Piran is arguably one of the most beautiful towns in Slovenia. Perched on a scenic promontory overlooking the sea and topped by the beautiful Saint George’s Church and its imposing Venetian-style bell tower, Piran is one of the most attractive villages on the Adriatic Sea.
The fabulous Piran Old Town is a masterpiece of Venetian architecture, but it also boasts beautiful nineteenth-century Austro-Hungarian palaces, gathered around the picturesque Tartini Square, on the old fishing port. In the surroundings, the exclusive Portorož, with its luxury hotels and casinos, makes Piran one of the most prestigious destinations on the Slovenian coast.
What you will find in this guide to visiting Piran:
- Piran: Interesting Facts and Things to Know Before You Go
- Best Things to Do in Piran
- Best Things to Do and See Around Piran
- Best Restaurants in Piran
- How to Get to Piran
Piran: Interesting Facts and Things to Know Before You Go
Piran is one of the most beautiful coastal towns in Slovenia and is located on a promontory overlooking the Adriatic Sea, in the southwestern part of Slovenian Istria, just 10 km from the border with Croatia.
The Piran Old Town stands on a peninsula called Punta Madonna, and from there opens the Gulf of Piran, which stretches from the port to the spa town of Portorož, which is part of the municipality of Piran and is renowned for being one of the most exclusive destinations in Slovenia, with a good choice of luxury hotels and casinos.
The enchanting Piran Old Town is one of the most beautiful in Slovenia: Piran is not only one of the main cities on the coast along with Koper and Izola, but it is a real gem of medieval architecture, boasting excellent restaurants, stunning views and a popular starting point for exploring the beautiful villages of inland Istria, famous for their excellent wines, prized truffles and delicious meat and cheese specialties.
At first glance Piran surprises with the beauty of its typically Venetian old town, with Gothic palaces, narrow streets and compact houses. The main square, called Tartini Square is a masterpiece of nineteenth-century architecture, from here you can explore the alleys in the direction of the northwestern tip, called Piranski Svetilnik, where there is a picturesque tower, which once served as a lighthouse, watchtower and also church.
From here you can continue towards the wonderful St. George’s Church, which with its bell tower dominates the Piran Old Town. Its medieval architecture is well preserved, and the pleasant and relaxed atmosphere makes Piran one of the most popular destinations in Slovenia, attracting thousands of tourists a day in the summer.
The origins of the city date back to the Romans, the old town of Piranòn then passed to the Byzantines, the Lombards, the Ostrogoths to then become an important maritime town of the Republic of Venice. Similarly to the other coastal towns of Istria and Dalmatia, it is with the Venetians that Piran becomes a modern and important town with a thriving economy based on trade and extraction of salt from the nearby Strunjan and Sečovlje Salt Pans, which on the whole were known as Piran Salt Flats.
After the Venetians, Piran was ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and in this period it became a famous spa resort: in the early 1900s the majestic Palace Hotel was built, which today houses the 5-star Hotel Kempinski Palace Portorož, immersed in a fabulous park and intended to be a holiday destination for the Austro-Hungarian elites.
Until the mid-20th century Piran was mainly inhabited by Italian-speaking people, and after WWI it was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. After the tragic events of WWII Piran fell under the military occupation of the troops of Tito and the Allies and was assigned to Zone B of the Free Territory of Trieste, under Yugoslavian administration. Thus it definitively merged, following the Osimo Treaty in 1975, into socialist Yugoslavia.
Most of the population, which was ethnically and culturally Italian, was forced to leave and was replaced by Slovenians. However, the municipality of Piran is still officially bilingual, and both Slovenian and Italian are spoken here. After the dissolution of Yugoslavia, Piran merged into the territory of the newly formed Republic of Slovenia.
Best Things to Do in Piran
Tartini Square
The main square, called Tartini Square, is the real heart of the town and is a masterpiece of nineteenth-century architecture: its rounded shape is due to the fact that the square was once an inner dock for smaller vessels. It was located outside the city walls, and was primarily a port for fishing boats.
At the end of the 19th century the Austro-Hungarians decided to cover the old port and create a real square, with a beautiful marble floor. Around the square there are some of the most important nineteenth-century buildings, while the many colorful town houses are of medieval origin. However only one still has its original Venetian Gothic exterior, the beautiful house called Benečanka (Venetian house), dating from the 15th century, which today houses the fabulous guesthouse called Benecanka Casa Veneziana Piran.
The square is named after the violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini, who was born in Piran at the end of the 17th century. In the middle of Tartini Square you can see a statue depicting Tartini erected at the end of the 19th century. Giuseppe Tartini’s birthplace, known simply as Tartini House, overlooks the square and houses a small museum.
On the square there is also the small St. Peter’s Church and the Town Hall, as well as a dozen of quaint colorful town houses. In the background, looking from the port, the Piran Old Town appears crowned by the bell tower of the Saint George’s Church, creating a very suggestive picture.
St. George’s Church and Bell Tower
The Piran Old Town stands perched on a scenic promontory, on the top of which stands the St. George’s Church, unmistakable with its bell tower in typical Venetian style, reminiscent of that of the St. Mark’s Campanile in Venice. St. George’s Church stands on the site of an earlier 12th century church and was built in the late 1500s. Work was only completed in the first half of the 1600s, with the addition of a free-standing bell tower and a Baroque octagonal baptistery.
The church is Baroque in style, with a richly decorated ceiling and seven altars adorned with paintings, including The Crucifixion by Paolo Veneziano, dating from the 14th century. Also noteworthy is the eighteenth-century organ by Pietro Nacchini and the fourteenth-century wooden crucifix. The church is named after St. George, patron saint of Piran, who, according to legend, saved the city from a terrible and destructive storm. In the church you will be able to see a statue of him in the act of killing a dragon.
One of Piran’s main attractions is the 47-meter-high bell tower of St. George’s Church. On the top there are four bells and its pyramidal roof is surmounted by a statue of St. Michael the Archangel. A staircase of 150 steps will allow you to reach the top from where you can have a beautiful view of the town.
St. George’s Church also houses a small but interesting museum, the Parish Museum of St. George, which includes the church’s treasury and catacombs, with some medieval relics and Roman and Gothic artworks. You will also be able to see a collection of sculptures and sacred art artifacts.
The Piran Lighthouse
On the northwestern tip of Piran Old Town there is a curious building, the shape of which resembles that of a tower, but also of a church: it is the Church of St. Clement, dating back to the 12th century, which has beautiful Renaissance decorations and it is dedicated to St. Clement, patron saint of sailors. Locals also dedicated this church to Our Lady during the 17th century plague.
The church bell tower also served as a lighthouse and watchtower, which is why the church has a typical medieval appearance and looks like a mix between a fortress and a church.
Venetian House
One of the oldest and best-preserved medieval buildings in Piran is the Benečanka, or Venetian House. This fabulous Venetian-Gothic house dates back to the 15th century and is one of the most famous buildings in Piran Old Town. The facade is characterized by a corner balcony and windows in the typical Gothic style.
The coat of arms on the facade has the inscription “Lassa pur dir”, which means “let them talk”. According to legend, this palace was built by a Venetian merchant as a gift for a local girl with whom he fell in love and as people gossiped about their affair he had these words inscribed on the facade.
The palace now houses one of the most beautiful guesthouses in Piran, the Benecanka Casa Veneziana Piran. The rooms of the guesthouse are dedicated to the merchant and his beloved.
Mediadom, Maritime Museum and Tartini House
Piran Old Town is also home to some interesting museums: the Sergej Mašera Maritime Museum located in the Gabrielli Palace, overlooking the harbor, is an interesting museum dedicated to local maritime history. Here you can learn more about merchants, navigators and fishermen, with a large collection of artifacts, maps, uniforms and archaeological finds spanning from the Roman era to the present.
Just behind Tartini Square, there is the Mediadom Pyrhani, a small museum that through multimedia installations tells the history of the town, while a few steps away is the Tartini House, which was the home of the famous violinist Giuseppe Tartini. It is one of the oldest buildings on the square and, following the many renovations, it presents itself in a beautiful neoclassical style. In its interiors there are beautiful frescoes and house a small museum on the life and works of Tartini, a beautiful library and the headquarters of the Italian Community of Piran.
1st May Square (Trg 1 Maja)
Before the construction of Tartini Square (which once stood outside the town walls) Piran’s main square was what is now called 1st May Square. It was once simply called Stari Trg, the current name dates back to the socialist era. This square is located right in the middle of Piran Old Town and is surrounded by old town houses. In the middle of the square there is a Baroque cistern, simply called vodnjak or fountain, from the 18th century. The cistern was used to collect rainwater from the roofs of the surrounding houses.
Church of St. Peter
Right on Tartini Square is the small Church of St. Peter, dating from 1818. This church stands on a previous 13th century Romanesque church and was designed by the Italian architect Pietro Nobile. The exterior is quite simple, but its elegant interior, adorned with frescoes and sculptures, is worth a look.
Piran Minorite Monastery
At the northeastern end of Piran Old Town you can see the Piran Minorite Monastery, a Roman Catholic monastery dating back to 1301, where a community of Franciscan monks still lives today. The monastery includes the beautiful Church of St. Francis of Assisi, also dating from the 14th century, and a beautiful medieval cloister. The monastery hosts important events and classical music concerts and has a beautiful library, with a collection of ancient books and musical literature from the 15th century.
Best Things to Do and See Around Piran
Sečovlje salt pans
Sečovlje Salt Pans are located just 10 km south of Piran, and are one of the oldest salt pans in Slovenia, active for over 700 years. Although part of the salt pans was abandoned in the second half of the 20th century, a part is still active today. The production of salt takes place according to old traditional methods, so that Piran Salt has become a luxury ingredient for gourmets and beauty treatments.
The Sečovlje Salt Pans is today a nature park that is home to numerous species of birds and halophytic plants. Here there is also a small museum dedicated to the cultural heritage of salt extraction and it is possible to participate in interesting guided tours. In the heart of the salt flats there is also an outdoor spa offering thalassotherapy treatments and beauty treatments based on salt from the salt flats.
Rovinj
Rovinj is one of the most beautiful towns on the Croatian coast and is only 80 km away from Piran, making it a perfect destination for a day trip. Its picturesque old town is located, similar to Piran, on a scenic promontory overlooking the sea, overlooked by St. Euphemia Church and its Venetian-style bell tower.
Rovinj Old Town is easily explored on foot, and is a maze of alleys, squares and old houses in Gothic and Renaissance style. The town also boasts an interesting gastronomic scene, with excellent seafood restaurants located near the harbor.
Best Restaurants in Piran
Restaurants Near the Port of Piran
Near the port there is a wide choice of restaurants serving excellent seafood specialties, such as pasta and risotto, fried or grilled fish, soups, shellfish, mussels and clams. Among the most popular are the Pirat Restaurant and the Neptun Restaurant, which are located along Župančičeva ulica. The former is more modern, the latter is more traditional, but both serve excellent seafood.
There is also another good restaurant nearby, Gostilna Park, which serves excellent seafood specialties and some good local meat dishes, such as the famous čevapčiči.
Pri Mari
The Pri Mari Restaurant is located south of the old town, on the seafront leading towards Portoroz. It is a traditional restaurant, serving delicious local cuisine, excellent grilled fish, soups and pasta with mussels and clams. It also has a good selection of local wines.
Sarajevo ’84
Sarajevo ’84 is a popular čevabdžinice chain, which also has other venues in Koper and Ljubljana, and serves excellent local grilled meat dishes, such as čevapčiči, burek and burgers. It is a great place for an inexpensive, casual meal.
How to Get to Piran
Getting to Piran by Car
The easiest way to get to Piran is by car. The town is located along the Route 111, which connects all the major cities of the Slovenian coast. From here you can easily go to Izola and Koper and from here you can continue to Trieste (it’s just 30km) or Ljubljana (120km).
Taking Route 111 south you can reach the Croatian border in 15 minutes. From here the E751 (Highway A9) allows you to easily reach the most famous cities of Croatian Istria, such as Umag, Porec, Rovinj and Pula.
Getting to Piran by Bus
Piran is quite a popular destination in Slovenia, so there are several bus connections to Ljubljana and the major cities of the Slovenian and Croatian coast. From the Tivolska Bus Station in Ljubljana there are three buses a day to Piran (2 hours).
In Piran there are frequent connections to and from Koper (40 minutes), Portoroz (10 minutes) and Izola (30 minutes). There are also some buses to Croatia, which allow you to reach Porec (2 hours), Rovinj (2 hours) and Pula (2.5 hours), as well as some buses to Trieste (2 hours).
Getting to Piran by Ferry
In summer there are some ferry connections to and from Trieste (30 minutes), Rovinj (2 hours) and Venice (3 hours).
