The Slovene Riviera is located 120 mi/190 km southwest of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Though the country only has 29 mi/46 km of coastline, Slovenes have made the most of their tiny presence on the sunny Adriatic.
Slovenia's largest port, the city of Koper is an interesting, historically rich city that has many cultural monuments located throughout. It's also a great place to visit if you are a sailor or boating enthusiast. Be sure to stop at the Marina Koper, where you can buy boating equipment or have your boat serviced. You can also partake in sailing and rowing. For land lovers, a fitness center is located on-site. Also located at the marina is the Skipper Restaurant, where you can dine on local seafood specialties.
Izola is an old fishing town that once was an island connected to the mainland by a bridge. In the early 19th century, the town was joined to the mainland with material used to fill in the sea between the two lands. Interesting sites in Izola include the Parenzana Train Museum and the Model Ship Museum. Along with viewing the town's old Mediterranean architecture, there are a number of art galleries and art studios that you can visit.
Wooded hills dotted with red-tiled roofs slope gently down to clear blue water at Portoroz (The Port of Roses)—a fashionable resort for the past 150 years. The landmark, five-star Grand Hotel Palace is a great place to unwind and enjoy a sauna, thermal bath and wellness treatments. In summer, the Grand Casino Portoroz vies with the huge beaches for tourists' attention. Portoroz makes a good base for sightseeing around the Slovene Riviera.
The Venetians left their mark all along the Eastern Adriatic, and their distinctive architecture is apparent in Piran, just a few minutes up the coast from Portoroz. See St. Frances Church, the tower of the parish church (a copy of St. Mark's) and the statue of Giuseppe Tartini (a violinist) on the main square. Piran can become very crowded in the summer.
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