Piran, Slovenia

9:30:00 AM Out And About Global 11 Comments

We love the small country of Slovenia. It has beautiful landscapes, crystal clear blue lakes, a little bit of WW1 history and really cool caves! Last fall we went to harvest olives in Koper and as a side trip spent a day in the port town of Piran. According to Rick Steves, Piran (pyr in Greek) was named for the fires lit at the end of the peninsula to aid sea faring vessels.

The town has been tossed back and forth between countries over the course of history, initially aligning with Venice in 933. In the 15th century the Slavs came in. During the 19th century the Austro-Hungarian Empire took over and after World War 1 it was assigned to Italy. After World War 2 it became a part of Yugoslavia and finally in 1991 it became part of a new country, Slovenia.

The town is quite small, so even an afternoon will do. Park your car at one of the public lots just before entering the town then walk down the hill into the city. From the main square you can follow the sea side promenade passing by restaurants and gift shops. We ventured off the main walkway to discover alleyways reminiscent of Venice.

The red building in the photo above is the oldest preserved house in town, built around 1450 by a wealthy merchant from Venice. The bell tower is a miniature version of the one found on St. Mark's Square in Venice.

I know the most expensive restaurants are always right off the pedestrian walkway, but I really wanted seafood with a sea view, so Erik, our tennis instructor and Slovenian native, directed us to Pavel 2 overlooking the shore. We ordered the seafood platter and I have to say it was delicious.

Our next stop was a visit to the historic salt flats at Salina Nature Park. In use since the Middle Ages, the enormous park offers a look at the practice of salt production and harvesting. Miles of trails divide the flats into small plots of land that are still in use today. The small museum shows a video of how the flats are actually used and the gift center sells salt procured from the site. There are very few places where salt flats naturally occur, so this side trip was really interesting. Allow two hours.

P52 Sweet Shot Tuesday with Kent Weakley

11 comments:

Tamar SBMarch 9, 2015 at 2:22 PM
The sky, the water! Wow!! How amazing to get to travel all around Europe!
UnknownMarch 9, 2015 at 6:39 PM
Oh that little town looks so quaint and italian and beautiful! thanks for sharing!
elizabethMarch 10, 2015 at 9:06 AM
It looks so lovely!
lisaMarch 10, 2015 at 7:28 PM
Thank you for taking us on such a fantastic tour! Your first shot of the town makes it really look like a little paradise amidst the background mountains and water. Lovely!!
abriannaMarch 10, 2015 at 7:53 PM
That sure does look like a fun trip.
AnonymousMarch 10, 2015 at 10:12 PM
How lovely - wonderful architecture.
SharonMarch 11, 2015 at 3:31 AM
Thank you for taking us on a tour of this lovely historic town. I can see the Venetian influence, in particular with the St. Mark's bell tower. How wonderful for you and your family to be traveling around Europe!
likeschocolateMarch 11, 2015 at 10:38 PM
Looks like you had a gorgeous day there! Lovely!
betty-NZMarch 13, 2015 at 3:23 AM
Your photos are awesome and it looks like everybody is having a great time.
AnonymousMarch 16, 2015 at 3:42 AM
I really enjoy reading your blog. I miss Europe terribly and it is always a nice little reprieve from my world here, to visit your world there. AND, you linked it up to Life Thru the Lens! Yea, I was thrilled to see you there. Welcome, and I choose this post as one of our features on our Pinterest board.
NCSueMarch 17, 2015 at 4:01 AM
You've gotten some great photos - and great memories - there. Please come share at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/03/visiting-saint-kitts.html