Richard AmmonA train trip from the capital city of Ljubljana through the scenic countryside
to the picturesque and charming provincial capitol of Ptuj.
Most of the way the tracks follow the valley of the Sava River.
Ptuj is a city and one of 11 urban municipalities in Slovenia. It is situated in Lower Styria (northeastern Slovenia),
and has about 23,000 inhabitants. The city is the oldest city in Slovenia. It dates back to the Stone Age and was settled by Celts by the Late Iron Age.
It is a colorful city with a diverse nightlife. There are many parks and public spaces inside and outside of the city.
A medieval castle sits on the crest of Ptuj and overlooks the Sava River.
After the invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, Ptuj was occupied by Nazi Germany. From 1941 to 1944 the town’s Slovenian population was dispossessed and deported. Their homes were taken over by German speakers from the province of Bolzano-Bozen and the Gottschee County, who had themselves been evicted according to an agreement between Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. These German immigrants, along with the native German Pettauer, were expelled to Austria in 1945; many later settled in North America.
Since 1945 Ptuj has been populated almost completely by Slovenians.
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