This seaside town is located in southwestern Slovenia and on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. In this municipality both Italian and Slovenian are spoken and its name comes from the Greek pyr which means fire. It would have to do with the fire of the lighthouse that was on the coast of the municipality in the past.
Let's see what are the sights in the Slovenian city of Piran, which is only an hour's drive from Venice, hence it has so many similarities with Italian culture.
Get to Piran
This city in Slovenia is located very close to the border with Italy. It is possible to arrive through Slovenian airports, such as Ljubljana or Portoroz. Another possibility is take a rental car in Venice, Italy. If you take the car in Italy, it is necessary to buy a vignette to be able to drive through Slovenia, which can be bought at any gas station. The price is different depending on the time we are going to travel through the country. Keep in mind that within the city you cannot park, but they only let you come in for a while to leave things at the hotel. There are parking lots on the outskirts.
Piran is on the Istrian Peninsula, a shores of the Adriatic Sea. Its name comes from the Greek pyr, since before in this place there was a lighthouse in which fire was lit to guide the ships. This place was founded by the Romans as Piranum.
St. George's Cathedral
La city cathedral It is located on a hill with incredible views of the sea. This beautiful temple was built in the XNUMXth century, in a Baroque and Renaissance style. Many of the buildings that we will see in this city have a Venetian style. Inside the church you can enjoy a wooden ceiling with paintings in which you can see Saint George slaying the dragon. There is a wooden sculpture from medieval times called the Crucified of Piran. You have to pay a ticket to enter and see the parish museum, the treasure and the catacombs. You can also access the baptistery, where some exhibitions are currently held from time to time.
El bell tower is one of the most remarkable things of this church and is in an aside. It reminds the bell towers that are seen in Italy like the Campanile of Venice. It is more than 46 meters high and can be accessed by paying a ticket, with which you can climb the more than one hundred steps to enjoy the views from the top.
Punta Lighthouse
In the place where formerly the lighthouse in which fire was lit today there is a circular tower. This tower belongs to the XNUMXth century church of San Clemente, which stands out precisely for its beautiful tower.
Piran walls
This area of the Punta lighthouse is the oldest part of town, from which the defensive walls were built. In the XNUMXth century, a small wall was started to protect the growing city. Construction continued during the XNUMXth century and during the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. At present there are still two access gates to the city, the Marciana and Raspor. You can look for these beautiful gates and the area of the walls that are still standing in the city.
Tartini Square
This is the main square of the city of Piran which was formerly the port of the city and which was filled in the XNUMXth century. Today the town hall is located in this square, surrounded by charming Venetian houses. There are two stone masts from the XNUMXth century with Saint Mark and Saint George engraved on them. You can also see the Giusseppe Tartini statue which gives the square its name. This is the most famous violinist and composer in the city, whose house is also located on the square.
You should also see the call Venetian House, a small Venetian palace that belonged to a merchant. In this house the beautiful windows stand out and also an inscription with a lion between the windows. It stands out from the other houses in the square, which also have a Venetian style and make up a set of great beauty.
Trg 1 Maja
This is another square that is now secondary but that was the center of the city centuries ago. It is here where the old town hall, the old pharmacy and the city cistern are located. In this small square there is a restaurant with a wonderful terrace and also some very beautiful old stairs. It is a much quieter square than that of Tartini and that retains great charm.