With these tips, you’re sure to have a great day on holiday in Piran, and everything will be perfect!
All visitors agree on this point: Piran is the prettiest village on the Slovenian coast. Pirano is undoubtedly a must-see on any trip to Slovenia.
Once in Piran, you’ll love :
- The small oval fishing port.
- The many cobbled streets.
- The beautiful Venetian architecture.
- The sumptuous central Tartini square.
- The small restaurants facing the Adriatic.
- Swimming spots.
- Terraces facing the sea.
- The sunsets.
Once in the heart of the village, you’ll also appreciate the panoramic views of the Adriatic, the ochre roofs of Piran and the campanile (an exact copy of the campanile in Piazza San Marco in Venice).
I’ve been living in Slovenia for over ten years and often visit Piran. Here are my tips for a trouble-free visit to Piran.
Don’t try to park outside the two large car parks
Trying to park outside the underground car parks is a mistake. My father made it on his first visit to Piran. He parked on the heights of Piran, in a parking space that seemed to pose no problem but was in fact reserved for locals (the sign was in Slovenian…). On his return, a €200 fine was waiting for him on his windscreen.
Piran is a 100% pedestrianised town with two large car parks on the edge of the village.
The Fornace and Arze car parks were built to accommodate all the cars of Piran’s residents and tourists. Under no circumstances should you look for free parking in Piran outside these two car parks.
Cost of parking:
- 2€ per hour in Arze or €20 for 24 hours.
- 2.90 per hour at Fornace or 24-hour pass at €29
Tip: If you have difficulty walking or have large suitcases, you should park in the Fornace car park by the sea, where a small bus will take you to Piran’s central square.
Arze is the hilltop car park. Its position is interesting because it gives you direct access to the best view of Piran, from the ramparts. From this magical spot, it’s impossible to miss a photo.
Please note: In high season, the Arze car park fills up quite quickly and may be full if you arrive late in the morning.
Tip: There is a third car park, Fiesa, which charges in summer but is free out of season (October to March). From this car park, to reach Piran, you’ll have to walk for 20 minutes along the Adriatic, an economical and pleasant walk (unless you’re pulling a suitcase over the cobbles…). At the height of the season, parking costs €2 an hour (€20 a day).
Here are the addresses of the three car parks in Piran
- Parking Fornace (the car park with the shuttle bus to the centre)
- Parking Arze (the higher one, next to the beautiful city walls)
- Parking Fiesa (a little further away and cheaper)
Stay overnight in Piran
What I love about Piran, and what I can’t get enough of after more than ten years in Slovenia, are the balmy summer evenings. At the end of the day, when the tourists leave the town, there is the gentle bustle of a Mediterranean village, with children playing in the central square. piran is home to 17,500 Slovenians, and it is by no means a museum village. Piran does not have the same problems of desertification as Venice.
A summer night in Piran is a memorable experience!
I recommend spending at least one night in Piran to enjoy a pleasant dinner of grilled fish in a small square, like a small Italian village, at the Fritolin restaurant for example. To the gentle sound of the waves of the Adriatic, you can enjoy a glass of Spritz on the terrace in the evening. A magical moment.
My favourite places to sip a drink:
- café Theater, (located on the little port)
- Punta cafe (at the tip)
- fine del mondo ( located at the tip)
I took advantage of my days in Piran to make a selection of the best accommodation in Piran, it’s here. Use it.
If the weather is warm, you can also go for a midnight swim in the moonlight. That balmy summer evening will be the best part of your visit to Piran, unless it’s the wake-up call the next day when you’re in Piran alone before the tourists arrive having your coffee on the terrace with the locals.
Don’t visit Piran and then the other villages on the Slovenian coast
This is a mistake often made by holidaymakers. If you start with Piran, you begin your discovery of the Slovenian coast with the most beautiful place and the other villages will seem a little bland, even too concrete for the special case of Portoroz. Piran is a real nugget and the next village capable of rivalling its beauty is 1h30 away. It’s Rovinj in Croatia.
Don’t visit Piran and then the seaside resort of Portoroz.
By visiting Piran and then Portoroz, you go from one of the jewels of the Adriatic to a concrete seaside resort with big hotels. This is always unpleasant, as tourists expect to find another beautiful old coastal village.
Tip: If you decide to visit several villages on the Slovenian coast, start with Koper or Izola and then head for Piran. Don’t do it the other way round, as you’ll almost certainly be disappointed! Instead, make use of the good plan that I often recommend on the site, the fabulous and magnificent cycle path built on an old railway line that links the villages along the Slovenian coast. See also this article on the must-sees on the Slovenian coast.
Don’t forget to pack a swimming costume
Piran is an almost-island and you can swim anywhere. There are no sandy beaches. You can slip into the Adriatic using small ladders, just as you would at the swimming pool. Teenagers jump off pontoons. In summer on the Slovenian coast, as soon as you leave the shade of the narrow streets, the sun beats down and in the summer heat, a dip in the Mediterranean always does you a world of good.
No sandy beach, but you can swim everywhere in Piran
You can also sunbathe in Piran on concrete beaches, but as I am used to long sandy beaches, you probably won’t find this very pleasant. Instead, have a coffee or a cappuccino and sit on the terrace for a long while admiring the Adriatic. Here, you won’t be gently urged to leave after half an hour. The waiter won’t bring you the bill, for example, or take away your empty cup. You can stay as long as you like. Enjoy it while you’re on holiday. It’s a tip you really must remember.
Get some height
From Piran’s splendid campanile, you can enjoy a lovely view of the rooftops of Piran, but the best view and the most beautiful photo is that of the Piran walls. To reach them, starting from Place Tartini (the central square), you’ll have to climb hard for ten minutes, but the view is well worth the effort.
The spot for the best photos of Piran
Remember: there are two large car parks in Piran, and if you park in the Arze car park, you’ll be right next to this fortification. You’ll start your visit with a breathtaking view.
Entrance fee to the walls: €3
Don’t eat in a random Piran restaurant
Piran is one of the five jewels in Slovenia’s tourism crown. The village is very popular with tourists, which means that many restaurants have to work very hard to fill their tables, and the quality of the food served can suffer as a result. If you walk into a restaurant in Piran or sit down on a random terrace, you probably won’t eat very well, or at least not as well as you would in the Slovenian countryside. You’ll also be paying a bit too much for your meal.
On the menu, opt for Adriatic squid!
My advice : You’ll find some good addresses in the middle of this other article on Piran. Above all, keep it simple! Opt, for example, for the emblematic dish of the Adriatic, grilled or fried squid. Risottos, pastas and pizzas are also good options, and delicious because Italy and Croatia are so close.
As I’m well aware of the prices in Slovenian restaurants, the rest often seems a little too expensive, but if you feel like it, treat yourself to a dish of fish caught in the Adriatic accompanied by a glass of fruity Malvazija white wine produced in one of the vineyards on the Slovenian coast.
Tip: Don’t forget this tip: if you sit on a restaurant terrace facing the sea, as they are very pleasant, choose the calamari, a risotto or pasta.