Oh Piran – let me hug you

Breathing heavily, we stand at the top of the city wall. The ascent through the many small alleys and the adventurously steep stairs was more strenuous than expected. But it was worth it! At our feet lies Piran. Like a small flame, the town flickers mischievously into the Adriatic Sea. At the forefront is the lighthouse. Equally striking is the cathedral church, which is located on a hill above the city and is one of the city’s best-known symbols. We sit down, slowly come back to breathe and let our gaze wander into all the heavens.

We started our foray through the picturesque city on Tartini Square – the living room and heart of Piran, so to speak. The town square, once a harbour for fishing boats, is lined with neat houses. The Venetian House – a beautiful red building – stands out in particular. In any case, the architecture is strongly influenced by the Venetians. There used to be lively trade relations between the two cities, which are separated by almost 100 kilometres of the Mediterranean Sea. Today, the many lions attached to the buildings are a reminder of this era. As we stroll through the narrow streets, we look for the lion, whose paws rest over a closed book – this means that the building was built during wartime. Rumor has it that there is only one of them in Piran. Unfortunately, we don’t find what we’re looking for. But we stumble across other pearls. Along the way, we discover pretty building details, secluded squares and beautifully preserved city gates (there are seven of them).

Despite the maze of alleys, you can’t get lost. Either you end up at the city wall, which still embraces the town protectively today, or at the Adriatic Sea. The waterfront is lined with numerous cafes and restaurants. We sit down and enjoy the gentle sound of the sea and the tickle of the warm rays of the sun. Even though Piran is visited by tourists all year round, it is still surprisingly quiet in April. Italian and Slovenian are spoken all around. Piran is also – hard to believe – a student town and so many locals enjoy the sunset with beer and mojito right by the sea.

But we tackle the way up to the city wall again and are rewarded a second time with breathtaking scenes. O Piran, let me embrace you!

Tartini Square | The heart of the city

The many small, narrow alleys

Up to the city wall

Chiesa di San Giorgio | Views over the city, the bay of Strunjan and Trieste

Old Town Square | since the 13th century the administrative centre

Adriaflair

Golden Hour

Info and tips:

• Piran is car-free – two multi-storey car parks (south and east of the city) are served by a free shuttle bus
• From Portoroz you can walk along the coast to Piran (about 30 minutes)
• There are regular bus connections to Koper, Trieste and Ljubljana
• Buy chocolate at the Strast gourmet shop (at Tartini Square)
• Have an aperitif at the Hotel Piran (or stay overnight – nicely renovated)
• Marvel at the sunset from the city wall (1 Euro entrance fee per person and shhh;)hh

Note: My stay on the Slovenian Adriatic coast was supported by Tourism Portorož – thank you very much for this. As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm here.