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A mere one-and-a-half hours from Venice lies the captivating town of Piran, a tiny jewel in Slovenia's crown. Sometimes compared to Dubrovnik, Piran has all the charm of its Croatian and Italian neighbors, but thankfully without the lofty prices and huge tourist crowds.Its picture-perfect medieval harbor graces the Adriatic coastline alongside the neighboring spa resort and marina town of Portoroz.
Piran's history dates back to the 7th century and includes 500 years of rule from Venice. The city's historic walls encircle narrow cobblestone streets, most of which are too narrow to accommodate anything wider than a Vespa. This is a walking city, where distances are small and locals are friendly, congregating in the outdoor cafes and town squares. The Venetian-style campanile that sits atop a hill offers views towards Italy and Croatia and you can even get cell phone signal for networks from all three countries. Within easy driving distance of Triglav National Park, Trieste, Pula and Opatija, you can also catch a quick ferry to Venice, or visit the surrounding Slovenian wineries and vineyards.
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Getting There
By Land: Piran is located three miles from the city of Koper (ten minutes by public bus), the nearest train station and the connection point to the rest of Central Europe by road.
By Ferry: Piran is also accessible by ferry from Venice (www.viamare.com/venezia-lines-venice-piran.html) and other coastal cities in the northern Adriatic.
By Air: There is a small regional airport at Portoroz for charter flights and the international airports of Trieste and Ljubljana are less than an hour's drive away. Alitalia (www.alitalia.com) flies twice daily to Trieste via Rome from New York and once daily from Chicago. Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com) flies twice daily to Ljubljana via Frankfurt from Boston and New York.
Required Documents: U.S. citizens do not require a tourist visa to enter Slovenia -- only a valid passport.
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Where to Stay
Hotel Tartini (tel. +386/5-671-1000; www.hotel-tartini-piran.com), named after the violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini is a three-star hotel located in the main square (Tartinijev Trg). Price: Moderate to Expensive; includes breakfast.
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