This post is a continuation of a series documenting our travels to Slovenia in the European Spring of 2026. We were now in the beautiful little coastal town of Piran where we had spent the first day walking through the tiny lanes of the Old town, climbing the lighthouse and the Church bell tower for 2 different but memorable views and enjoying a spectacular sunset on the rocks near the lighthouse ( A beautiful day in pretty Piran (After a morning walk through Ljubljana) – Serene Slovenia, Part 8).
On our first early morning in Piran I woke up and went on my usual morning walk across town leaving the better half to sleep some more time. I enjoy these morning walks the most of any activity in Europe as the early morning light and empty streets makes for some beautiful photos. The only people I ran into on that entire morning walk were city workers who were washing the Tartini Square after the weekend market had ended the previous day and a handful of locals out for their morning walk / jog. Other than that I had the pretty town to myself and I enjoyed my photography to the fullest. I have described the walk in the previous post so will just let the photos do the talking this time.
Tartini square being washed after the weekend market on a beautiful spring morning
The Piran harbour from either end in the golden light of dawn
The interior of the Church of St Peter on Tartini Square
The small Church of St Peter on Tartini Square
Archangel Micheal on top of the Bell tower we had climbed the previous day
Golden light shines on the red rooftops of Piran
The Sun rises over Piran with the walls we would visit later seen on the right in the distance
The bell tower is a striking miniature copy of the Campanile in Venice
Wildflowers grow near the Church of St George as the sun rises in the sky
The Church of St George at sunrise – We would visit the interiors later
More of Piran turns golden as the sun rises in the sky
The rocky beach on the other side of Piran at sunrise
The lighthouse of Piran in the golden light
The lighthouse we had visited the previous day at the tip of Piran
The modern mermaid sculpture at the rocks near the lighthouse
Colourful buildings at the waterfront in Piran
The beautiful waterfront of Piran at dawn
Walking the narrow lanes of the Old town
The May 1st square surrounded by restaurants empty early in the morning
Typical bridged archways of Venetian style connecting 2 buildings
The morning fresh produce market being set up as I return from my morning walk
The Mestra Kavana restaurant where we would have our breakfast in Piran
Back to our Guesthouse Pachamama after a great morning walk in Piran
I returned from my invigorating morning walk to find the better half ready to go for our day’s sightseeing. But first we went to the Mestra Kavana to have our included breakfast. Since it was a proper cafe there was no buffet but you could order from a selection of breakfast items and have a juice and a coffee of your choice. We ordered the scrambled eggs with veggies for the better half and a shakshuka for myself. The breakfast was freshly made and tasty but eating it on tables right on Tartini square made it a superb experience which we looked forward to every day in Piran.
At our table on Tartini Square at the Mestra Kavarna
The better half’s scrambled egg with veggies
My delicious Shakshuka – A perfect breakfast dish!
The better half’s Cafe Latte enjoyed with a view
Enjoying our breakfast with a view at the Mestra Kavarna
With our tummies satisfied we set off to visit the Walls of Piran which we wanted to visit as soon as they opened. The city of Piran had 3 sets of defensive walls which kept extending inland as the city grew over time. The 3rd set of walls which were the tallest and built in the 15th century and still mostly intact were the ones we would be visiting that day.
Walking uphill towards the defensive walls of Piran
We reached the walls and bought our tickets ( we were the first ones there!) and walked up the stairs to the ramparts. The climb wasnt too bad other than the near vertical ladder to get up to the last level of the ramparts. The views made up for the climb & were as gorgeous as expected and the red rooftops of the old town extending into the deep blue Adriatic made for a pretty picture.
The beautiful contrast of the red rooftops of Piran and the blue Adriatic sea from the Walls of Piran
The ramparts with holes for cannon and guns – The small opening in the floor is the way up to this level
Having such a pretty view all to ourselves we set up our trusted mini tripod and took photos of the both of us. The view from this initial part seemed the most unobstructed so we took the most photos here before moving on.
Getting our photos clicked with the beautiful view
The defensive walls extend almost upto the shore
I then put on my 300mm lens to take photos of the architecture of the town below from this unique bird’s eye view. The first thing I trained the lens on was the restored statue of the Archangel Micheal on top of the Bell tower which is an icon of the town.
Archangel Micheal on top of the Bell tower in Piran
The lighthouse from the walls of Piran with the 300mm
A yacht sails across the strikingly blue Adriatic sea
The markers marking the entry to the harbour of Piran from the Walls
The tightly packed redroofed houses of Old Town Piran from the Walls
Tartini Square from the walls of Piran
European Blackbirds pose on the Walls of Piran
We then walked the entire length of the wall and climbed all the towers that could be accessed. It was fully worth the price of entry and the lack of any crowds early in the morning made it a pleasant experience.
The better half poses on various sections of the walls of Piran
A compass showing the direction of other major European cities from this location
The last tower of the wall which can be accesed with the Gulf of Trieste beyond
View from the final tower of the Walls
Enjoying our time on the last tower of the Walls of Piran
When we had our fill of the views we descended down from the last tower and said goodbye to the Walls. As is my habit I spotted a green backed tit that had made it’s nest in the Walls and I changed lenses again and waited patiently till the bird returned with food for it’s young and I got a decent photo.
Saying goodbye to the Walls of Piran
Getting a decent photo of the Green Backed Tit with food for its young
With the Walls done we made a beeline for the Church of St George which we had not visited the previous evening for lack of time and bought our tickets and visited the Church museum and the Church itself which is only accessible through the museum. The Church of St George has been restored painstakingly after being in a poor state after 5 centuries of exposure to the elements and it’s precarious seaside location. The museum has an excavation site showing various levels of construction at the site over the centuries.
Various levels of construction of the Church of St George
The Museum also has a great running video about the restoration of the Archangel Micheal statue on top of the bell tower and it’s installation after restoration using a helicoptor!
The museum has the old original wings of the Archangel statue spoiled by centuries of exposure
After seeing the museum we entered the Church itself which has been beautifully restored to it’s original condition. Apart from the intricately carved altar and the huge painted ceiling it also has a famous 14th century wooden crucifix which is Y shaped and has been restored and placed inside a controlled environment glass case to prevent further degradation.
The intricately carved altar at the Church of St George in Piran
The famous 14th century Crucified from Piran – A realistic wooden sculpture showing the Crucifixion of Christ
As is the case usually we were the only ones in the Church! I enjoy my church photography as these Old European Churches are full of art and the symmetric architecture always makes for great photos.
At the Parish Church of St George in Piran
The beautifully restored altar area of the Church
St George in his armour killing a Dragon
Beautiful architecture makes for good photos at the Church of St George in Piran
The painted wooden ceiling of the church restored to it’s glory days
The superb Marble altar with Venetian styled architecture
The church from the Altar end with the organ at the far end
One last photo before we leave this pretty church
With the Church of St George visited we descended the hill down to Tartini square which was still very peaceful as compared to other more popular towns we had visited on the Adriatic coast in Croatia few years ago. ( Hopefully I write about that someday soon!) We then went up the Minorite Monastery where Tartini had his first musical education.
Tartini Square is still pleasantly uncrowded in the peak hours
The Monastery is free to enter with a voluntary donation box at the entrance. The inner courtyard (Cloister) with a well in the centre and half arched columns all around made for some good photos. We took photos of the cloister before visiting the Church of St Francis inside. We did our usual church routine of sitting in the pews for a few minutes before walking out.
The Cloister of the Piran Minorite Monastery
The interiors of the Church of St Francis inside the Minorite Monastery
We were just walking back down to Tartini Square for lunch when we noticed a small brick building with an open door and a small crucifix on top. This little hidden medieval church was the Church of Our Lady of the Snow with small but beautifully painted interiors. It’s these little hidden wonders that make wandering through any Old town fully worth it. We clicked a few photos through the closed metal grill and made our way back to Tartini Square.
The hidden Church of Our Lady of the Snow next to the Minorite Monastery
The richly painted interiors of the small Church of Our Lady of the Snow
With the mornings sightseeing done it was time for lunch and we went to the Okrepčevalnica Barka which was a non frills Kebab, Pizza and Burger spot right off Tartini square. It would become our go to spot in Piran for well priced and great food. I ordered the huge Pleskavica v lepinji ( Flat bread with a beef patty ) served with a great red pepper dip and onions while the better half ordered a Veggie Jufka ( Roll with Veggies and sauce. The food was tasty and freshly made. After our mornings exertions we were famished and the huge portions were gone in no time.
My huge and delicious Pleskavica v lepinji with red pepper sauce and onions
Enjoying our lunch at the Okrepcevalnica Barka
We still had room for dessert and went to the Slaščičarna Piran which had great reviews as the best ice cream in Piran. We bought 2 scoops of ice cream – Pistachio for me and the Better half’s favourite hazelnut and enjoyed it on Tartini square.
Post lunch walk to the harbour to get ice cream at the Slaščičarna Piran
Enjoying the best ice cream in Piran with a view to match it
With a heavy lunch and dessert in our tummies we returned to our room for a peaceful late afternoon siesta. We woke up refreshed and decided to go for a walk on the Piran to Fiesa footpath. This path is a 2km long pedestrian only path along the cliffs of Piran right along the coast with sweeping views over the Gulf of Trieste. It is a level walk mostly with great views throughout and a few rocky beaches along the way.
The weather was perfect for a leisurely evening stroll along the sea and just the sort of activity we enjoy at such pretty locations. We ambled down the trail snickering at the periodic falling rock warning signs – those warnings are just anxiety generators, if a rock actually fell from such height there would be no time for you to react realistically!
The start of the Piran to Fiesa Footpath
The view of the Church of St George from the start of the Piran Fiesa trail
Getting our photo clicked by another tourist on the trail
A selfie at the start of the Piran Fiesa trail
A rare green patch on the Piran Fiesa trail
We soon reached the first rocky beach and the water level was perfect for the better half to go down on the rocks and let her inner kid out and put her hand in the water and try to splash it on me.
Amused at the frequent falling rock warning signs
The better half enjoys her time on the rocky beaches on the Piran Fiesa trail
We approach the small commune of Fiesa at the end of the trail
We were almost at Fiesa when we spotted something in the sea. It was a pod of bottle nosed dolphins in the Gulf of Trieste! I had carried my 300mm for chance encounters just like this and I managed to get a photo or 2 as they surfaced every now and then. It was a pleasant surprise on an already pleasant evening walk. Once the 300 mm went on it stayed on and I clicked the wild flowers on the side of the path till we reached Fiesa.
A pod of dolphins make an appearence in the Gulf of Trieste
A greenbacked tit on the Piran Fiesa footpath
Wildflowers on the path from Piran to Fiesa
A glider flies overhead on our evening walk on the Piran Fiesa trail
We reached Fiesa and sat on the small harbour / waterfront for some time and just enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere all around. Soon it was time for us to turn back and we took the same trail back stopping less frequently on our way back. The 2 km walk back was as pleasant and we had kept our cameras / phones away and just enjoyed the walk.
On the waterfront at Fiesa
The path back to Piran in the fading light – cameras off after this point
We returned back to our room having enjoyed a great day in what had become one of my favourite small towns we had travelled to. We rested our legs for some time before setting off for dinner again at the Okrepčevalnica Barka.
Changing to heavier jackets for the cooler evenings in Piran
The better half got the Veggie Burger this time while I got the Cevapčiči which was just a different form of what I had eaten in the afternoon (& I wasnt complaining!)
Returning to the Okrepčevalnica Barka for dinner
The better half’s veggie burger
The weather was turning cloudy and there was forecast for rain the next day, so we decided to enjoy the dry weather till it lasted. No evening in Piran is complete without watching the sun go down in the Adriatic from the waterfront and we did just that. The clouds made the skies look even more dramatic as it turned into a riot of colours as the sun went down.
A local line fishing in the Adriatic with dramatic skies overhead
Colourful skies as we walk the waterfront towards the lighthouse
Enjoying yet another pretty sunset along the waterfront in Piran
I asked the better half if she wanted to have icecream again and I didnt wait for her to answer and headed straight for the Slaščičarna Piran for the second time in the day and bought cookies and cream and salted caramel icrecream this time. We headed to Tartini Square and enjoyed our icecream with a view yet again.
The view of Tartini square at dusk
The view is made better with a scoop of delicious icecream
That ended our 2nd day in this pretty little coastal Slovenian town that had exceeded our expectations in all regards. We had planned a day trip to the nearby larger town of Koper the next morning and decided to go through with it irrespective of the weather ( What’s the point of carrying rain wear if you dont use it!)
Whether we would need our full rain gear in Koper or not is topic for another post, some other time, some other day. I have gone overboard again with the word count and photos again for a town that I loved. Pardon my excesses!
Till then,
Čau!