A Day Trip to Piran from Ljubljana
It is Worth Visiting Piran, Slovenia?
Piran, Slovenia, is one of the most underrated destinations that I have ever visited. Once part of the Republic of Venice, Piran appears more Italian than Slovenian. During my visit, I thought of Piran as Venice without the canals. In my opinion, Piran is definitely worth visiting.
With most of Slovenia being landlocked, Piran is one of just a handful of cities that have access to the Adriatic Sea. While many people visit the larger city of Koper for access to the sea, I prefer Piran, as it is much more manageable.
One of the things I liked most about Piran is that it can easily be seen in a day. The city is fairly compact, and the main attractions are all close to each other. When I visited Piran, I focused my time on Tartini Central Square, St. George’s Cathedral, the Adriatic Coast, and the City Walls of Piran.
Video Highlights of My Trip to Piran
A Day Trip to Piran from Ljubljana - Table of Contents
- Is it Worth Visiting Piran?
- Video Highlights of My Trip to Piran
- How to Get to Piran?
- Tartini Central Square
- Getting Lost in the Narrow Streets of Piran
- How to Walk to St. George’s Cathedral
- How to Walk the City Walls of Piran
- Piran Tours and Packages
- Support Buzzin’ Around the World – Visit Our Affiliate Partners
- Earning Points and Rewards
- Related Content
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How to Get to Piran
There are two main ways to get to Piran, Slovenia, without renting a car. The easiest way to get to Piran is to take the bus. During my visit, I took the bus from Ljubljana to Piran for €10.90 each way. The bus ride takes about two hours and makes multiple stops along the way. Slovenian buses are quite comfortable and clean. There is no need to worry about purchasing a ticket ahead of time as visitors can purchase their Slovenian Bus ticket directly on board using cash.
The second method to get to Piran is to take the train to Koper, Slovenia. Once in Koper, you will have to transfer to a bus, as there is no train station in Piran. The buses run every 30 minutes from Koper to Piran.
For those visiting Piran by car, there is no public parking inside the city. Visitors park their cars in one of two parking garages just outside the entrance to Piran. After parking, it is a short 15-minute walk to the city’s entrance. For those who don’t want to walk, there are buses available as well.
Piran's Main Square - Tartini Central Square
After arriving in Piran, I first sought out Tartini Central Square, which is the main square in Piran. The square is surrounded by buildings on three sides, and one side is open to Piran Harbor, which is part of the Adriatic Sea.
Piran’s Tartini Square is named after violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini, who was born in Piran in 1692. In 1896, a bronze statue was placed in the square honoring Tartini.
During my visit, Tartini Square was full of Christmas Markets and a large Christmas Tree.
Getting Lost in the Narrow Streets of Piran
After spending some time walking around Tartini Square, I decided to walk through the narrow streets of Piran. In my opinion, Piran is like Venice, Italy, without the canals. I highly recommend getting “lost” in the narrow streets of Piran.
I say “lost” more as a means of exploring without a planned route. It is virtually impossible to actually get lost, as the area is quite small.
One of my favorite parts about my visit to Piran was the lack of tourists. I often found myself as the only person walking around the narrow streets of Piran. I am not sure if this was due to the weather; it was an overcast day or if Piran is often void of tourists.
Walking Along Piran's Adriatic Coastline
Once I walked through the interior of Piran, I decided to take a lap around the city by following the Adriatic coastline. There is a walking path next to the Adriatic Sea that completes a half circle around the city of Piran. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to complete the lap if you stop for pictures and to enjoy the scenery.
At the end of Piran, there is a point that is marked by a unique building. I thought this building was a church but later thought out that it was the Piran Lighthouse. The Piran Lighthouse was built in 1617 and was part of a fortress that walled in the city.
Throughout my walk around the Adriatic Shoreline of Piran, there were many access points to the sea. Many of the access points had steps that went directly into the water. In the photo below, there is a small rocky beach at the end of the route. To get to this beach, walk the Piran shoreline until it deadends near a bluff.
Across from Tartini Square is Piran Harbor. Flanked by two lighthouses, the Red Lighthouse and the Green Lighthouse, the harbor has two small piers.
Visitors are welcome to walk on either of these piers. I even saw a few people fishing from the end of the Red Lighthouse’s pier.
How to Walk to St. George's Cathedral
Atop a hill is Piran’s St. George Cathedral. The original church in this location dates back to the 12th Century. A new church opened in 1637 and has undergone multiple renovations in 1990 and the early 2000s.
To get to St. George’s Cathedral, walk towards the bluff and take the stairs. In addition to stairs, there are paths that lead to the cathedral as well.
After climbing the stairs, I spent some time walking around the exterior of St. George’s Cathedral.
The area in front of St. George’s Cathedral offered a stunning view of Tartini Square.
The door to St. George’s Cathedral was open, and I was allowed to go inside. After checking, I was told I was able to take photographs inside the cathedral. When entering a place of worship, always check if photographs are allowed. If people are actively worshipping, I typically don’t take photographs even if they are allowed.
One of the highlights of a visit to St. George’s Cathedral would be climbing the bell tower. The bell tower can typically be accessed for a nominal fee of €2. Unfortunately, during my visit, the bell tower was closed for renovations. This closing meant that I would have to visit the Piran City Walls to get an undisturbed panoramic view.
How to Walk the City Walls of Piran
My final activity in Piran was walking the city walls. The Piran City Walls are located on a bluff much higher up than the bluff that houses St. George’s Cathedral.
To get to the Piran City Walls, I had to walk up a steep cobblestone road. The road was under construction and was down to just one lane. When cars came by, it was a tight squeeze to even get by pedestrians. Luckily, I didn’t experience two cars coming head to head.
It took about 15 minutes to climb the steep hill to get to the Piran City Walls. After paying €3, I climbed a few sets of stairs and was atop the Piran City Walls.
I only saw one other person during my visit to the Piran City Walls. It was fun to have the entire area to myself, which allowed me to take my time when lining up my photos.
The photo below shows the entire city of Piran. All three of Piran’s main landmarks are visible in this photo. In the center is Tartini Square. The Piran Lighthouse is also visible, as is St. George’s Cathedral.
Piran’s City Walls offer the best views of Piran. For any Instagrammers or influences, you won’t be disappointed with the photos you are able to take from the Piran City Walls.
When visiting the Piran City Walls, be sure to bring a good zoom lens. The photo below was taken with my 400 mm lens.
Piran Packages and Tours
In my opinion, a guide is not needed to enjoy Piran. The city is manageable, and all of the attractions can easily be found. That being said, I know some people prefer to be led around by a local guide. I have linked a few tours and packages below. Please note that I am an affiliate of Viator. If you purchase a tour using one of my links, I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
Prices are accurate as of January 2024.
 Best of Piran, Portoroz, Strunjan, Izola, Koper (PRIVATE V.I.P. TOUR) - $183.02 The Slovene Riviera in a day. |
 Piran Old Town Walking Tour - $55.45 The excursion will start from selected starting point, |
 Piran Sightseeing every day at 11.45 - $33.05 The guides are from the Slovenian coast and know every corner of Piran. |
 Piran and Panoramic Slovenian Coast from Koper - $94.20 Visit Piran, the town of music, artists and seamen, and enjoy a panoramic trip along the Slovene coast. |
 Piran Private Walking Tour - $129.88 Guided tour of Piran, which is made by professional licensed and experienced tourist guide is one of the best ways to discover this small and charming town which is also known as the pearl of the Slovenian coast. During the tour guests get to discover little less known places in Piran, they hear legends and old stories of the place. |
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