Is Piran worth visiting?

Yes, without hesitation. Piran is one of the best-preserved Venetian old towns anywhere on the Adriatic: a car-free maze of pastel houses, marble squares and sea-worn alleys on a narrow peninsula, with warm water for swimming and some of the freshest seafood on the coast. It has the beauty of Venice without the canals or the crowds, and it stays a real, lived-in town. Here is why it is worth your time, from Nika Horjak Ceramics in the old town.

What makes Piran worth the trip?

Piran spent five centuries as part of the Republic of Venice, and it shows. The old town is one of the finest Venetian Gothic quarters on the Adriatic: pastel houses stacked along the peninsula, the marble sweep of Tartini Square, and steep medieval town walls with the best view on the coast, out over the red roofs to the bell tower and the open sea. Best of all, the whole peninsula is car-free, so you explore it entirely on foot, and you can cross it in about fifteen minutes.

Is Piran touristy, or does it still feel real?

It still feels real. Piran has kept its soul: fishing boats in the marina, washing strung between windows, neighbours talking in Slovene and Italian. Come in the morning or the evening, or in the shoulder season, and you often have the prettiest corners almost to yourself. September is one of the loveliest times of all; read about Piran in September if you are choosing when to come.

How long should you spend in Piran?

A day is enough to fall for it, and our one day in Piran guide maps the perfect route. But the warm sea, the sunsets and the easy day-trips along the coast reward a longer stay. Portorož is four kilometres away and Rovinj in Croatia about an hour, with no border queues; if you are picking a base, see Piran or Portorož.

Before you leave

If you love things made by hand, leave time for the small studios in the alleys. Everything at Nika Horjak Ceramics is thrown on site in glazes named for the sea, the salt pans and the bell tower at first light, and you can usually watch a piece being made. You will find the studio at Goriška ulica 2, two minutes from Tartini Square and a few steps up from the marina. Not staying long? The online shop ships worldwide, so a piece of Piran can travel home with you.