Is Piran Slovenia Worth Visiting? (+ my rec’s)

We just returned from a 3 day weekend trip to Piran, Slovenia. I’d heard so many good things about the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’ that I just had to check it out myself. And after spending a few days there, I have quite a few thoughts to share.

Slovenia is appearing more and more on social media. Just a few years ago, no Americans I knew were visiting. Today, though, it’s popping up as an alternative to the Alps or other more expensive locations.

Where is Piran?

Piran is a lovely little town that juts out along the Adriatic Sea. This town has a long and rich history having been ruled by many different empires and civilizations dating back to the 7th Century. Much of what you see today was influenced during the Venetian Republic ruling, which lasted roughly 500 years. Today the town of 4,000 inhabitants has 10 preserved churches and many remnants of Venetian influence.

Slovenia’s coastline is TINY, spanning only 29 miles (47 km). It’s only about 20 minutes to Croatia and 30 minutes to Italy by car.

Is Piran Worth Visiting?

Piran is a lovely little coastal town and the prettiest along the Slovenian coast. If you’re planning a Slovenia trip or have plans to travel through the area, I absolutely recommend visiting.

However, I wouldn’t plan an entire trip around this little seaside town. As cute as it is, there are soo many wonderful small towns around the Adriatic. So if you won’t be in the area, don’t feel like you need to take a large detour to fit it in.

I know that online you’ll read many bloggers who will tell you it’s a ‘must-see’, but I don’t think that’s sage advice. Again, there are SO many cute towns along these shores.

Why Should You Visit Piran?

Even though I wouldn’t call it a must-see, I still do recommend a visit if you’ll be in the area.

Piran is a great place to see a beautifully preserved medieval town and wander the narrow winding pedestrian streets. It’s photogenic. It’s peaceful. It’s also touristy. We were surprised by how many German tourists were there when we visited.

There are many restaurants and shops in the town as well as a stretch of restaurants along the promenade.

What is There to Do?

You won’t find a massive list of things to do in Piran. This town is really about slowing down, strolling the promenade, having a long lunch, and relaxing by the sea. There isn’t a ton do do, per se, but there’s enough to keep you busy for a few hours. Here are the highlights.

Walk the Narrow Streets

I recommend spending some time walking through all the winding streets, popping into some shops, and taking it all in. It’s easy to spot the Venetian influence as many streets could very well be along the canals of Venice.

Walk the Defensive Walls of Piran

For great views of the town and sea, head up to the defensive walls of Piran. These walls were built over a few centuries to protect the city, especially during the Turkish raids of the 15-16th century.

The stairs as you ascend are a bit steep and narrow. You can climb the towers or simply walk along the wall toward the sea. Our 3 year old managed fine with our help.

Try a Seafood Dish

You can’t visit the Adriatic coast and not try some seafood. We had fish soup, fried calamari (yum!), sea bass, and a seafood mixed plate. Polpon, a restaurant right along the promenade and sea, was our favorite restaurant of the weekend.

Visit Tartini Market

Tartini Square is the main square in town. On most weekends there’s a market with vendors selling all sorts of local items. We were surprised to see that they leave the stalls out at night (empty of course) so it’s always ready for the next market. There’s a list of market dates here but there was one going on when we went outside of these dates.

Visit Church of St George

This is the most prominent church in Piran (you can see it in the left background in the photo above). From here you can view three countries (Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy). The church is named after a patron saint who is said to have saved the town from a storm.

We walked by but didn’t visit because, well, our 3 year old was done sightseeing. But it’d be an easy add on after walking up to the defensive walls as it’s on the walk back down.

Are There Nice Beaches?

Along the promenade and in Piran there aren’t any true beaches. There are a few spots where there’s some fill rocks (near the bus station), creating a very small ‘beach’ area.

Otherwise the closest beach is along a cliffside on the northern shores of the peninsula.

Where Should You Stay?

If you’re traveling with kids like us, I highly recommend staying about 1.5 miles south along the promenade at either Grand Hotel Bernardin or Hotel Histrion.

There’s an indoor heated waterpark with multiple pools (I believe I counted 5), a few slides, some water guns, and kiddie play areas. It’s right on the water and our kids loved it. It’s located at Hotel Histrion but if you stay at Grand Hotel Bernardin you get free access. Be sure to bring your own bathrobe and slippers from your room because otherwise they’ll charge you for them.

Grand Hotel Bernardin also had a FANTASTIC breakfast and even a good dinner buffet. The biggest issue we had staying out of town was getting dinner with the 3 year old. Most places open later and she was usually tired from the day, so we didn’t want to stay in the town too late (although we did stay out one night and she loved dancing to the live music). There’s a great seafood restaurant by the hotel called Polpo that we ate at a few times.

There are many Airbnb’s and homes for rent in Piran so that’s another great option if you want to be near restaurants and shops.

Overall Thoughts

I’m so glad we visited Piran, although I admit this may be because I was able to quench my curiosity after reading and hearing about it. The people were lovely. The live music in the square was so fun. I really enjoyed the local market in the square. And I was surprised by the amount of restaurants in such a small area.

For me it was a one and done type of place. Not because it isn’t lovely, but because we have kids and prefer somewhere with more beaches and a bit more to do.

Have you visited Piran? What are your thoughts?