Holidays in Portoroz Slovenia

The Slovene Coast and Karst
Where the Gulf of Trieste, as an integral part of Adriatic, reaches Closest to the centre of Europe, there are situated the Coast and Karst. The Slovene Coast (the Portorož Riviera) measures a little over 46 kilometres, stretching from the national border with Italy (Debeli rtič) to the border with Croatia, running from some length along Dragonja River.

The Slovene Coast is divided into the communes of Koper, including the tourist places in Ankaran and Zusterna, of Izola, with the tourist settlements of Simon Bay and Belvedere, and Of Piran, a picturesque historic town with the central tourist resort of Portoroz. Thanks of favourable transport communications (the Portoroz Airport, the Koper Railway station, the Ports of Koper, Izola and Piran, the Izola and Portoroz Marinas, the nearby town of Trieste from where starts the modern highway), the entire district is relatively quickly accessible. Towns and settlement are situated “at the door” of Istra and on the way back “at the door” of Europe. Here by the Coast starts the route to Jadran, the region representing the very starting point for numerous trips and neighbourhood, to Porec, Pula, Trieste, Venice, Karst. The riches of the sea, fertile soil, mild climate, evergreen plants and natural beauties, historic traces of turbulent past and primarily, a diversified and quality tourist offer, these are but a few of things the Coast and Karst can offer their visitors. There are not many spots in Europe where such variety can be found on few square kilometres.

The residents of the “Portoroz Riviera” include, beside the majority of Slovenes, also the Italian ethnic group. Two languages, Slovene and Italian, share equal rights in this bilingual region.

Climate on Slovenian Coast
The coastal zone is one of the warmest regions in Slovenia. There are many sunny days and little amount of precipitate. Characteristic of the regions climate are mild winters (the temperature only rarely drops under zero) and not to hot summers. This is the very reason those who cannot stand the summer heat of the southern Mediterranean are coming here.

Holidays in Portoroz
Portoroz, called by many, not unduly, “the port of roses”. As a health and climatic resort of an international reputation it was known as early as the previous century.

The sheltered position protects the place against north winds also in winter time. Tourists will find here everything they may be looking for during their holidays. Lying on the northern side of Piran Bay, this attractive modern seaside resort is one of the largest and most important tourist centres in both Slovenia and the Istrian peninsula. The rich offer includes great restaurants, Casino gambling house, Marina and Secovlje Airport, new Thermal Baths and the proud old Palace Hotel, a sandy beach, numerous sporting grounds, the congress and performance centres. In summer, Portorož turns to a small – scale Europe proper.
With its mild Mediterranean climate, numerous hotels, private rooms and campsites, this is indeed a place suitable for every generation; it also makes a good centre for exploring the coast as well as the Karst district and the Istrian peninsula surroundings. In autumn and winter the lively summer holiday resort transforms into a congress centre and hosts many a cultural-entertainment and sporting event.

Sights and places of interest:
- “Forma viva” - the international exhibition of sculptures
- The Nautical Museum collection of Slovene shipping industry
- The tourist settlement of Bernardin with the remains of the Bernardin convent

Piran Town
A small town built in the characteristic Mediterranean style. The beauty of stone palaces, 260 meters of well preserved town – wall on the hill, 8 churches, 8 galleries, historic remains. Owing to numerous historic markers it is protected as a whole. The Pirans buildings cluster along the peninsula tip which just far into the sea.
Piran

In the old times, its inhabitants used to encircle the expanding town with strips of wall. With its rich history and a wealth of protected architectural heritage, Piran feeds the imagination and excites the spirit. Its people, lively, enterprising and hardworking, once made their living from fishing, seafaring and salt panning. Today however the main business is tourism. The countenance of this town, which has a markedly Venetian air is not characterised solely by its past and rich historic buildings, but also by nature, the Mediterranean flora and sunny climate. For the gourmet, there are plenty of pleasant restaurants and inns offering excellent seafood specialities. Piran has managed to keep its idyllic identity and thus it remains the most precious and best preserved old town in Slovene Istria. A special traffic system in the narrow streets and in the main street is applied in summer.

Places of interest in Piran:
Tartini Square with the house where the famous musician Giussepe Tartini was born, his monument and the Venetian house “Benecanka”, St. George Cathedral on the top of Piran with the beautiful view to the Slovenian Coast, Italy and Croatian coast, other churches and the monastery
The aquarium
The recently renovated Jewish square

Peninsula of Seca
is covered with lush vegetation and fields, suitable for walks and it offers a nice view on Portorož, Lucija and the Salt – pans. Visitors who ascend the hill will be pleasantly surprised: close to the peninsula tip they will hear the talk of over a hundred sculptures brought to life by the hands of sculptors who have come to this gallery in the open, the Forma viva, from all over the world.

Secovlje - Salt Pans
A settlement stretching between the Dragonja rivulet, the salt – pans and the valley which is, once more, becoming the garden of Slovenia for fruit, vegetables, and corn. In the ancient times, the Adriatic used to roll across the plain, but time has more in stock for Secovlje.

Known once for the black cole mine – pit and for 700 – year old salt – pans, the place is better known today for a modern and the best equipped tourist and sports airport in the country. Almost 700 hectares of salt – pans at Sečovlje rank, most certainly, among the genuine sights of the region. For over 700 year the salt – pan worker have been facing the rigours of the sea, wind and sun. Once the salt – pans represented economic power and they also enabled the neighbouring settlements, primarily Piran, to prosper culturally. Salt was being transported from the pans inland. Partly preserved are also the salt – pan workers houses where the “white miners” used to live during the summer harvest.
The Piran Maritime Museum houses the salt – pan collection illustrating the development of special features of this ethnographically highly interesting activity which, unfortunately, has been slowly dying away.

Krog / above Secovlje
A popular excursion spot attracts tourists arriving here by an asphalt road to an elevation of 152 meters where stands a fairly preserved building of a onetime monastery of St Orpheus. A sweeping view of the valley as far as the sea, horse hiring, olive – tree plantations, the shade of century – old oak trees. There are 8 kilometres clear from the place to Portorož.

Strunjan
A minor holiday and health resort by the main road between Izola and Portoroz. Stretching between two bays it has been known to this day as place preferred by visitors longing for peace. The onetime characteristics: agriculture and salt. Today, tourism is becoming more and more important. At guests disposal are a well organized spa, a few hotels, bungalows, sporting grounds, and well maintained beaches. There is also a shell cultivating ground.

Interesting aspects:
Salt – production on 16 hectares of salt – pans under traditional process of work
Strunjan cliffs (80 meters high) - the largest known coastal flysch wall on the entire Adriatic coast.

The Istrian Wines
In the wine – growing district of the Littoral there are successfully produced the red vintage wines such as Teran, Refošk, Merlot, Cabernet and Barbera and two white varieties of vintage wines, Malvazija and Rebula. To white meat, cheese and fish we recommended Malvazija and Rebula. The red Karst – Littoral wines go excellently with dishes from the grill.
Teran and pršut (smoked ham) are two things any inhabitant of the Littoral can hardly do without. Wine tasting for conducted groups of visitors can be arranged in the small cellar of Vinakoper at Koper.

Straight Off The Menu
The littoral restaurants, inns and the local people will be only too glad to reveal to you the specialities of their cooking. Among the latter is no doubt the Karst smoked ham (pršut) which is offered with olives. Excellent is also the fish salad. Then there are the “fruits of the sea” – mussels, shrimps, mollusca and fish, of course.

They are prepared in various ways, but all are very tasty and pleasing to the eye. Let us mention only a few specialities which you are warmly recommended to try: the fish brodetto, thorny oysters a la Trieste, shrimps a la buzara, the ink – fish risotto, blue and white fish. On the Coast and in Karst there are several kinds of early fruit such as strawberries, cherries, marascas and apricots, very juicy peaches, plums, pears and, in late summer or early autumn, grapes and figs.