Piran is the pearl of the Slovenian coast. Open left menu Piran Entertainment and attractions of Piran

The most beautiful medieval town and pearl of the Slovenian coast is Piran. It is located on an elongated cape and is washed on three sides by the waters of the Adriatic Sea.

History of Piran

The history of Piran dates back to the 5th century AD, and the name is derived from the Greek word “pyr”, meaning “fire”, since for a long time lights were lit along the edge of the cape, serving as beacons for ships. In the 10th century, the residents of the city entered into an agreement with the Venetian Republic, which determined its architectural appearance - many buildings in the Venetian style have been preserved in Piran to this day. The Italian atmosphere is felt not only in the architecture, but also in the names of streets, cafes and restaurants and in the Italian language heard everywhere, because Italian is the second official language in the city and throughout Slovenian Istria.

Piran is a miniature city with narrow streets and numerous architectural monuments and a real open-air museum, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Here you can wander through the narrow streets, admire Venetian houses and ancient churches, breathe the sea air and try fresh fish and seafood.

Piran - birthplace of Giuseppe Tartini

The famous Italian violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini was born in Piran, after whom the main square of the city is named. On the square there is a monument to the composer, as well as the famous Venetian House - an elegant red building, according to urban legend, given by a rich Venetian merchant to his beloved. On the facade of the house there is a sign with the inscription “Lassa pur dir”, which translated means “Let them talk” - this is how the merchant let the gossips know that gossip does not bother him. Once upon a time, Tartini Square was part of the port - a backwater into which ships entered, however, the water could not circulate and stagnated, as a result, the townspeople decided to pave this place with slabs and turned it into a beautiful square.

Sights of Piran

On the top of a hill near Tartini Square is the Cathedral of St. George, the patron saint of the city. On the dome of the cathedral you can see a statue of an angel - another symbol of the city along with the Tartini monument. Be sure to climb the fortress wall with towers, turned into an observation deck, from where you can enjoy a magnificent view of the city and the bay, and in good weather you can see the resort towns on the opposite coast of Croatia.

Piran cuisine

On the city embankment there are many restaurants and cafes, including the famous Pavel restaurant. In Piran, you should definitely try the local seafood - it’s not for nothing that Piran’s fish dishes are considered the best on the entire Slovenian coast, and in addition to them, choose white wine “Malvasia” or, if you are a fan, red “Refosk” produced by Vina Koper.

After a delicious lunch it is always nice to take a walk along the sea. And in just half an hour along the embankment you can walk to neighboring Portorož, the largest resort on the Slovenian coast. Or you can stay on Tartini Square, where numerous bars and coffee shops open in the evenings, as well as concerts and performances, which tourists and city residents gather to watch.

Piran (Slovenia) is a small town located on the Adriatic coast, washed by the Gulf of Piran. The city occupies 30 km of coastline and is located next to Croatia and Italy. In a small area of the city, a whole scattering of historical cultural and architectural monuments has been perfectly preserved.

general information

Aesthetic pleasure envelops tourists on the way to Piran. The road goes around the cliff, from which a beautiful view of the city opens - snow-white yachts, azure water and bright roofs of houses.

The settlement is located on the Istrian peninsula, and the atmosphere of Venice and Italy is everywhere.

Interesting to know! The outline of the city on the map resembles a frog.

The city of Piran in Slovenia has an interesting geographical location: the distance to the border with Croatia is 7 km, to the border with Italy – 23 km. From the resort town you can get to the city of Trieste, the city of Istria (Croatia), and also explore the Slovenian coast.

The name of the city has Greek roots and means fire. The peninsula juts out deep into the sea and in the past, lights were lit here to serve as a guide for ships.

Today the resort has rightfully earned the title of a museum city, since it has preserved unique examples of architecture left by the Illyrians, Celts, Goths, Byzantines, Romans and Slavs in different historical eras. To a greater extent, the city is dominated by Venetian architecture, since for some time the town was part of the Venetian Republic. Locals call Piran a miniature Venice.

It is important to know! It is quite difficult to find a place to park a car in the city; almost all parking spaces are paid - 3 € per hour. The best option is to leave your car in a parking lot located outside the city limits and walk around Piran.

What to see

The main attraction of Piran in Slovenia is the central square of a perfect circular shape, named after the Italian violinist Tartini. There is a monument to the musician on the square.

Unlike many European attractions, it is quite calm and quiet here. The center of Piran is located near the embankment, there are many restaurants and cafes, music plays in the evening, and the buildings are beautifully illuminated. The Church of St. George is located nearby, so vacationers on the square enjoy the beautiful ringing of bells every hour.

Many tourists note that this place gives the impression of being in Italy. First of all, this is due to the fact that noble Venetian families built houses here.

Interesting fact! The square has a round shape and there is an explanation for this. Previously, it was a backwater; the water did not circulate in it and stagnated. The city authorities decided to close the lagoon, organizing a square in its place. A fortress wall was built around the lagoon; in the future it was not demolished, but arches were cut through and apartments were built. Many local residents still live in these apartments today.

Just walk 7-8 minutes up from the previous attraction and you will see an amazing view of the city and the sea. The highest point of the city is located a little higher. Entrance to the walls of the fortress is paid - 2 €, but the landscapes that open up are worth the money spent. Vacationers go through the turntable, so it is advisable to have metal coins with you.

The road to the top is quite steep, leading through narrow streets that intertwine like serpentines. To preserve the memory of the city, stop on the streets and capture the picture before your eyes in a photo. Believe me, there will be no two identical photos in your album.

Important! There is parking near the fortress walls, but it is intended exclusively for local residents. There are no payment machines here; if tourists leave their cars, they will certainly be fined.

You can leave your car in the tourist parking lot, which is located half a kilometer from the fortress.

Another unique attraction of Piran is the ancient temple, the bell tower of which was built by analogy with the luxurious Venetian bell tower of San Marco. Of course, the building was reconstructed and thanks to this it was preserved. Today, everyone can climb here and explore the views.

The climb to the temple is quite intimidating; first you have to walk through narrow, cobbled streets, and then overcome old, wooden steps that creak suspiciously under your feet.

It’s better to climb the bell tower on a sunny day, in which case you can see the shores of the countries neighboring Slovenia;
be sure to stock up on comfortable shoes;
It is best to try to reach the top by the end of the hour, the bells ring at one minute to every hour;
the most beautiful photos from the bell tower are taken at sunset;
Entrance to the attraction is paid - 2 €.

Private tours

If you want to hear the fascinating history of the city from an excellent guide, purchase a Piran tour. You can book two tours:

morning;
evening - in addition to exploring the city, the tour includes wine and dinner in one of the restaurants overlooking the sunset.

This private tour is perfect for tourists who want to explore the city in one day. In this case, the guide will suggest the optimal and most interesting route. Walking tours are designed for small groups.

Helpful information! A private tour can be purchased on the first day of your stay in Piran, get detailed information about the city and then walk around at your leisure.

City Library

There is a large collection of books and periodicals, but almost all of them are in Slovenian and Italian. You can use free wi-fi. Guests are greeted by attentive staff and comfortable indoor conditions.

Holidays in Piran

Accommodation

In Piran you can find holiday accommodation of different levels. Luxurious hotel rooms in high season will cost an average of 250 €. Accommodation in a hotel on the second line is cheaper - on average 100-180 €.

The city has relatively budget accommodation - hostels and guesthouses, private apartments. The room will cost from 55 to 130 €.

The cost of living depends on several factors:

a district of the city;
comfort level;
Are any meals included;
seasonality;
availability of additional services

Lunch in an inexpensive cafe – 6-10 € per dish.
Lunch at an expensive restaurant for two – 35-50 €.
Fast food – 4€.

For a cup of cappuccino you will have to pay 1-1.5 €, and for a bottle of beer – 1.5 €.

Find out PRICES or book any accommodation using this form

Beach

Most beaches in Slovenia, and Piran is no exception, are rocky and pebbly. The main feature is the rather inconvenient descent into the water - concrete platforms and stairs. Relaxing on such a beach with children is inconvenient and dangerous. However, the rest area is equipped with toilets and showers.

Helpful information! If you plan to relax on the beach and swim in the sea, be sure to take special shoes with you, as standing on the seabed covered with pebbles is uncomfortable and unpleasant.

On a note! In the vicinity of Piran there are wild beaches, there are few holidaymakers here, the water is clean, but swimming slippers are a must.

Weather and climate

The city of Piran is characterized by a humid subtropical climate of the Mediterranean type. The summer months here are comfortable and warm, and the winters are cool with plenty of rainfall. The city is located at the latitude of the Crimean Peninsula; in summer the temperature varies from +23 to +29°C. In winter, the temperature does not drop below 0 degrees. There is practically no snow here; rain is more common in the winter months.

Helpful information! Many tourists prefer to relax in Piran in early October. At this time, the velvet season begins in the city. Swimming in the sea, of course, is cold, but hotels specially heat sea water in their pools.

Best months

The best time to travel is summer. Comfortable temperature from +26 to +30 °C, precipitation falls no more than 4 days a month. The sea water warms up to +25 °C.

The beach season in Piran lasts four months – it starts in June and ends only in October.

How to get to Piran

To Piran from Trieste

The Italian Trieste and the Slovenian city of Piran are separated by only 37 km, so getting to the latter is not difficult. To reach the border, follow the SS202 highway. Then you need to take the H5 highway, which turns into the H6 highway.

Good to know! Slovenian highways are toll roads; to travel along them you need to buy a vignette. The cost depends on the number of days.

The most convenient way is to rent a car in advance. However, experienced tourists do not recommend traveling to Piran by car, since it is difficult to find a parking space in the city.

Compare accommodation prices using this form

By bus

It is much easier to get from Trieste to Piran by bus. The journey takes 1.5 hours, but there are not many flights. More flights to Piran come from the small town of Koper (located between Trieste and Piran).

In Trieste, transport makes several stops, so if you wish, you can not go to the bus station, but get off at any of them.

A bus ticket costs about 6€. You can buy a ticket at the ticket office or from the driver before departure. It is advisable to have small money with you, since passengers are not always given change.

There is a ferry service between Italy and Slovenia, but it is seasonal. Ferries operate only in summer.

The journey takes about two hours; it is better to find out about flights in advance at the seaport. A ferry ticket will cost 8€. You can buy it at the port ticket office.

To Piran from Ljubljana

By bus. The journey takes about 2.5 hours, the ticket costs 13 €. Carrier AlpeTour.
By car. The distance between the cities is 119.4 km, the journey takes 2 hours. It will take about 20€ to buy gasoline.

If you are interested in a resort in the usual sense of the word, feel free to go to Portorož. Peace and quiet, history and culture reign in Piran. The city does not have a large number of shops and markets, but there are plenty of museums, theaters, galleries, and music can be heard right on the street. Piran (Slovenia) invites you to take leisurely walks and visit local attractions.

Video: walk around Piran.

The seaside town of Piran won my nomination for "Best Adriatic City", surpassing even the famous resorts of Croatia. Despite its modest size and lack of famous landmarks, Piran simply amazes with its almost untouched medieval aura, and its steep streets make you want to get lost.

The city is located on a cape in the southern part of the short 20-kilometer Slovenian coast and is surrounded on all sides... no, not only by the sea, but also by a pretentious resort Portorož. The place names Portorož and Bled are known to every chess player: famous tournaments have been held in these places and immortal games have been played. The grandmasters were not fools: they knew the right places even in the socialist camp. True, not everyone knows that both are located in Slovenia, and I myself, being both a chess player and a geographer, had a vague idea where it was until I visited it in person.

And Piran is even more unknown, and does not fit on all maps. Even on the ground it is not so easy to detect, but on May 24 I finally succeeded. Navik took me to the top of the hill, in some private sector, and announced that they had arrived. I didn’t believe it and started searching visually. Having turned around, I found two steep descents (IX Korpus Street to the west and Olchna Put to the south), but at the entrance to each there was a sign “for locals only.” The same sign marked the only parking lot, meaning there was nowhere to leave a car even for a fee. I had to look for a place near the fence of the “burrow”, and from there it was quite a long walk in the heat.

Adriatic cemeteries are always located on the top of a mountain, usually next to a church, and when there is none, it’s just like that. Therefore, they usually offer good panoramas :) and Piran is no exception. The first shot was taken through the fence, barely getting out of the car:

This is a view looking northeast towards the neighboring unnamed peninsula. Walking 500 meters from the cemetery to the west along the coast, you can see the ancient fortress gates and an equally ancient fir tree:

But the best view of the city opens a little further, from the edge of the parking lot:

On the right stands the Cathedral of St. George (or Yuri, 14th century, with later additions), on the left on the square of the composer Tartini stands the town hall (1879, on the site of the ancient Venetian one), and on the cape is the Church of St. Clement (13-19th centuries .), the bell tower of which also serves as a lighthouse.

We go down the pedestrian Rozmanova, which in some places simply turns into stairs:

On both sides of the street there are stunningly authentic houses and outbuildings:

This is a real medieval city, I understand!

Local residents have absolutely no place to store even a tiny car, so they ride motorcycles. Finally we go down to the embankment; there is a cove here - a refuge for yachts, surrounded by stylish buildings from the classical era. In particular, the ocher-colored Barboio Trevisini Palace, built in 1826, stands facing us:

We go past it to the right, and under the shadow of St. George's Cathedral the main square of Giuseppe Tartini opens, with a monument to the composer, a plague column (or an Austrian Christmas tree pole, which is apparently the same thing), and an ensemble of interesting buildings:

On the left, with a semicircular roof, is the city lodge (Loggia), now instead of the Masons, it houses a casino and an exhibition hall. To the right, the red "Venetian", the oldest house on the square (15th century). And Tartini’s own house did not fit into the frame; it is even further to the right. Here's a closer-up photo of the square:

The violinist somehow very militantly holds his bow on the monument :) Further along the labyrinth of wonderful streets, along the fortress wall

we make our way to the cape. Here the embankment is already called Prešerenovskaya (let me remind you that the main square of Ljubljana also bears the name of this poet. No less, the local Pushkin - you should familiarize yourself with his work), and there is a lighthouse church already familiar to us from the overview photo:

We go around the cape, and at the end of St. George we find the city beach. There is no sand here (as indeed anywhere on the eastern side of the Adriatic), but you can lie on the pebbles:

Let's go deeper. Here I was truly lost, and now I can’t say which specific streets I walked along, and there was no time for signs, because I couldn’t take my eyes off these beautiful houses. I just noticed that the city still has Lenin and Marx streets. Just a street; Almost all the shutters are closed - residents save themselves from the midday heat:

Obviously, in this weather, the laundry dries quickly:

Please note that apartments are not only in houses, but also above the street, in stone ceilings. Here we found a miracle vacuum cleaner, but not Kirby, but Glutton, and not a home one, but an outdoor one:

To get to apartment 12, you need to climb 14 steep stone steps. And the streets are so narrow that even two wheels cannot pass each other (or they are discussing whether to pick up an old monitor, completely out of place on a medieval street. By the way, it is noticeably cooler here than in the scorching sun, and you don’t want to leave the labyrinth anywhere:

and climb up the mountain to the car. I also looked at the burial site, but somehow didn’t dare take pictures there. After such a walk there is no strength, and you need to recover with a liter of cold milk stored in advance before it warms up :)

It was in vain that I visited Piran before the other Adriatic cities: then I involuntarily compared them with this standard, and no matter what they found, even very interesting, I thought “garbage, they saw cooler things in Piran.” And the quality of the inspection suffered as a result :)

Conclusion: Piran is a fairy tale city. You simply can’t drive by, but you can come just for it. Throughout the Adriatic this is an absolute must see, and in Slovenia even more so.

An ancient town located near Portorož, from which you can get here in five minutes by bus or even just walk along the sea, in about twenty minutes. Piran once belonged to the Venetian Republic, and this affected its appearance. The flavor of the Middle Ages still reigns here: many architectural monuments have been preserved from antiquity. This is the famous church with a tower, and the remains of the fortress wall, and many other magnificent places.

How to call

8-10-386-6-phone number

How to get there

By bus from Ljubljana, travel time 2-2.5 hours, or also by bus from nearby towns on the coast - Izola and Koper (20 minutes).

The city is small, just over 4,000 people live in it, and together with the villages surrounding it, the population reaches 16,000 people. Located on a 30-kilometer stretch of the Slovenian Adriatic coast, Piran is 7 km from Croatia and 23 km from Italy.

There are parking problems in Piran. Driving on city streets is not possible. And all because many of the city streets are so narrow that it is simply impossible to drive along them by car. Therefore, those traveling by car will have to leave their vehicle in one of the paid parking lots at the entrance to the city, for example at the bus station. For residents of a big city, this situation seems uncomfortable, but, nevertheless, the lack of transport on city streets makes the appearance of the city even more romantic and attractive.

Search for flights to Ljubljana (the nearest airport to Piran)

A little history

The influence of Italy is visible in every stone of the city pavement, in every detail of city architecture. This is not surprising: in 923, an agreement on cooperation between Piran and the Venetian Republic was signed. Venice was very interested in the Piran salt marshes as a source of salt and, accordingly, profit. Piran was interested in the patronage of the then strong Venetian Republic. The cooperation was long and profitable for everyone, in any case, this was the heyday of Piran. It was at this time that the most beautiful houses were built, and the well-being of the townspeople was very high.

Piran Hotels

The Piran Hotel is also located on the embankment, a completely modern and comfortable hotel, perhaps the most convenient for travelers due to the proximity of the city infrastructure, 100 meters from the city center, surrounded by a large number of different cafes, bars and shops. There are several other hotels in the city, but in general their number is small, the city is small. But all hotels meet modern guest service requirements and are happy to welcome travelers all year round. Some of them offer accommodation in apartments.

Beaches of Piran

The city beach of Piran is rocky, the sea is open and quite deep, but very clean.

Weather in Piran

Cuisine and restaurants of Piran

Tourists from Portorož and other nearby towns love to sit in the numerous restaurants and cafes of Piran. Here you can go to any restaurant you like and not be afraid of prices: they are equally low in small taverns and in fashionable restaurants.

The city also has a market where you can buy fruits and vegetables, and many shops.

Local fish restaurants are some of the best on the entire Slovenian coast. The most famous is the Pavel restaurant on the embankment.

The region's favorable climate allows for the cultivation of excellent vegetables, fruits and olives. It is also famous for its wonderful wines: white “White Malvasia” and red “Refoshk”. By the way, it is these products that form the basis of the region’s cuisine, which includes both Slovenian and Italian dishes. You can taste local cuisine in one of the many restaurants on the embankment. The most famous of them are Pavel 2 and Tri Vdove.

Holidays in Piran

Entertainment and attractions in Piran

Every country has cities that are the embodiment of all the main qualities and properties of the country. Sometimes these cities are not large, but their bright individuality remains in the memory for a long time. In Slovenia, one of these cities is, without a doubt, Piran. A very small town, one of the few seaside towns in Slovenia, Piran is located a half-hour walk from Portorož. The road itself along the edge of the clear Adriatic Sea, contemplation of lazy waves and plants on the shore will bring a lot of pleasure. And the contemplation of the narrow winding streets of Piran, houses with red tiled roofs, standing close to each other, will not leave anyone indifferent.

The city is beautiful and unique. Without being multi-story, it is very picturesque due to the fact that it rises along the mountainside in terraces. The buildings are very dense, and sometimes the roof of one house is the beginning of the courtyard for another. The cobblestone streets, numerous (due to the topography) stone stairs, and southern plants in pots are picturesque. The old fortress wall with towers has been turned into an observation deck from which the entire city and the bright blue surface of the Adriatic Sea are perfectly visible.

The city has two squares, one of them was formed during the Middle Ages; it has preserved the originality of the architecture of that period and is one of the main goals of travelers who come to explore the city. Not far from the square is St. George's Cathedral, one of the city's main attractions. The second square until the 19th century was the territory of the harbor, which cut into the city very deeply.

They say that this area is remarkably visible from space, and no one can really explain the reasons for this (you can see for yourself by looking at the satellite map of Piran). This square bears the name of the famous Italian composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini, who was born in Piran in 1625.

I came to Piran quite by accident while walking around Portoroz. Of course, I had the idea of visiting it specifically, but I didn’t think it was so close and I would find myself there so quickly. From the center of Portorož to Piran it takes 20-30 minutes on foot if you walk really very slowly. It is very easy to understand that you are in another city. A bus stop will appear, colorful houses will appear in large numbers and a map of Piran will appear. The city itself is quite small and has a population of just over 4,000 people, but it is significantly different from its neighbors. First of all, the city itself looks like an open-air museum, very beautiful and bright. Further, it is located in the Gulf of Piran, which generally makes it very different from the simple coast of Slovenia. The city itself has many beautiful views, and in another review I will show the city from above, it may be even better there. In the meantime, I want to introduce the city from the border to Portorož and its center.

1. The map meets a traveler from a neighboring city. It’s difficult to get lost here, the city is small, but it won’t hurt to get acquainted. In Piran there are two official languages: Slovenian and Italian, everything is usually duplicated, but not on the map...

2. If in Portorož there are mainly hotels and rare residential buildings, then in Piran there are mainly many small Italian houses. In general, these places once belonged to Italy, Trieste, then to Yugoslavia, there were disputes with Croatia and they continue. In general, Slovenia is very unlucky with the coast, it is already small, and they also want to squeeze this out.

3. The sea here, of course, is like the sea. No different from Portorož

4. Here, where the big house with balconies is, this is Portorož, i.e. there is no border at all

5. I won’t spam photos of the suburbs, this is the last one

6. Piran himself looks like this. Very chic. I really liked this city

8. I think lovers of Italy will like it here. Of course the atmosphere is not the same, but it is very similar, and the prices are much lower. Italians themselves come here to relax because it’s cheaper. And Slovenes go to Italy to work, for example... Knowing two languages helps them.

9. Piran has its own small port and here is the entrance to it, marked with colored beacons or as they are correctly called

10. Agree, it’s very atmospheric when the boats are in the city, everything is so neat and clean. It’s difficult to say whether these are boats of locals or tourists, but there are quite a lot of them.

11. The water is clear

12. The houses are all bright, with different shades. beauty

13. St. George's Cathedral is visible from all sides. I’ll go up to it later and show you the views from it. The location is good for viewing the city from above.

14. The most central place of the city is Tartini Square, in honor of the Italian composer who was born here. The area is quite large and beautiful. You can hold quite large and interesting events.

15. There are many restaurants in the city with outdoor tables and umbrellas

16.

17. Tartini monument and behind it the city administration or city hall

18.

19. On the shore there is a model of the city made as if from books

20. The edge of the city is Cape Madonna with a lighthouse.

21. Church of Mary the Healer, and behind it a lighthouse.

22. If you come here by car from other cities, then 3-4 hours will be enough for the city.

23. Among the stones near the shore there is a sculpture of a girl

24.

25. This is what I liked. Why go to the beach when you can sunbathe on the roof of your house? :))) It’s true that you can fall off the roof

26. The streets themselves in the city are pedestrian. A car simply cannot get through here, they are narrow. All cars are parked at the beginning of the city and there are only a few roads in the city for them.

27. Wandering around the streets for fun will take about half an hour

28. Everyone will find a lot of different interesting little things for themselves in such places

29. Then these streets will lead up to the cathedral and other places.

30. But I will write about the city from above in another review

31. A sign calling for keeping the streets clean of animals.

Do you want to visit Slovenia? buy tickets from reliable partners at the lowest prices.