City of piran slovenia attractions. Piran, Slovenia - getting to know the city. Entertainment and attractions of Piran

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

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 fires were lit along the edge of the cape, which served as beacons for ships. In the 10th century, the inhabitants of the city entered into an agreement with the Republic of Venice, which determined its architectural appearance - many buildings in the Venetian style have survived to this day in Piran. The Italian atmosphere is felt not only in the architecture, but also in the names of streets, cafes and restaurants and the Italian language that sounds 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 the Venetian houses and ancient churches, breathe in the sea air and try fresh fish and seafood.

Piran is the 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, a gift from a wealthy Venetian merchant to his beloved. On the facade of the house there is a sign with the inscription “Lassa pur dir”, which means “Let them talk”, so the merchant let the gossips know that he was not worried about gossip. Once Tartini Square was part of the port - a creek 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 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 the 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.

Cuisine of Piran

There are many restaurants and cafes on the city embankment, including the famous Pavel restaurant. In Piran, you should definitely try local seafood - it is not for nothing that Piranian fish dishes are considered the best on the entire coast of Slovenia, and in addition to them, choose the white wine "Malvasia" or, if you are a fan, red "Refoshk" 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 promenade you can walk to the neighboring Portorož, the largest resort on the Slovenian coast. Or you can stay on Tartini Square, where numerous bars and coffee houses open in the evenings, as well as concerts and performances, which tourists and residents of the city gather to watch.

Located on the Istrian peninsula, on the coast of the Gulf of Piran (Adriatic Sea). Everywhere you can feel the Italian atmosphere, which is confirmed by the names of streets, restaurants, cafes, even many residents of Piran communicate in Italian.

If you look at the map of the city, then Piran resembles a frog.

The city is located 7 km from the Croatian border, 19 km southwest of Koper and 23 km from the Italian border. The city is connected by coastal roads with the cities of the Slovenian coast, Italian Trieste and Croatian Istria. The famous Italian composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770) was born in Piran; the central square, on which a monument to the musician is erected, is named after him.

The name of the city of Piran comes from the Greek word pyr - "fire". On the very edge of the protruding peninsula in the sea, even in ancient times, lights were lit that served as beacons for ships heading for the Greek colony of Aegis - the current city of Koper. During his history, Piran saw Illyrians, Celts, Romans and Goths, Byzantines, Slavs and Franks.

Piran County is officially bilingual, with Italian equal to Slovenian.

The status of an open-air museum city has long been entrenched behind it, in which magnificent examples of medieval (mainly Venetian) architecture have been preserved.

Thousands of tourists come here every year to wander along the ancient cobbled streets lined with closely packed houses, admire the numerous historical monuments and visit the famous oval square, in the center of which stands statue of Giuseppe Tartini- in 1992, the 300th anniversary of the birth of this famous composer, violinist, teacher and music theorist was celebrated.

The town once belonged to the Venetian Republic, and this affected its appearance. Slovenes themselves call Piran Venice in miniature. Here you will not find modern buildings. The color of the Middle Ages still reigns here. Many architectural monuments have been preserved here from antiquity. This is the famous church with a tower with a beautiful panoramic view of the Gulf of Trieste and the whole city.

Here, the remains of the fortress wall have been preserved, which offer beautiful views of the city and its surroundings, as well as many more magnificent places. Day and night the city does not sleep. Tourists from Portoroz and from other nearby towns like to sit in its many restaurants and cafes.

Piran has a humid subtropical climate with warm summers and cool, rainy winters. Piran is located at the latitude of the Crimea, so there are moderately hot summers from +22 to +30, and rather mild winters with little snow from 0 to +12. Snow falls very rarely (no more than 3 times a year), winter is characterized by heavy precipitation in the form of rain. In October, during the velvet season, the sea is already quite cold for swimming, but there are hotels with swimming pools where sea water is heated.

There is a passenger sea port that sells one-day tours to Venice, which can be bought at every local travel agency. Early in the morning, a ferry departs from Piran, moored at the red lighthouse (there is a pair of green beacons next to it, these are signs-markers of the city). Four hours of travel - and you are in Venice.

In the evening they return back - though not all of them. It was precisely because of defector tourists that a few years ago, for some time, they closed the visa-free entry of Russian tourists on a ferry from Slovenia. Now the entry rules change every year - either they require a Schengen visa, or they are satisfied with a Slovenian multivisa, or they ask for a Russian passport, or they invent something else. All these details must be obtained in advance from the Slovenian consulate.

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

general information

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

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

Interesting to know! The outlines of the city on the map resemble 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 drive to the city of Trieste, the city of Istria (Croatia), as well as explore the Slovenian coast.

The name of the city has Greek roots and means fire in translation. The peninsula protrudes deep into the sea and in the past fires were lit here, which served as a guide for ships.

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

It is important to know! It is rather 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 the car in a parking lot located outside the city limits and walk around Piran on foot.

What to see

The main attraction of Piran in Slovenia is the central square of an ideal round shape, named after the Italian violinist Tartini. A monument to the musician is erected on the square.

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

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 area has a round shape and there is an explanation for this. Previously, it was a backwater, the water in it did not circulate 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 equipped. Many local residents still live in these apartments today.

It is enough to walk 7-8 minutes up from the previous attraction and you will have 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 opening landscapes are worth the money spent. Vacationers pass 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 a serpentine. To keep the memory of the city, stop on the streets and capture the picture before your eyes in the photo. Believe me, in your album there will not be two identical photos.

Important! There is parking near the walls of the fortress, 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 at the tourist parking, which is located half a kilometer from the fortress.

Another unique attraction of Piran is an 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 see the views.

The ascent to the temple is quite intimidating, first you have to go through narrow, cobbled streets, and then overcome the old, wooden steps, which suspiciously creak underfoot.

it is better to climb the bell tower on a sunny day, in this 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 climb to the top by the end of the hour, at one minute of every hour the bells ring;
the most beautiful photos from the bell tower are obtained at sunset;
entrance to the attraction is paid - 2 €.

Private Tours

If you want to hear the fascinating history of the city from the lips of an excellent guide, get a tour of Piran. There are two tours available:

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

Such a private tour is perfect for tourists who want to explore the city in one day. In this case, the guide will offer the best 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 at your own pace.

City Library

It has 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 conditions in the room.

Holidays in Piran

Accommodation

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

The city has relatively budget housing - 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 in 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 the RATES or book any accommodation using this form

Beach

Most of the beaches in Slovenia, and Piran is no exception, are rocky and pebbly. The main feature is rather inconvenient descents into the water - concrete platforms and stairs. Resting on such a beach with children is inconvenient and dangerous. However, the recreation 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 bring special shoes with you, as standing on the pebbled seabed is uncomfortable and unpleasant.

On a note! There are wild beaches in the vicinity of Piran, there are few vacationers here, the water is clear, 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, warm, and the winter is cool, with a lot of precipitation. 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 fall below 0 degrees. There is practically no snow here; rain is more typical for 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 the hotels specially heat the sea water in the pools.

Best months

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

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

How to get to Piran

To Piran from Trieste

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

Good to know! Slovenian roads are paid, you need to buy a vignette to drive on them. The cost depends on the number of days.

It is most convenient to rent a car in advance. However, experienced tourists do not recommend traveling to Piran by car, as it is difficult to find a parking place in the city.

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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 travel 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 box office or from the driver before departure. It is advisable to have small money with you, as passengers are not always given change.

There is a ferry service between Italy and Slovenia, but it is seasonal. Ferries run 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 box office of the port.

To Piran from Ljubljana

By bus. The journey takes about 2.5 hours, the ticket costs 13€. Carrier AlpeTour.
Machine. The distance between 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 museums, theaters, galleries are presented in abundance, music sounds right on the street. Piran (Slovenia) is conducive to leisurely walks and visits to local attractions.

Video: walk around Piran.

Since the 13th century, the Istrian peninsula has been part of the Republic of Venice. When, at the end of the 18th century, Napoleon took and abolished the Venetian Republic, Istria, passing either to France, then to Italy, then to Austria and back, ended up after the Second World War in the free territory of Trieste, then part of the territory where Piran is located, went to Yugoslavia, and after the collapse of it ended up in Slovenia. After the war, in 10 years, 27,000 Italians moved from Yugoslavia to Italy (anyone heard of the Italian refugee camps?), and although today the Italian language is the second official language in this part of Slovenia, Italians make up a very small percentage of the city's population. However, the architecture of the city is still Italian. If you do not sign the photographs, sometimes you might think that they were taken in Venice.

Local residents sacredly cherish parking spaces for themselves. Quite rightly, by the way, since Piran is one of the most visited places in Slovenia, in the summer there is an insane amount of tourists, and if you allow cars into the city, you just have to fly through the air. Therefore, parking for guests of the city is located next to the devil on the horns on a nearby hill, descending from which you go along the sea. The sea here is not simple, but Adriatic, and the coast in Piran has all the characteristic features of an Italian city on the Adriatic coast: a marina, fish restaurants and an indecently large number of tourists.

The atmosphere in the quarters a little away from the embankment is also typically Italian: narrow streets, shabby facades of houses, linen hanging under the windows. The town has a population of only 4 thousand people, the number of tourists in the high season overlaps the number of local residents, probably in one day. The language is heard Slovenian, but in some places not even Italian slips through, but some local dialect in the middle.

Local churches look quite Italian.

Signs of victorious socialism still slip through. You can hardly see this in Italy:

Palazzo Gabrieli, now a maritime museum. We'll go there a little later. The second photo is the same, on the other side of the marina.

I don’t even know what it is, just a nice house on the corner of Lenin Street.

City center - Tartini square. It is named after the native of Piran, composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini. Until the middle of the 19th century, the area was an inland water space, where part of the marina was located. Then the water was taken aside, the place was covered with earth and turned into a square. The bell tower, very reminiscent of the Venetian, is located in almost every of the neighboring cities on the Istrian peninsula.

The Tartini monument was erected on the square at the end of the 19th century. In general, if it were not for the fact that he was born and lived in Piran, we would hardly know anything about him, but since other celebrities did not live in the city, he is honored and respected here, and he is considered the most famous and respected a resident of the city.

A very characteristic Venetian house was built by a wealthy Venetian merchant for some of his beloved, a local resident. Their romance became an occasion for gossip of local gossips, as a result of which, on the coat of arms between the windows, the dzhigit in love ordered to leave the inscription lasa pur dir, that is, “let them talk” (this inscription is hardly related to the show of the same name for stupid housewives by Andrey Malakhov).

City Hall on the square. The lion of St. Mark is repeatedly found in the city and is also a sign of belonging to the Venetian Republic. The two-color flag is the flag of the city, while the flag of Slovenia also has a white stripe on top.

I don't even know what to say here. Almost like Lenin street.

St. George is probably the patron saint of the city, as he, like the Venetian lion, appears in the most unexpected places. In particular, the cathedral with a bell tower above the square also bears his name.

Church, it seems, of St. Peter, on the square:

Church of St. Francis, a bowl for holy water (or whatever else is stored there) is made of a sea shell.

We will rise above, where the remains of the fortress wall are located. In the Middle Ages, it cut off the cape on which the city is located, from sea to sea. From here you can see that the city is located on a tiny piece of land. Only a small part of this wall remains today. Cathedral of St. George with a bell tower:

Actually, the town. The cathedral is on the right, the turret in the foreground is the church of St. Francis, a large three-story building is the municipality, in front of it is Tartini Square. Hussars, be silent: this is not the horizon littered, this is a crooked planet!

The wall on which I stand. Along the wall there is a balcony, on which you can walk without fear of falling down, because it is blocked off.

From there, the roofs below, close-up:

We go down to the bell tower of the cathedral. The belfry of Saint Mark in Venice has been known to fall, killing a cat. The bell tower of St. George in Piran did not kill cats; it has been standing since the beginning of the 17th century.

Views from above. Above, on a hillock, you can see the wall on which I stood half an hour ago.

There, a little further north. There are several more cities on the peninsula: Koper, Izola, Portorož, some of them can be seen in the distance. Piran is at the very end of the peninsula.

Tartini Square, or as it is called in Slovenian "Tartinjev Trg" (they have words without vowels), has the most spectacular view from the bell tower. In addition, from here you can see how it could be part of the body of water until the middle of the 19th century.

Almost Manhattan.

Cathedral, below:

And these are the bells. They beat very loudly right under my ear, I almost went deaf. Made in Lithuania.

Say goodbye to the bell tower and go back to the square.

At the maritime museum. The lower floor is dedicated to archaeological finds in the city area. A transparent floor with thick glass, on which you need to walk in special slippers of the 49th size (issued at the entrance to the hall). Amphoras lie under the floor. They were probably picked up by Silvio Berlusconi from the bottom of the sea and presented as a gift to the city.

On the top floor, models of ships and paintings of a marine theme are exhibited. During the times of the Venetian Republic, salt was the main article of maritime export from the city.

Well, very funny horses. Probably the prows of ships. Part of me in the mirror as a bonus.

We delve into the urban jungle. balconies hang directly above the medieval fortress wall. It is also a wall of rooms in apartments.

This square in those ancient times, when Tartinjev trg was not yet a trg, but was flooded with water, was the main square of the city. Now she bears the battle name of the First of May (after all, Yugoslavia has not died yet).

May Day does not want to be associated with a purely Italian atmosphere.

In the center of the square there is a fresh water cistern (seen in the photo above), from where the locals collected water. Wingless cupids with donut holes in their hands were placed against the drainpipes in such a way that rainwater drained into the cistern through the holes.

"Dolphin Gate" of the 15th century in the depths of the medieval quarter. Nearby was a tiny, meter by meter, Jewish quarter.

We move through the urban jungle to the exit to the fresh Adriatic air.

And we go to the place where the lighthouse is located. Now there is a church on the site of the ancient lighthouse, the modern lighthouse is a little to the side. Piran, in Italian called "Pirano", got its name from the Greek word "pyr" (fire), because since the time of the ancient Greeks, a lighthouse torch burned on this place, directing ships to the neighboring port of Aegis, today's city of Koper.

A mermaid without a tail, ibid.

View of the southern coast of the city. Fish restaurants are located along this coast. Fishy scents float unobtrusively in the air. Somewhere in the far right upper corner is a parking lot for guests of the city. Local residents can enter inside with special cards.

This is how they lived...

Tourist breakfast. Fish fillet euro commercials for twenty.

Cheerful bus on the outskirts of the city:

Here the fairy tale ends.

In July-August 2018 we rested in this beautiful city. Only the most wonderful impressions!!! But emotions subsided a little, and the essence of positive impressions can be stated more specifically. 1. Rooms are small but very comfortable. Everything that is listed is available. Even more. We booked a room with a view of the sights, because. the sea was gone. But upon check-in, we were offered to change the room to a better view, at no extra charge. 2. Despite the fact that the embankment is very narrow and right under the windows, it was not particularly noisy. The main beach on the other side of the peninsula. And here, for the most part, only their own. 3. At that time there were a lot of children's groups that periodically walked past the hotel, but this did not bother us. 4. When they write "to the sea 10 meters" - this must be taken literally! What about these 10meters includes: the entrance to the hotel itself, restaurant tables in 2-3 rows, the embankment-promenade, one row of sunbeds and the entrance to the sea. So, if you are counting on a wide beach - this is to the neighbors in Portorož. 5. The kitchen is very decent. No frills, but varied breakfast. Sometimes I had to stand in line for the coffee machine 3-4 people. And this is the biggest inconvenience. 6. Parking directly at the hotel is not provided, as in all of Piran. But there is a shuttle from the hotel that will take you to the parking lot at the entrance to the city or pick you up from there. When there is a free person at the reception, they themselves can drive your car to the parking lot. In a couple of days you can easily adapt to this mode of operation. 7. Rooftop bar with great panoramic views and a decent wine list. You must visit at least once! In general, we really enjoyed the trip. Piran is a pearl without exaggeration! Just walking along its streets is a great pleasure. Be sure to climb the bell tower of St. George's Cathedral and the fortress wall. The views are amazing! I also advise you to eat not only in restaurants on the waterfront, but also small establishments inside the city or on Trezzini Square (truffle soup !!!) From Piran it is also very convenient to go on excursions to Italy (Trieste !!!) and to the Croatian coast. There is a free bus to Portorož, but you can also walk along the promenade for 20-30 minutes. I will definitely come back!…

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Date of stay: August 2018

Room Tip: In rooms without balconies, there is no way to dry clothes, except for a heated towel rail. Check with...

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Response from Eurotas_Hotels, Cluster Sales & Marketing Manager at Hotel Piran

Answered 27 Mar. 2019

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Dear guests, first of all - a big, big thank you for taking the time and describe your experience in Hotel Piran so detailed - and furthermore in such a positive tone! We are aware that most of our guests is arriving by car so we really put a lot of attention to that - we offer a discounted price (€7.50 per night instead of €17) and as well our hotel shuttle can bring the guest from or to the garage on a regular basis. Slovenian beach has only approx, 47 Kilometers - ans the small part of it in front of our hotel is apparently very popular - it is a place, where everybody can come together - locals and the tourists. Of course we are blessed with the location, which is as you kindly pointed it our - literally meters from the sea. Piran is a great spot as well for some trips - as you mentioned Triste or Venice with boat, you can go to any of the beaches or the cities next to Piran as everything is so close. We are glad, that you "ve visit our terrace, which is definitely something special in this typical, Mediterranean flair. Our aim is to provide our guests with a smooth and pleasant stay and we are proud to know that we have succeeded to meet your expectations. It was a pleasure having the chance of welcoming you and we are looking forward to your next visit. With kind regards from Piran, Dagmar Pečovnik Cluster Sales & Marketing Manager

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