Do you know that Slovenia has a shoreline alongside the Adriatic Sea? If the reply isn’t any, do not feel too dangerous; lots of people do not know this about Slovenia!
However Slovenia does have a bit sliver of shoreline, simply 29 miles (47 kilometers) lengthy, squeezed between Trieste in Italy and the northern a part of Croatia. It is on the Istrian Peninsula, which is definitely shared between these three nations. And it is 100% price visiting!
Inside Slovenia’s stretch of the Adriatic coast (typically often known as the “Slovenian Riviera”), there are three predominant cities that folks go to: Koper, Izola, and Piran. Piran sits on the very tip of Slovenia’s slice of the Istrian Peninsula, and is the smallest (and arguably most gorgeous) of the three cities.
I’ve needed to go to Piran since I first noticed images of it greater than a decade in the past – and it was even higher than I imagined! Which is why I am telling you to test it out, too.
The place is Piran?
Like I discussed above, Piran is a small city located on the far western level of Slovenia’s shoreline on the Istrian Peninsula. It is positioned roughly 1.5 hours from the capital metropolis of Ljubljana, 2 hours from Lake Bled, and a pair of.75 hours from Maribor. (Slovenia is not very massive; nothing is tremendous far-off!)
The city is constructed on a small peninsula itself, and is surrounded by the Adriatic Sea within the Gulf of Trieste.
What makes Piran particular?
If you happen to’ve seen images of Piran earlier than, you may need thought that it seems to be an terrible lot like Italy. And you would be proper! This a part of Slovenia has been a part of a number of empires all through the ages, together with the Byzantine, Roman, Venetian, and Austrian ones. It was a part of the Venetian Empire the longest, although (500+ years), and people influences are those that also stay.
You may discover crimson rooftops, slender streets, and even a near-replica of the Campanile (bell tower) of St. Mark’s in Venice (in Piran, it is the bell tower on the Church of St. George).
Up till the top of WWII and the formation of Yugoslavia, Piran was principally inhabited by individuals of Italian heritage, and Italian was the primary language spoken right here. There was a big Istrian–Dalmatian exodus after WWII, although, when many individuals left the world reasonably than keep in Yugoslavia.
At present, Slovene is essentially the most dominant language present in Piran – although you will nonetheless hear loads of Italian, too!
When to go to Piran
The most effective time to go to Piran is within the late spring, early summer season, or fall. (Might, June and September are all glorious months to go to Piran.)
Being on the Adriatic and having a Mediterranean local weather, Piran can get fairly scorching in months like July and August, which make them not-so-ideal in my guide. The summer season months are additionally the busiest tourist-wise in Piran, although town doesn’t see big crowds or cruise ships, so “busy” is relative right here.
How one can get to Piran
It’s doable to succeed in Piran by bus from Ljubljana, however it may well take as much as 3 hours and isn’t essentially the most handy. Trains do not run to Piran; the closest you will get by prepare is to the city of Koper additional as much as coast.
The easiest way to get to Piran is by automotive. Renting a automotive in Slovenia is pretty simple, and the drive from Ljubljana to Piran is simply about 1.5 hours. BUT you will not be capable to drive your automotive into Piran itself – preserve studying!
(You can too technically get to Piran by way of a ferry from Venice, Italy on choose days through the summer season months – however I am guessing most individuals discovering this publish aren’t going to be arriving by ferry. It’s an possibility, although!)
The place to park in Piran
If you happen to’re driving to Piran (which is what I did and what I would advocate), there’s one extraordinarily essential factor you might want to know: the middle of Piran will not be open to non-local visitors. That implies that, as a vacationer, you can’t drive your automotive into town heart, even should you’re staying in a single day.
The simplest option to get into the middle of Piran should you’re self-driving is to park at a storage simply exterior of city and take a free shuttle into town heart. The storage that is the best to park at is GH Amfora, marked as Garažna hiša Fornače (Storage Fornače) on Google Maps.
This massive 7-story lined parking storage is positioned on the entrance to Piran and prices €2.60 per hour as much as 10 hours (in case you simply wish to go to Piran for a day), or €26 for twenty-four hours. (And also you pay in your method out, so take your ticket with you.)
In our expertise, we did not have hassle discovering a parking spot right here on a day in June, however the parking spots are very tight, even in a smaller automotive.
There may be an elevator within the parking storage, however it doesn’t go all the way in which to the bottom stage the place you possibly can stroll to the free shuttle. If you happen to’re bringing baggage, simply bear in mind that you will want to hold it up/down one flight of stairs. (If you happen to’re spending the night time in Piran, you may take into account simply packing an in a single day bag and locking the remainder of your greater baggage within the trunk of your automotive.)
If you exit the storage on foot, comply with indicators for the shuttle cease, which is down by the water (it is even marked on Google Maps as “Piran Free Shuttle Bus Cease”). The free shuttle runs from right here to Tartini Sq. in Piran each 10ish minutes, and from there it is easy to stroll in every single place in Piran.
NOTE: There’s a floor parking zone near Storage Fornače, proper subsequent to the water. This lot is reserved for Piran residents with parking passes, nonetheless, so do not attempt to park right here! The opposite parking storage possibility near Piran is at Garažna hiša Arze, which is an underground storage up a hill above town. It’s kind of cheaper to park right here, however fills up quicker and doesn’t provide a shuttle to city.
8 implausible issues to do in Piran
Okay so now you’ve got lastly arrived in Piran!! What is going to you do now?
Piran is a small coastal metropolis, with a inhabitants of round 4,000 individuals. The primary a part of town solely covers 173 acres, or roughly .27 sq. miles (yeah, tiny!). However do not let its small measurement idiot you; there’s nonetheless loads to do in Piran to replenish your day.
This is what I would advocate you do in Piran:
1. Stroll across the Previous City
The free parking shuttle will drop you off proper subsequent to Tartini Sq., the primary (really spherical) sq. in Piran that is surrounded by a number of fairly buildings and cafe terraces.
The customer heart is right here, together with Casa Tartini, which is the birthplace of violinist Giuseppe Tartini (his statue can be within the heart of the sq.). There is a small museum about him inside the home.
From the sq., you possibly can stroll by means of Piran’s Previous City, most of which is pedestrian-only and made up of slender streets that can positively make you are feeling such as you’re in Italy.
2. Climb the bell tower on the Church of St. George
An amazing viewpoint in Piran is simply exterior the Church of St. George. Subsequent to this church is its freestanding bell tower, which is the duplicate of the St. Mark’s Campanile from Venice. You possibly can go to the church, and in addition climb 147 steps to the highest of the tower for about €2*.
*Be aware that they’ve begun renovation work on the bell tower in 2024. It is at present lined in scaffolding, and won’t be accessible throughout restoration.
3. Climb the outdated metropolis partitions
If you happen to like historical past AND nice views, then make your option to a spot on the (Google) map marked “Walls of Piran“ (Obzidje Piran).
Fortified partitions started being constructed by the Venetians within the seventh century to guard Piran from invasion, and seven of the unique gates nonetheless stand immediately all through town.
You possibly can climb one small part of the outdated wall above Piran city for the very best views!
The partitions are open each day from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. barring dangerous climate, and price simply €3 to go to. Simply observe that if you are going to stroll right here from the city heart, it requires strolling up some steep streets!
(And if you need the perfect gentle for images, go within the morning! My images have been all taken within the late afternoon, and the sunshine was difficult.)
4. Stroll alongside the promenade
The primary a part of Piran is sort of shark fin-shaped, and a car-free seaside promenade goes all the way in which round it. It is on the map as Prešernovo nabrežje, named after beloved Slovene poet France Prešeren (you will discover issues named after Prešeren actually throughout Slovenia).
The promenade stroll affords up stunning Adriatic views and many eating places with outside seating. And preserve an eye fixed out for sculptures proper within the promenade stones, together with essentially the most well-known one in all a mermaid.
5. Go for a dip within the Adriatic
There ARE seashores close to Piran, however none inside the primary metropolis (the closest precise seaside is at Fornače, close to the place you catch the free shuttle from the parking storage). And Piran doesn’t have sandy seashores – they’re all pebble seashores.
However all alongside the promenade in Piran are areas the place you possibly can sunbathe and get into the ocean by way of ladders or stone steps. The water is beautiful and clear, so positively pack your swimsuit!
NOTE: Chances are you’ll spy jellyfish within the Adriatic waters right here; in the summertime, they’re prone to be purple moon jellies, which shouldn’t have stingers highly effective sufficient to hurt people.
6. Eat dinner on a fishing boat
With its location proper on the Adriatic, recent seafood abounds at eating places round Piran. However if you need a extremely distinctive eating expertise, make a reservation at Podlanica, an informal restaurant on a fishing boat in Piran’s harbor.
Not solely is that this location actually cool (stroll out to the top of the pier when you’re right here), however the restaurant serves up THE freshest seafood. The menu adjustments each day based mostly on what the homeowners went out and caught that day.
The boat’s web site says you might want to name forward to make a reservation, however we additionally noticed individuals simply strolling up and being seated on the picnic bench-style tables. (Their quantity is +386 41 338 612, and we had luck simply sending them WhatsApp messages to make a reservation!)
7. Strive orange wine on a rooftop
After dinner, there isn’t any scarcity of lovely locations to publish up for dessert or an after-dinner drink. You would keep on with one of many eating places alongside the promenade to sip a glass of wine and watch the sundown, or you could possibly head to a spot just like the rooftop of Lodge Zala within the coronary heart of the Previous City.
Throughout the summer season (June-October), Lodge Zala opens a rooftop sushi bar – however you can too simply take pleasure in cocktails, wine, and dessert.
A novel kind of wine you possibly can strive right here is orange wine – which is certainly orange! But it surely’s not made with oranges; it is constructed from white wine grapes, and the colour comes from the grapes being left in touch with the grape skins for days, weeks, and even months through the fermentation course of. Orange wine is definitely one of many oldest kinds of wine on the planet, and is a specialty in elements of Slovenia.
Ask one of many bartenders at Lodge Zala for an orange wine suggestion, as they’ve a number of on the menu.
8. Take a strolling + meals tour
Need to mix some historical past, strolling, and meals into one expertise in Piran? Then there’s one good tour I would advocate: this Piran walking tour consists of town partitions and church buildings, and ends with a wine and meals tasting. It is an incredible night possibility in the summertime in Piran.
How lengthy do you want in Piran?
You possibly can see all of the highlights in Piran in sooner or later – and one relaxed day, at that. Piran is a small metropolis, and all the foremost websites are pretty shut to 1 one other.
You possibly can even squeeze every thing into half a day should you simply wish to keep for a pair hours and keep away from staying in a single day in Piran.
The place to remain in Piran
If you happen to DO wish to keep in a single day in Piran, nonetheless, there are many pretty lodge and residence choices. (Simply bear in mind which you can’t drive into Piran’s Previous City, so you will have to stroll together with your baggage a bit should you’re bringing it.)
I stayed at Hotel Zala (Second Life in Piran – Lodge Zala), which is a boutique lodge in Piran’s Previous City only a brief stroll from Tartini Sq.. (We did carry our small baggage on the shuttle from the parking storage, and had no situation rolling it to the lodge from the sq.; it was a couple of 5 minute stroll.)
We actually preferred Lodge Zala’s location and general vibe, and the rooftop bar was pretty within the night. I might positively advocate it! (You can book a room here.)
Another lodge choices in Piran embrace:
- Hotel Piran – A 4-star lodge proper on the water that is very extremely rated.
- Art Hotel Tartini – Good lodge proper off Tartini Sq..
- Memento B&B Piran – A brand new B&B possibility simply off Tartini Sq., the place most rooms have balconies.
Is Piran actually price visiting?
As somebody who had been dreaming of going to Piran for fairly some time, I used to be pleasantly stunned to search out that Piran was even higher than I anticipated! It is a wonderful small seaside city that is not overcrowded; you possibly can actually come right here and simply loosen up whereas having fun with the great climate and good meals.
So sure, I completely suppose Piran is price visiting, particularly from Might-October! You needn’t spend a ton of time right here (some individuals would seemingly be proud of a day journey; I used to be glad we stayed in a single day), however I do suppose it is price including to your Slovenia itinerary.
Is Piran a spot you want to go to?
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Harmful Enterprise Journey Weblog. She has traveled to greater than 60 nations on 6 continents from her dwelling base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and considerate journey by means of the US, Europe, and remainder of the world. Amanda solely shares ideas based mostly on her private experiences and locations she’s really traveled!
