Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Coast
Slovenia has just 47km of coastline on the Adriatic Sea. Three seaside towns - Koper, Izola
and glorious Piran - are full of important Venetian Gothic architecture and art, and have
clean beaches, boats for rent and rollicking clubs. It's overbuilt, and jammed from May to
September, so if you want solitude, head for the hinterland to the south or east where
'Slovenian Istria' still goes about its daily life.
Many of the hotels, camping grounds, tourist offices and restaurants here close or
severely curtail their opening times during the November to March/April off-season.
KOPER
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Coastal Slovenia's largest town, Koper (Capodistria in Italian) at first glance appears to be
a workaday port city that scarcely gives tourism a second thought. Yet its central core is de-
lightfully medieval and far less overrun than its ritzy cousin Piran. Koper is the centre of
the Italian ethnic community of Slovenia and the street signs are in two languages.
History
Koper has been known by many names during its long history - as Aegida to ancient
Greeks, Capris to the Romans and Justinopolis to the Byzantines. In the 13th century it be-
came Caput Histriae - Capital of Istria - from which its Italian name Capodistria is de-
rived. Its golden age was during the 15th and 16th centuries under the Venetian Republic,
when the town monopolised the salt trade. But when Trieste, 20km to the northeast, was
proclaimed a free port in the early 18th century, Koper lost much of its importance.
Between the World Wars Koper was controlled by the Italians. After WWII the disputed
Adriatic coast area - the so-called Free Territory of Trieste - was divided into two zones,
with Koper going to Yugoslavia and Trieste to Italy.
