After months of preparations Slovenia's carnival capital Ptuj entered revelry mode on 3 February, kicking off almost two weeks of non-stop festivities that will culminate with an international carnival procession on 11 February.

At the core of Kurentovanje are Kurents, scary sheepskin figures with huge cow bells, which are also part of UNESCO's intangible heritage.

But there are other local characters and costumes too, such as Spearmen, men in suits throwing colourful spears, and Rusas, a sackcloth costume for two, believed to bring fertility to animals.

Also making an appearance will be Ploughmen, a group of men harnessed in a wooden plough tasked with drawing a protection circle.

The festival close on Shrove Tuesday, with the burial of Pust, as the Shrovetide period is called in Slovenian.