One of the major reasons why we chose Slovenia for our first couple trip together was the versatility. From mountain ranges to beaches to underground cave to the beautiful capital city, Slovenia offers handful of experiences for every traveler. We decided to wrap up our Slovenian vacation from the coast and Piran was the obvious choice.
Piran is hardly 2 hours drive away from Ljubljana and is one of the most touristy coastal towns in the country. It could be easily covered in half a day or a full day, but it is also an ideal choice for a weekend getaway from the capital city.
Start off your day from the Walls of Piran, similar to the city walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Entry ticket price and opening times can be found here. Parking is available in front of the entrance. Climb up the tower to the highest point for the best view of Piran and walk to the right most side of the wall to enjoy a view of the sea. This is my recommendation to get introduced to coastal city.
Head on to the city center which is the Tartini square, a 5min walk from the Walls of Piran. Grab a brunch from any of the restaurants and enjoy the sea breeze form the open air seating. There are numerous alleys on all sides from the square with quaint souvenir shops and cafes- a stroll without a map is highly recommended.
The Piran harbour is right next to the Tartini square and is a charming addition to the city. Walk around the circular harbour to click pictures of the blue and red boats right in front of the city buildings or to do a quick round of shopping in the quirky souvenir shops.
Turn around and head towards the Walls of Piran to find the walkway on the right to the Church of St. George. The walk towards the church offers a bird's eye view of the old town of Piran with orange roofs. Onto the right, you can spot the calm and unspoiled beach down the walls. You could walk down the lanes to go by the beachside or head straight to return back to Tartini square.
An evening to remember- Sunset
There are several spots ideal for viewing sunset in Piran. Climb up the Bell tower or the Walls of Piran or stay back at the beach to enjoy the panoramic view with boats sailing past the orange sun.
How to reach
As said before, Piran is hardly a couple of hours drive from Ljubljana. Alternatively, you could catch a bus if you are not driving across the country. Bus timetable can be found here.
Ideal duration of stay
We covered the above itinerary in around 4 hours. But if you are looking for a more relaxing schedule, you could very well spend a day in Piran. You could also extend the stay to two days by including a visit to the museums or a boat ride from the harbour.
Is it really worth the time?
We found Piran very different from the rest of the country and hence worth the visit. This old town has got a Mediterranean feel like Croatia unlike Ljubljana, the capital city. Though we did not visit any other coastal towns in Slovenia, we heard from our Airbnb host that Piran is the best and the one not to be missed.
I highly suggest you include Piran as a half day tour from Ljubljana to ensure you have tasted all of Slovenia's best- Kranjska Gora for the mountains, Postojna for the caves, Ljubljana for the city, Lake Bled/Bohinj for the lakes and finally Piran for the coastal scene.
