SLOVENIA - Piran

Piran is an old medieval coastal town in Slovenia. It is interesting to note that Piran was once part of Venetian Empire from late 13th century to early 18th century and was part of Italy from 1918 until 1947.



Vehicles are restricted in Piran. The vehicles either have to park at the allocated parking area in the town for a hefty parking fee (EUR 24 per day) or outside the town. The first impression I had when I entered Piran was the rows of boat parking along the waterfront.





The Tartini Square is the main square in town. There was a mini concert being held that night.




This was the view of Tartini Square from our hotel room. After checking in, we decided to head for dinner.



The hotel staff recommended this restaurant (Pirate Restaurant) to us which was nearby within walking distance from the hotel.



Warm and cozy of interior of Pirate Restaurant.



Ordered lemonade and a mocktail.



And of course, we ordered seafood. Noodles with prawn.



More shrimps, mantis and some squid.



And a fish dish with three different fishes and ways of cooking. We had a feast. And the waiter was kind enough to give my son a colouring book and crayons to keep him occupied while we ate.



After dinner, we leisurely stroll along the waterfront.



More restaurants and hotels along the coast.



Hotel Piran is one of the famous hotel in Piran.





Looked like the concert was about to start, if the laser beam and the crowds gathering were any indication.



Hotel Giuseppe Tartini was the hotel that we stayed, right at Tartini Square. The hotel was named after Giuseppe Tartini, a famous Italian violinist and composer. Piran was his birthplace.



We watched and listened to the concert from our hotel room’s window.





Fortunately, our hotel room at third floor was not too noisy after we closed the window.



The Tartini Square was empty and quiet in the early morning.



Hotel Tartini’s buffet breakfast.



My son enjoying his yogurt.





After breakfast, I explored Piran on foot. Piran itself is small which makes it possible to explore in about half a day.



The statue of Giuseppe Tartini. Tartini Square was once a marina. After it was silted up, it was paved over with white stone.













Fruit stalls selling fresh fruits in the morning market.



The charming medieval street of Piran.



Passed by Hotel Piran again.





Swimming piers along the coast.



Bikini clad ladies preparing to swim in the sea from the many swimming piers.



The light house at the tip of peninsular.



As you walk along the coastline, you’ll see people enjoying their sunbath.








A mermaid statue by the sea.







A wall filled with interesting graffiti.



Looks like a graffiti of the Titanic sinking.





A stretch of rocky beach at the end of walkway.



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Walking back to Tartini Square. My hubby continued to visit the Church of St. George while my son and I went to the hotel for a rest.





It was an uphill walk from Tartini Square to the Church of St. George.



The bell tower and Church of St. George.



A nice view of the town from the church.











Church of St. George





The beautiful interior of Church of St. George.









Next to the church is a bell tower. Constructed in the year 1608 – 1609, the height of the Bell Tower 47.20m.



The opening hours of the bell tower is from 10am till 8pm during summer.



The stairs of bell tower.





A boy ringing the bell on top of the bell tower.









The Walls of Piran can be seen perched on top of  the hill.



The climb up the bell tower was worthwhile as you can see the entire town from the top.
















A bronze model of the city’s layout.



Of course, no trip to Piran is complete without a swim in the sea.





The sea water was warm. My son was a bit afraid of the water. It took some time for him to get used to it and enjoyed it.




Well, don’t expect sandy beaches in Slovenia.









After checking out from the hotel, I had some refreshments at the outdoor cafe.





The ice coffee at Hotel Tartini’s cafe was really delicious.



Highly recommended, especially during summer time.



My last stop in Piran was the city walls.









The city walls offer a great wall of the peninsular and the entire Piran town.





The higher I climbed, the better the view was.







The city walls were built from the 7th century onwards.









A binocular at the top of the walls. You don’t really need the binoculars to enjoy the great view though.







Time to head down from the city walls.



Now my trip to Piran was finally complete. Goodbye, Piran. Time to head to the next town.