The festivities will end at 18.00. Admission to the venue is free

EXPERIENCE THE MIDDLE AGES

Experience history with groups that preserve the tradition and culture of the Middle Ages. They come from near and far, from Slovenia, Croatia, Slovakia, Austria and the German twin city of Burghausen. The medieval market comes to life in the city. The event is enriched every year by an art colony, awarding of awards to winemakers and music on magical musical instruments at the castle. The program begins with a group walk around the city, which then meets at the Town Square. In the afternoon, there will be games at the tournament area at Ptuj Castle.

This year, we will commemorate an important event in our historical past, when the town was granted its town charter, the ‘Statute of the Town of Ptuj’ of 1376. Let us not forget’

This year we are celebrating the 650th anniversary of the codification, or the recording, of 195 legal provisions written in German in Gothic cursive script, preserved on 52 parchment sheets. The Ptuj manuscript is held at the Duke August Library in Wolfenbüttel, Germany. The Statute is not a dry legal text; rather, through its provisions, it presents the simple life of a townsman and a merchant, their rights and duties, the town’s administrative system, the election of the town judge and his assessors, the legal order and the workings of the court, and, above all, the highly complex relationship between the town lord, the Archbishop of Salzburg, the province and the Emperor.

The Ptuj Statute represents one of the most important monuments of Slovenia’s legal and cultural heritage from the late Middle Ages. Its content transcends local significance, as experts

The Castsle Games are part of the international Project LIVING CASTLES.

Organizer: Društvo Cesarsko-kraljevi Ptuj

More information about the organizer

^{Foto: Društvo Cesarsko-kraljevi Ptuj}