Ptuj going back to Roman times
Ptuj, 14 August - Gladiators, legionaries, senators and other characters from the Roman times will converge on Slovenia's oldest town, Ptuj, for the annual Roman Games between 16 and 18 August.
Ptuj
Slovenia's oldest town holds the 16th Roman Games.
Photo: BoĊĦtjan Podlogar/STA
Held for the 17th year, the festival will see more than 800 Roman figures from seven countries re-enact the life and customs 2,000 years ago when the town, back then called Poetovio, was a major trade and craft centre.
Andrej Klasinc, a representative of the organisers, says they are proud to host groups from almost the entire former Roman Empire for what is one of the biggest such events in this part of Europe.
The festival will culminate on Saturday, 17 August with a procession of the participants through the streets of the town's historic centre, with an accompanying programme in the central market.
Not far from the town centre, the Roman Camp Poetovio will be set up to let the visitors watch and engage in Roman games, display of skills and workshops, and enjoy culinary delicacies of the time.
The festival will get under way with an opening ceremony on Friday and conclude with a family day and Roman grape harvesting on Sunday.
The organisers expect between 5,000 and 7,000 visitors to turn out in three days, depending on the weather.