What to do in Piran: Guide to Slovenia’s Most Beautiful Coastal Town
After almost two weeks of hiking, we thought the ideal end to our trip, would be to relax by the seaside. Piran is a picture perfect town, perched on a narrow peninsula on Slovenia’s Adriatic coast. This town has a bit of venetian charm mixed with mediterranean vibes.
The town is small enough to explore in a day, but beautiful enough to make you want to stay for a week. Think winding alleys, terracotta rooftops, crystal-clear water, and seafood straight from the sea. In this article I’ll give you all my best tips for exploring Piran!
Find my travel route through Slovenia here.
Top Things to Do in Piran, Slovenia
Explore Tartini Square
At the heart of Piran lies Tartini Square (Tartinijev trg), named after violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini. The Square is surrounded by pastel-colored buildings and cafés. It’s s the perfect place to start your day with a cappuccino and watch local life unfold.
Don’t miss the statue of Tartini, and pop into the Tartini House, now a small museum dedicated to his life and music. I personally loved the local chocolate store!
Visit Piran’s lighthouse
All the way at the tip of the peninsula, you’ll find Piran’s lighthouse. Today, the lighthouse is relatively modern, but it is connected to a round tower of the Church of St Clement. The church was originally built in the 13th century but altered 500 years later. You can visit the bell tower, by climbing some narrow stairs and when visiting the lighthouse, you’ll see living quarters of the lighthouse keeper.
Opening hours: The opening hours follow more or less the hours of daylight.
May: Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 10:00 – 17:00
June: Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 10:00 – 17:00
July: 09:00 – 12:00 & 17:00 – 21:00
August: 09:00 – 12:00 & 16:00 – 20:00
September: 10:00 – 18:00
October: 10:00 – 17:00
Entrance fee: €3 and €8 for families
Climb to St. George’s Church for the Best View
Walk up the hill to St. George’s Parish Church, which dominates Piran’s skyline. From the bell tower, you’ll get panoramic views of the red rooftops, the Adriatic, and even Italy and Croatia on a clear day. This is one of the most photogenic spots on Slovenia’s coast.
Walk Along the Old City Walls
After visiting St. George’s church continue to Piran’s medieval city walls. They once protected the town from invaders. Today, they offer another incredible viewpoint. There are two gates you can still visit: The Gate of Rašpor and the Gate of Marciana. There are also seven fortified towers, each topped with a decorative battlement. The northern part of the wall is open to visitors. A small entrance fee of €2 gets you access to the towers, where you can admire how the old streets spiral toward the sea.
The city Walls of Piran (Obzidje Piran) were constructed from the 7th century. As Piran grew, the walls changed as well to accommodate the expanding city. In 1470, they began building a large town wall and fortress that follows the natural curve of the sloping terrain behind Punta, enclosing the peninsular and the Campo Quarter. This newer wall is the one that is still partly there today.
Opening hours: In summer: 8am until dusk (around 9pm in summer). 8 am to around 5 pm in winter. They close when it rains for safety reasons.
Entrance fee: €2. You buy a token that you then deposit into the automatic gate.
Piran Minorite Monastery
On the way back down from the city wall into town, pass by this beautiful monastery. It is still active and if you’re lucky you will hear the Franciscan monks singing. There’s a tiled courtyard surrounded by an arched cloister. There are several ancient Piran Buga Olive trees, with some of them being over 500 years old. A well is found in the center.
Swim and Sunbathe on Piran Beach
There are no sandy beaches here, just smooth stone platforms and crystal-clear water perfect for swimming. The most popular spots are along the Punta (the tip of the peninsula) and near the Hotel Piran. Locals and tourists bring towels, dive in, and spend hours soaking up the Adriatic sun.
Walk the Piran Promenade past local sculptures
The coastline is lined with large, white rocks that protect the path from the ocean. As you walk along the promenade, you’ll pass by stone sculptures made by local artists. The mermaid pictured below is the most well known one.
Watch the sunset from Piran’s beach
Head down to the beach for sunset. It’s the ideal moment to either grab a cocktail or go for a last dip in the ocean as the sun goes down.
Visit the Sergej Mašera Maritime Museum
Set in a beautiful Venetian mansion, the Maritime Museum offers insight into Piran’s seafaring history, salt production, and fishing traditions. It’s a lovely way to cool off during the day and understand how deeply connected the town is to the sea.
Visit the museum of underwater activities
As a diver, I found this museum super interesting! You will read about the dive suits that were used to start diving and they have suits dating back to the 19th century. The suits they have on display are not ‘normal’ dive suits, but those used by workers. The museum provides insights into the technical evolution of diving and the lives of divers throughout history.
Visit the Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle
We decided to visit some caves when we drove back from Piran to Ljubljana, but it can also be done as a day trip. Just an hour inland from the coast, the Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle make for one of Slovenia’s most fascinating day trips. Postojna Cave is a vast underground cave system with towering stalagmites, and echoing chambers. The visit is done partly by electric train and partly on foot, allowing you to move deep into the cave system while learning about its unique geology and wildlife. Nearby, there is Predjama Castle, that feels like something pulled straight from a legend. A castle dramatically built into the mouth of a towering cliff. Once home to a rebellious medieval knight, the castle’s hidden tunnels and cliffside position reveal how clever architecture and natural defenses were once used for survival.
Makes sure to book in advance as the tickets to the caves sell out.
Some great tours to do from Piran
My favorite restaurants in Piran
Rostelin: This restaurant serves the most incredible pasta! Super fresh, but keep in mind that you may have to wait for a while before getting your food. In my opinion worth the wait though!
Cafinho Piran: Best lunch/cocktail bar right by the seaside.
Pizzeria Pino: Delicious pizza for a good price.
Porta Marciana: Super tasty Italian food and fresh fish!
Mersii Gelato: The perfect treat after dinner or to cool off during the day. Definitely the best ice cream in Piran.
How to get to Piran
I highly recommend renting a car in Slovenia and if you do, you can obviously simply drive to Piran. However, keep in mind that parking is difficult in Piran. I’ll explain the different options for parking in the next section.
But it’s also easy to take the bus to Piran! There are a few departures each day on the Ljubljana to Piran bus route, which takes around 2 hours. The bus departs from Ljubljana Central Bus Station and drops off passengers at Piran Bus Station, located just south of the marina.
Tip: If you purchase your bus ticket on the website, you will need to print it. The buses don’t accept electronic tickets. You can have your tickets printed for you at the bus station on the day of your journey or buy a ticket at the station.
Find the cheapest car rental in Slovenia here.
Where to Park in Piran
In Piran parking is not allowed. All parking options are just outside of town. The nearest parking garage is Arze (address Arze 1, Piran). It’s a short walk away from town and costs €20 per 24 hours. I had to wait in front of this parking garage, until someone left, because it was full, but I eventually got a spot.
Another parking is Fornače (address Fornače 23, Piran) costs 29 euro per 24 hours and has free bus to the town.
If you have heavy luggage, you can drive into town. You’ll get one 30 minutes free parking to check-in, drop off your luggage and park the car in parking houses, mentioned above.
Where to stay in Piran
The best budget option I could find in Piran was Hostel Pirano. It’s a simple, but clean hostel and walking distance from all the interesting spots in Piran. It has a kitchen, so you can cook yourself if you’d like to save on meals.
A great mid-range option is the Lara Apartments. They are great value for money compared to a lot of other apartments. You’ll have your own kitchen and some of their apartments have their own terrace as well.
Finally, there is Guest House Rosemary Another great option if you’d like your own apartment.
