“Other towns may offer more, but Ptuj offers something that is very rare: a feeling of walking through living history that never overwhelms you, but invites you,” says actress Iva Krajnc Bagola, reflecting on the town where she grew up.
Where Iva is simply Iva
A stage and film actress who can play any role. She can be gentle and fragile, striking and fearless, naive and innocent, deadly serious, or wickedly funny. She played Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Lolita in Nabokov’s Lolita, Sally in Masteroff’s Cabaret, Morticia in Brickman’s The Addams Family, Varya in Pavlovich Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, and we could go on and on listing her many other exceptional and complex roles. On the big screen, she received the prestigious Rising Star Award for the most promising young actress at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival for her role as Marjana in the film Ljubljana Is Beloved (Ljubljana je ljubljena). She was Simona in The Guardian of the Frontier, Lea in Besa, Mija in Chocolate Dreams, Zala in The Angel in the Wall.
But there is a place where Iva is simply Iva. No roles, no characters, except for the one that is most her own. The city where she grew up, a place of inner peace. Her Ptuj. “When I return, I feel as though my body immediately relaxes and falls back into its natural rhythm - the rhythm of my childhood, of home, of familiar streets. This is the place that always grounds me and reminds me of who I am.”
Welcome to feel good towns of Slovenia.
This is the place where I first stepped onto o stage.
No masks.
Just me.
Even in stillness this city has a voice.
And I hear it as if it were my own.
Here, art has no frames.
It wanders freely.
I find the perfect stage for every moment.
Small, secret, unexpected.
Kurent is the symbol of this city
And always ready for the next act.
Here art walks beside me
Through the streets
Into the lives of people.
Walls from the past can
Become a stage for contemporary art.
And here, in the oldest cinema,
I stepped into dreams.
The costume is my doorway
To becoming one with the character.
And when every mask fades
My city remains.
🎭☕️🌸
I love strolling through the town centre This is my world: narrow streets, houses full of character, little corners you only know if you’re from around here.
Iva Krajnc Bagola – actress
“This is my world”
Ptuj is the oldest town Slovenia, with a skyline dominated by the wide Drava River and a majestic castle. Between them? Streets and houses, full of stories, history, attractions. In the spring, and if we listen closely, throughout the year, the sound of bells echoes among them; with these bells, the kurenti (or koranti, as the locals call them) drive away winter and darkness, bringing joy and happiness. Iva loves to stroll through the labyrinth of the old centre whenever she returns to her home town between busy seasons, film shoots, and guest appearances.
“This is my world: narrow streets, houses full of character, little corners you only know if you’re from around here”, she says, listing a few of the places that are especially close to her heart.
“Stara steklarska”
She feels a close connection to the area around Stara steklarska, now a youth cultural centre, which has always been a hub of creative energy and where she first took the stage herself. “Here I discovered what it means to create, to practice, to dream. These are the spaces of my first performances and my first steps in the arts.”
The City Cinema in Ptuj is considered the oldest cinema in Slovenia. For Iva, it was her first encounter with the magic of film. “As a little girl, I sat here in the dark, watching the images on the screen and quietly wishing that one day I, too, would tell stories.” And that is exactly what she does, whether in theatre, film, or on television.
Her stroll through Ptuj often includes a stop at MuziKafe, a popular café with a hidden garden, “where there’s always a pleasant vibe – a blend of art, hospitality, and relaxation.” The café and cultural centre, with their charming eclectic style, infuse the 1618 building with dynamic energy.
As she climbs up to Ptuj Castle, which also houses the regional museum, Iva pauses for a moment to catch her breath. “For me, the castle is a symbol of the town. When I stand in its courtyard or on its ramparts, I feel connected to all the layers of time - and to my own story as well.”
At the foot of the castle hill, in the building known as the Little Castle, we can step into a world of books. The Ivan Potrč General Library, with its beautiful interior, is considered one of the most beautiful public libraries in Europe - and the Ptuj region also boasts a rich history of librarianship.
At the Kurent House, we learn about the kurent or korent in an interactive way. This is a popular ethnographic carnival figure, not only in this region but beyond - did you know that the Kurent Festival is also included on UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list?
Ptuj has a gentle yet powerful energy. It is not loud, not fast, and does not compete - it is refined, quiet, and elegant. Its soul is a blend of history, creativity, and the warmth of people who still know one another.
Iva Krajnc Bagola – actress
Towns steeped in history - yet this history is “gently woven into everyday life”
The town of Iva’s youth has a gentle yet powerful energy. “It is not loud, not fast, and does not compete”, as she subtly describes it. Quite the opposite - “it is cultivated, quiet and elegant.”
With its sophisticated yet unpretentious blend of old and new, ancient and modern, traditional and quirky, Ptuj is a true gem. And this on a European scale! It proudly bears the title of European Capital of Cultural Heritage 2026. All year round, it invites visitors to attend a variety of festivals that take them deep into history (such as the Roman and Ptuj Castle Games) or into the most futuristic artistic visions (such as the Art Stays contemporary art festival). In early spring, the town comes alive with the Kurentovanje festival; during the warm summer, locals and visitors gather at the Open-Air Cinema or the Poetry and Wine Days; in mid-autumn, they celebrate the new wine harvest; and before you know it, the year is drawing to a close and the magical Ptuj Fairy Tale takes place in the town.
What comes to Iva’s mind when she hears words and phrases associated with Ptuj?
🎭 Kurent - the energy of ancestors, the raw power of life, protection.
📝🍷 Poetry and wine - warmth, evenings, heartfelt conversations, the softness of words.
💧 The Drava - the blue hue the city carries; the peace you feel, even when you’re not by the water.
The human scale of Slovenian towns
It’s not just Ptuj; Slovenian towns in general possess a special charm - something Iva calls the human scale. “They’re small enough to feel like home, and big enough to offer culture, nature, and quality of life. They’re steeped in history, but it’s gently woven into everyday life - and it’s precisely this subtlety that I love most,” she describes.
These are cities where she feels safe, relaxed, and genuinely connected. “Abroad, you’re often anonymous, but at home, someone in town almost always greets you,” she continues. “That creates a warmth you can’t fake.”
Videostories
The diverse characters of towns through the eyes of renowned artists
Slovenian towns have a special charm. You can measure them lengthwise and crosswise in steps alone – quite literally. In town streets and squares, you can feel the freedom to use them as you wish. There is enough space to breathe, plenty of opportunities for authentic experiences and genuine contact with locals. You feel good everywhere because, unlike in major metropolises, you are not bombarded with stimuli but instead drift among those you enjoy most. You choose them yourself. Your way. How do artists and creative minds experience their towns? Walk with them through video stories of unique towns.
The face of culture is a reflection of human creativity. There are cities, places and spaces in Slovenia that are tailored to people. This is why we feel good everywhere.
When culture is what inspires your journey, your holiday or your retreat, you choose Slovenia – a country of remarkable heritage and vibrant contemporary creativity. This representative thematic guide invites you to discover feel-good towns, presenting Slovenian modernism and a cultural transversal. It draws inspiration from the transformative power of contemporary artistic practices and invites you on journeys through time across Slovenia’s historic towns.
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