As I got home over the weekend, I was looking to spend a Saturday somewhere I’ve never been to. And I knew that was going to be impossible. Almost. Then a friend told me: “How about Piran in Slovenia? It’s 20 minutes away and I heard it’s nice.” – “Oh, I’ve been there. Long time ago. But I am sure I’ve been there. I think. OK, let me Google it.” And when I saw the pictures, I realized that it doesn’t look familiar. The truth is, I’ve never been to Piran. And I’ve been living near for most of my life. How is that even possible? I’m in Portorož every few months. But still, never went further north.
Piran got me almost immediately. Well, you know how much I love small picturesque towns. Especially when they’re located on the sea. And especially when they’re full of old streets ready to explore. First thing you have to know, when you plan to go to Piran is that it’s basically car free town. If you don’t have a permission to go into town with your car or you don’t live there, then you have to park in a garage which is located cca 800m from the town historic center. Then you can walk downhill to the center or take a free shuttle bus which is going every 15 minutes from the garage to the center. I chose to walk, of course. And the bus for getting back, uphill.
Piran is beautiful. As could you already conclude from the pictures. It looks very much like an Italian or Portuguese coastal town. The old streets are full of galleries, cultural buildings, Churches and museums. Head up to the St. George’s Parish Church on the top of the hills for a great all around viewpoint.
Then, on the way down, visit the St. Francis Church and the Franciscan monastery.
End up on the Tartini square for an espresso on the sunny terrace.
Another walk on the lungomare and another exploring through the town’s old streets and then take a lunch on one of the many seafood restaurants along the riva.
As usual I always rely on my Tripadvisor when looking for something to eat. Pirat seemed like a great place. Not really on the main promenade (btw you can find much better terrace views from some other promenade located restaurants), but I came for the food and it was excellent. Calamari were 11 E (if I remember correctly) and they were delicious. As the sun was setting down, we were already on our way back. Quick stop in Portorož for cake and ice-cream and back home. See you soon, Piran!
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Prekrasno mjesto, slažem se.Slatko, malo, staro utočište.