Piran
Picture perfect (or Pirano, in Italian) is a small & most popular town on Slovenian Coast. It sits nicely at the tip of Piran peninsula and it brings tons of photo opportunities for both professional and amateur photographers. Everything is pretty close so it’s ideal for a great photos using mobile only.
It’s landmark, the bell tower of the St. George’s Cathedral, is visible from many different angles. One of the best sights is from the path leading to the town from Fiesa Bay, especially at sunset (which we were not lucky to catch).
Closer look at the tower is the best to get continuing from the same direction (Fiesa) or approaching it directly from the Tartini Square to the NE.
One of the best spots to look at Piran is exactly from the bell tower of the Church of St. George. Paying a few euros to get to the top is well worth since the tower offers unobstructed views all around. Just come prepared! There are lots of steps to climb:)
However, if you don’t feel climbing to the top of the tower the views from the walls in front of the church are good enough. If you find the church door open don’t miss this photo opportunity as well!
The tip of the small peninsula can be reached directly from the church following the path along the fence. The small lighthouse of Punta, the historical ‘point’ of Piran, is attached to the round tower of the Church of St Clement.
Walking along the coast past many bars and restaurants, a sight like that would be pretty common out of the season.
Between the coast and the church on the top is a labyrinth of the old narrow streets so typical for the Mediterranean towns.
Shops and bars everywhere but heavily reduced number offseason.
Don’t miss the main – Tartini Square. The place where Tartini Square is located today, was once a harbour for fishing boats of Piran. Today it is the city centre, a place everybody meets, eats out and – takes some of the best photos. I, for example, love the statue of violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini in the middle of the square. He points his finger in a way you can make some nice (funny) photos using just this motive. For sure all the houses built in the Venetian – Gothic style make a great back (or fore)ground for any photo you will take.
Small piers from the both sides of the harbour offer the best view – the church above the square, reflected in the water. We prefer the pier on the east side, close to the Maritime Museum.
Standing in front of the square is the best view of the harbour itself.
The only problem you’ll face here (and generally in Piran) is – the crowds. Specially in July & August the town is just full of tourists so try to avoid peak season. If you are not lucky enough and it gets to busy anyway, climb the city walls. This place offers simply the most beautiful view of the whole town and it is amazing all year round. If you get hungry … there is a nice restaurant just behind the city walls. It offers great home food and the prices are (for Piran) very reasonable. If you are lucky enough the restaurant owner will share some interesting stories with you.
Text and photo by Sanja and Zoran Leban Trojar.
Most photos taken with Huawei P20 Pro courtesy of Huawei Slovenija.