Explorations of a small Slovenian town on the Adriatic Sea.
Piran, Slovenia, is an absolute gem of a town located on the pristine waters of the Adriatic Sea. The town is famous for its coastal views, medieval architecture, and laid-back atmosphere. Once part of the Venetian Republic, Piran (or Pirano in Italian) hosts medieval architecture with a Venetian influence and narrow winding streets. In fact, Italian is still an official language in this area, along with Slovene. Austrian influences can also be found here (the Austro-Hungarian empire ran the area from 1797 until the end of WWI).
I happened to visit in February, very much off season. I saw very few tourists exploring the town along with me. Unfortunately, it rained most of the time I was there, luckily there was enough break in the rain to take a few photos.
Since Piran is located on the coast, it would only make sense if it had a harbor.
Even more harbor.
The local style of architecture.
The center of Piran, Tartini Square. The rain did create a cool effect here, turning the square into a giant mirror.
The town hall plus tourist information center. You can really see the Venetian influence with the Venetian Lion located on the third floor.
A little market area located I found.
A typical narrow medieval street. Piran is definitely a pedestrian town.
A bike is also a good way to get around.
The sun peeked out for a while, making Piran look even more colorful.
Looking across the harbor that sits right in front of Tartini Square.
I hiked up the plateau to visit Piran’s famous church, the Church of St. George.
I couldn’t go inside, but they had the door open with a gate, which was a very common thing in Piran.
I couldn’t get over how colorful Piran was.
Another gated chapel, Chiesa della Madonna della Neve.
The church of St. Francis and monastery. I love a good cloister.
The interior of St. Francis.
The town walls provided a perfect viewing point to see the whole town at once. St. George is the church by the large bell tower.
Piran is a wonderful town easy to reach from Triste, Italy, by bus, or by ferry during the summer from Venice. Hotels and hostels in the area tend to be a bit pricey, but the area is wonderful.
Explore more cities in my Wandering series!
Piran has the distinction of being a beautiful city in the least depressing Soviet Bloc nation. Not a bad place to start.