The Kurentovanje, or Kurent Festival, is one of the world’s top ten carnivals. The name of the festival comes from the its central figure, the Kurent, who in earlier times was believed to have the power to chase away winter and usher in spring. The Kurents travel throughout the town, moving from house to house to scare off evil spirits with bells and wooden clubs that are topped with hedgehog spines.
Throughout the festival numerous events take place in the town’s vibrant squares and streets and its surroundings, such as ethnographic and carnival parades, presentations of ethnographic characters, concerts, dances in masks and performances. Groups from Austria, Croatia and Bulgaria usually participate in the event, assisting local people to build up the Land of the Kurent.In 2017 UNESCO inscribed it on their list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
