Slovenian Coast

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Western Balkans

$29.99

Shop Book

Getty Images/iStockphoto

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Slovenian Coast

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

Slovenia has just 47km of coastline on the Adriatic Sea, but it certainly makes the most of it. Three seaside towns – Koper, with its medieval core, Izola, known for its good restaurants, and glorious Piran – are full of important Venetian Gothic architecture, and have clean beaches, boats for rent and rollicking bars. That said, the coast is overbuilt, and jammed with tourists from May to September. If you're looking for solitude, head for the hinterland to the south or east where ‘Slovenian Istria’ still goes about its daily life.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Tartinijev Trg

Piran

The pastel-toned Tartinijev trg is a marble-paved square (oval, really) that was the inner harbour until it was filled in 1894. The statue of a nattily…

Cathedral of St George

Piran

A cobbled street leads from behind the red Venetian House Tartinijev trg on to Piran's hilltop cathedral, baptistery and bell tower. The cathedral was…

Titov Trg

Koper

In the centre of old Koper, Titov trg is a Venetian-influenced stunner; mercifully, like much of the Old Town’s core, it is closed to traffic. On the…

Cathedral of the Assumption

Koper

Plumb on Titov trg is the Cathedral of the Assumption and its 36m-tall belfry, now called the City Tower, with 204 climbable stairs to superb views. The…

Praetorian Palace

Koper

On the southern side of Titov trg is the white Praetorian Palace, a mixture of Venetian Gothic and Renaissance styles dating from the 15th century and the…

Bell Tower

Piran

The Cathedral of St George's free-standing, 46.5m bell tower, built in 1609, was clearly modelled on the campanile of San Marco in Venice and provides a…

Mediadom Pyrhani

Piran

This exciting new multimedia, interactive museum takes you on an innovative journey through Piran's historical story, with a 'time machine' and numerous…