Piran, Slovenia - Most Under-rated Travel Destination

Londonpaper has identified Piran, Slovenian Riviera, the most under-rated travel destination. The drive from Trieste to Piran(aka mini Venice) is simply stunning. And if you dream to escape the hush hush of other crowded tourist destinations then there is no better place than Piran this winter.Time to try a road trip to Piran.

WHY PIRAN

Piran, small city in Central European country of Slovenia, has a coastline measuring only 46 kilometres and probably don't be surprised to hear that its best know coastal town which has a population of only 17,500. Piran is a town that has been virtually untouched by the march of time; this is due mainly to the fact that there is no room for new development and which is protected due to its historic value. The small bus station just manages to inch onto the peninsular but other than that there's little newer than 16th century.

All over Slovenia people tell you to visit Piran, nobody recommends any others from the handful of towns on the Slovenian littoral.

GETTTING THERE

Whilst Piran is only about ninety minutes from Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana getting there can be a little problematic. The train only takes you a far as Koper, an industrial town slightly north of Piran, but still on the coast - from there you need to take a bus, a twenty minute ride. The train takes roughly the same amount of time as the bus so you may as well go by bus all the way. If you go by car you avoid all the detours that the bus has to make, but Piran is so small that at weekends and during the summer there is virtually nowhere to park on the small peninsular on which Piran sits.

It is possible to visit Piran as a day trip (or longer of course if you prefer) from north-eastern Italy (from Trieste by bus or ferry - the latter in the high season only) or from northern Croatia (Pula is less than an hour away).

WHAT THERE IS TO DO IN PIRAN

This very much depends on when you visit; unfortunately that means that very little is open in November though you will be happy just to wander the narrow streets, have a waterside lunch and climb the campanile which dominates the town for tremendous views over to Italy and Croatia.

These days the town is focused around Tartinijev trg (Tartini Square) named for Guiseppe Tartini, composer and violinist, Piran's most famous son. These days you'll have to make do with looking at his statue and sliding around on the treacherous marble paving around the square which is the only place you can park cars. It's a rather lovely square - two crescents of Venetian style 15th century houses but its spoilt because it's impossible to take a photograph without getting the cars in. Piran has a strong Italian feel to it and, unlike neighbouring towns, the citizens of Piran welcomed the Venetians rather than fighting them off, making Piran look very different to other Slovenian coastal towns. For some considerable years the people of Piran traded with the Venetians and the town was a prosperous one. However, like the Italian town which lies across the water, Trieste, Piran later fell to the Austrian Empire and fell out of favour in the commercial world. Happily for historians and tourists, though, this is a major factor in Piran being untouched, even if it did nothing to improve the lot of its people.

Piran has one reasonable museum - the Sergej Masera Maritime Musuem; like most museums in this part of the world it operates according to the most bizarre opening hours which vary throughout the year. Typically it doesn't open at all in November! Friends and the local tourist information office tell that the museum covers the three most important aspects of Piran - the sea, salt (there are vast salt flats down the road near Portoroz) and sailing - obviously another link to the rule of the Venetians.

One attraction that has less erratic opening hours is the aquarium just past the harbour. Then there is a seafront which is basically a road with rocks and the sea on one side and a row of seafood restaurants on the other. Its fantastic to find the sun and a temperature close to thirteen degrees in Piran. There's no beach here - you just climb down three steps off the road and into the water. This way Piran is called as mini Venice. There is a proper beach just up the coast at Fiesa - about a kilometer away which is very crowded in summer.

FOOD OF PIRAN

Not only is Piran reminiscent of Italy in architecture but also in its cuisine. The restaurants do have some Slovenian dishes but lean more towards Italian dishes such as risotto than in other parts of the country. A delicious seafood risotto and a very generous salad and beautifully marinated sardines with tasty fries along with a half carafe of red wine came in at less than 20 Euro. Coffee is another passion of the people of Piran and while there are several places to have a coffee, the best is just at the end of Tartinijev Trg; young an old gather here each morning to chat and people watch. Piran is one of the most delightful places in Slovenia.

Behind the waterfront is the residential part of Piran - a series of narrow streets, quite like those in the Spanish quarter of Naples - dark alleyways washing hanging out to dry, rooms built over arches, ancient fountains hidden in secret nooks. (A word of warning - not suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs or people with mobility problems, there are lots of steps and wobbly paving, and the marble is very slippery).

After such a delecious food you can reinvigorate yourselves with some exercise and a walk up the Church of St George that dominates the town was just the thing. The church has renaissance and baroque features but the most striking thing about it is the campanile that was modeled in the Venetian style. This is one attraction which is open all year round and you will love the views it offers all over the Slovenian coast, beyond to Croatia and, on the clear day, over to the Miramare at Trieste.

Finally don't miss the boat around the bay and get the view of Piran from the water; which will remind you of Dubrovnik, another walled city of about the same era. You can certainly spend a couple of days but don't imagine Piran being much of a base for anything longer or perhaps a stop-off on the way into Croatia. With the museums and other attractions being open there would be enough to fill two days but otherwise Piran makes a fine day trip.

It has no shops, a small food market and only a couple of souvenir stalls. For the cinema or nightlife you will have to head for Portoroz, the brash, modern resort just to the south. Even its accommodation is limited and fairly expensive; its probably quite difficult to offer discerning travelers the type of accommodation demanded these days within the confines of strict planning regulations!. Out of town accommodation is more abundant and the road from Koper, through Izola and past Portoroz is littered with signs offering a bed for the night. We feel that pre-booking is required in this part of Slovenia. Piran is a resort for those who like their seaside towns unspoilt and with more to do than lie on the beach; it would probably appeal more to older people rather than those with demanding children to please. An, most importantly, it's a town which is best not visited in November!

MORE INFO ABOUT SLOVENIA

Official Name: Republika Slovenia
Capital: Ljubljana
Location: South Central Europe
Area: 20, 273 Sq. km
Official Languages: Slovenian