← Radenci Marathon·2 nights

Ptuj: A Castle Town on the Drava

A castle town reached by a change at Murska Sobota, with the largest collection of historical musical instruments in Slovenia.

Duration2 nights
TransitTrain from Radenci via Murska Sobota, 1 to 2 hours
DepartsRadenci

After the Radenci Marathon: Ptuj

The Route: Radenci → Murska Sobota → Ptuj → Graz Airport Logistics: A bus to Murska Sobota, a Slovenske železnice train on to Ptuj, and a rail route towards Graz for the flight home. Marathon Month: May Duration: 2 nights

Radenci ──(15 mins bus)──> Murska Sobota ──(train, 1-2 hrs)──> Ptuj
                                                                 │
Graz Airport (GRZ) ◄──(rail via Maribor, check timetable)────────┘

The Three Hearts Marathon finishes on a Saturday morning. Ptuj is a quiet place to spend Sunday and Monday while the legs recover, with a castle on the hill above the old town.

May in Ptuj: the museum is indoors, so the visit works in any weather. The castle sits on a hill, so the climb is the hard part.

Getting there

From Radenci, take the bus to Murska Sobota (about 15 minutes) and a Slovenske železnice train to Ptuj. The aggregator page gives about 1 hour for the train and about 2 hours in total, with an hourly service and a fare of around five euros. A car takes about 38 minutes. Check the dated timetable.

Nights One and Two: Ptuj

Ptuj Castle is at Na Gradu 1. The collections include armour, Gothic and Baroque art, traditional carnival masks from the Ptuj region and the largest collection of historical musical instruments in Slovenia. The castle stands on a hill, and the tourist office's page gives no details of the climb or of step-free access, so ask the Ptuj tourist information office (+386 2 779 60 11) before going. The museum publishes current opening hours at pmpo.si, and some sections close on certain days, so check the Monday.

Keep the first day for the flat streets of the old town and the second for the castle.

Where to stay

Book a room in the old town so that the castle hill is the only climb. Ask the tourist information office for a list, and check each hotel's late check-out.

Getting home

Graz Airport (GRZ) is the practical airport for this route. The airport and Austrian railways both list rail access via Flughafen Graz-Feldkirchen, though their line numbers differ. The rail link from Ptuj runs through Maribor, so check the dated timetable and leave a margin of at least three hours.