PIRAN - Croatia and Slovenia - page 1058

Sarajevo '84, part of a small Slovenian chain, oozes Yugo-nostalgia for the year that the
Bosnian capital hosted the Olympics. This is the spot for a break from fish and pasta—the
menufeaturesgiganticportionsofinexpensive,stick-to-your-ribsBosniangrilledmeats(for
help navigating the menu, read the “Balkan Flavors” sidebar on here ) . Sit in the Bosnian-
themed interior, or out on the terrace, overlooking a busy street and the sailboat harbor
(filling—and splittable—€5-7 meals, Mon-Sat 9:00-24:00, Sun 9:00-22:00, Tomši č eva 43,
tel. [phone]).
Restaurant Delfin is an unpretentious, crank-'em-out fish restaurant with a good repu-
tationandtablesoutontheOldTown'satmosphericMay1Square(€6-7pastas,€8-12meat
dishes, €7-18 fish dishes, daily 11:00-24:00, Kosovelova 4, tel. [phone], Pašali č fam-
ily).
Quick Bites and Picnics: For food on the go, duck behind the Town Hall (which houses
the TI). You'll find an outdoor market (Mon-Sat 7:00-13:00); a bakery selling pizza slices,
sandwiches, and burek to go (Naša Pekarna, daily 7:00-18:00); a Mercator supermarket
(Mon-Fri 7:00-20:00, Sat 7:00-13:00, Sun 8:00-12:00); and a pay WC.
Drinks: Teater Café is the place for drinks with Adriatic views and a characteristic old
interior. Catching the sunset here is a fine way to kick off your Piran evening (pricey €6-8
cocktails, open long hours daily, Stjenkova 1). If you prefer to sit out on Tartini Square, you
can take your pick of cafés. Hotel Tartini has a hidden terrace, called Altana, high above
the scene, with dynamite views over the square and church bell tower; while officially open
only in peak season (July-Aug daily 18:00-22:00), at other times you can buy a drink down
on the square, then take it up to the terrace to enjoy (elevator to floor 2, then go outside and
head up the stairs).
Piran Connections
Piran has a small, unstaffed bus station, right along the water near the entrance to town.
The best way to connect Piran with Ljubljana is by bus (5/day Mon-Fri, 2/day Sat,
4/day Sun,2.5hours, www.ap-ljubljana.si ) .By train, the trip takes fourhours(busbetween
Piran and Koper, then train between Koper and Ljubljana).
To Croatia's Istria
By Bus: Piran has decent connections to Croatian Istria, but the specific schedule tends to
fluctuate from year to year; it's smart to confirm your plans at www.ap-ljubljana.si , or ask
the Piran TI. If Rovinj is your goal, you'll likely have two options daily in summer: an ex-
press bus in the late morning (runs July-Sept), and a slower bus in the afternoon (runs late
June-Aug, 3 hours to Rovinj; both buses also stop in Pore č en route). Year-round, there are
also buses going from Piran to Pore č and Pula (2/day Mon-Fri, 1/day Sat-Sun); from those