Piran - Slovenian Venice

Venice and "almost" Venice

As a well-known advertisement says, "almost" makes a big difference. Its motive is not being satisfied with the substitute, just something similar. Meanwhile, a similar one can be as satisfactory as the original one, especially when, apart from a copy of the original, it also has other, typical values only for itself. If someone dreams of a trip to Venice, he should consider a city as beautiful as Italian, and a bit closer - go on a small trip to the coast of Slovenia and visit Piran. It is so close to the border that you can visit Italy while visiting Italy, and at the same time it is so beautiful that it fully deserves attention. The architecture of the resort is reminiscent of the buildings of Venice, as in the past it was a Venetian fortress on the coast of Istria. Most of the delicious buildings date back to that time, as well as the massive walls that separate the city from the rest of the land.

Piran is one of the oldest settlements on the Balkan Adriatic coast. In antiquity, it initially served as a specific lighthouse. On the headland at Koperska Bay, fires were lit, thanks to which sailors could find their way to the port in Koper. The word "pyr" in Ancient Greek means "fire", so this is probably where the name of the city comes from.

Wandering around Piran

The old part of Piran is located at the bottom of the slope descending into the water, on a huge headland that protrudes into the Adriatic Sea. Walking along the cobbled street, you can reach the Renaissance-Baroque church of St. George (cerkev Sv Jurji), the most beautiful temple in the city. It stands on the north side of Pirin, on the edge of a coastal hill, and its characteristic soaring bell tower towers over the city. Standing at the top of the hill, we can admire the picturesque panorama of the city's main square - Tartinijev trg most of the day is filled with hundreds of tourists. Giuseppe Tartini Square was built at the end of the 19th century as a result of filling up part of the port basin. One of the city's symbols stands on it - a bronze statue of the violinist and composer whose name he bears. While here, it is worth visiting Tartini's house, which is also one of the oldest residential buildings in Pirina. The most important monuments of the city are concentrated around the square, including the town hall and the 16th-century Venetian House. Apart from that, there are plenty of cafes, pubs and restaurants.

The second city square, attracting thousands of tourists, is Privomajski trg. We find him among the narrow, winding streets, as if he was shy and hid behind them. After all, it is a place of summer concerts and performances, bustling and crowded not only in the season.

Piran is generally not a quiet city, which is understandable given its touristic nature. It hosts many events, including musical evenings in the cloisters of the Franciscan monastery or the International Mediterranean Folklore Festival. There are also other festivals, such as the party dedicated to Giuseppe Tartini, as well as the festival of salt and dance.

Where to stay?

The city is extremely beautiful, and therefore attractive to tourists, which is meticulously used by hotel and guesthouse owners. It is not too cheap here - especially in the center. If we want to be as close to attractions as possible, it is worth looking for accommodation outside the old part. A good choice would be a guesthouse or a campsite in another seaside town. The Slovenian coast is not very extensive, so motorized tourists have everything close by anyway.

Approx. 3 km from the city of Portoroz is Camp Lucija. Two adults who came with a camper will pay about 36.50 euro per night. The second noteworthy place is Camping Adria Ankaran, where two adults will pay a little less - the approximate price of the accommodation is 32 EUR / day. The campsite is open from 01/04 to 15/10, 10 minutes from the town of Koper. It is also close to the border with Italy, so it is an ideal place for tourists who plan to visit Slovenia or Istria on the so-called large-scale.

Devil's sonata

When describing the city, the monument considered by many to be the most famous building of Piran should not be overlooked. The 15th-century Red Venetian (Benečanka) catches the eye with gothic elements of window and balcony finishes. The red color of the façade contrasts nicely with the light color of the carved stone. At the marina, there is another place worth the attention of every tourist. This is the Maritime Museum, located in a historic palace. The interiors of the building are extremely richly decorated, as is the facade of the palace, while among the numerous exhibits we will see models of ships from the 17th and 18th centuries. There are also machines with which the source of the city's wealth - salt - was evaporated and weighed.

As you can see, Pirin can be as tempting as beautiful Venice. Perhaps the strength of his demonic attraction can be explained not only by the beauty of architecture, but also by the fact that a violinist who composed the famous "Devil's Sonata" lived here? Maybe there is something in it, at least it is definitely worth coming here and feeling the extraordinary atmosphere of this small Balkan city.