In light of the devastating snow storms, it seems like Slovenia needs kurenti to chase away the winter more than ever.

Ptuj is gearing up for its 54th annual carnival. It will run from February 22 to March 4. It is Slovenia's biggest carnival celebration, and features the country's famous »kurenti«. The kurenti have already begun preparations. This year will see a slight change, in that the focus of the celebrations will take place in the center of Ptuj. Numerous guests are expected – also from abroad. On March 1, the Ptuj parade will take place and is expected to be bigger than last year's.