Open the left menu of the pile driver. Koper, Slovenia's bustling seaside town St. Martha's Church
Koper (Italian: Kapodistria)- the largest Slovenian seaside city, the capital of the Slovenian Istria and the main seaport of the country. Like Venice, the old city core holds a number of interesting pieces of history. Once built on an island, in the 19th century it was connected to the ground by a dam and gradually completely merged with the continent. In Italian, the name of the city sounds like Kapodistria, which means "the main city of Istria."
The city is located in close proximity to the Italian border and the city of Trieste (), and is connected by a new modern highway with the capital of the country, Ljubljana, as well as coastal roads with Italian Trieste and Croatian Istria. There is also a railway station in Koper, but compared to road and sea transport, the railway is very poorly used.
Koper is the only trading port where ships with cargo from the Middle East, Japan and Korea arrive.
Koper Hotels quite cozy, and the administration of some even tries to create conditions close to home. It is comfortable to relax here with the family, as everything is provided for the convenience of children, for example, as an entertainment in one hotel, your child will be offered pony riding, and in another you can rent bicycles. If you are a fan of outdoor activities, you will have a great time in the local water park, whose pools cover an area of more than three thousand square meters. There is also a SPA-center, where you will be offered various programs for weight loss and for relaxation and good mood, massage and lymphatic drainage.
In the old days, Koper was located on an island with the strange name Goat, and by 1825 the island was connected to the mainland, but still, paying tribute to tradition, the city is divided into the mainland and the island.
The mainland is a modern city: the houses are tall and the buildings are cramped. The island part has a completely different look: cathedrals, old houses with tiled roofs, the architecture of which clearly shows the influence of Italian traditions. This is understandable: the Slavs settled here in the 8th century, a century later they established close ties with the Republic of Venice, and by the 13th century Koper was annexed to Venice. As it often happens, the Venetians, protecting Koper from external enemies, gradually became full owners of the city. Hence the Italian style of architecture, cuisine, music. There are even two full-fledged languages here: Italian and Slovenian. 
Sights in Koper
The city has preserved many monuments of the period of the Venetian Republic, very original and interesting. The most famous building in Koper is the Pretoria Palace, built in 1464 in the Venetian Gothic style, located on the central square of the city - Titov Trg. Opposite the Praetorian Palace is the Loggia Palace, which houses an art gallery with a rich collection of paintings from the 15th century, and a modern cafe, much loved by tourists.
The palaces of Armerigonia, Totto, Belgramoni-Tacco once belonged to representatives of noble Venetian families, and today they are a real decoration of the city. Koper is also proud of the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady, which was built in the 15th century. The main shrine of the cathedral is the tomb of St. Nazarius, the patron saint of the city.
The oldest building in the city is the Rotunda of the Ascension, which was built in the 12th century.
One of the most attractive sights of the city is the zoo. It is not only an amusement park, but also a fairly well-known research center. The zoo is huge, the variety of animals contained in it is very large, so many tourists who are interested in the animal world often choose Koper as their place of rest: there are many opportunities to observe the habits of various animals.
Koper is also interesting for outdoor enthusiasts: a huge modern water amusement park offers many attractions for every taste and age. Mountaineering enthusiasts have long chosen this city: in the vicinity of the city there are many sheer cliffs on which you can hone your climbing skills, and at the same time admire the beauties of the Adriatic coast.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Another factor that makes the city attractive not only for beach lovers is the numerous choir singing festivals that are systematically held in the city. One of the most famous, the Seaside Summer Festival, gathers every year many musical groups from Slovenia and other countries, as well as spectators who truly enjoy this bright holiday.
Industrial and port Koper is the main city of the Istrian region. In a previous article on the subject, I wrote that Koper is the liveliest city on the coast of Slovenia. And indeed it is. Firstly, the population of the city is 27,000 people, which is more than in all the coastal towns I have already described combined, and secondly, the main and only port of Slovenia, the backbone of the local automotive industry, is located in Koper. Two large enterprises operate here - Cimos, a supplier of Citroen cars and Tomos, a motorcycle manufacturer.
For tourists, Koper can be interesting for its attractions, there are no less of them in the city than in the super touristy Piran, and shops. Near the port there is a whole area of modern and diverse shopping malls of the scale of our Mega. Shops are open on weekdays and on Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm, and on Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm. Everything is clear with the stores, you won’t be able to see anything fundamentally new in them, so I’ll go straight to the sights of Koper and tell you why you should not save on a hotel and choose Koper as a base for holidays on the Slovenian coast.
Koper is the oldest city in all of Slovenia, it was mentioned in his writings by Pliny himself under the name of Aegida, he survived the Roman Empire and Byzantium, but most of the monuments have survived from the reign of the Venetian Republic. Under the wing of the Venetian lion, Kapodostria (Italian) or Koper (Slovenian) experienced its golden age. Its influence extended over a large area from Buzet to Novigrad (now Croatian cities). And during the reign of the Habsburg Empire, Koper lost its former greatness, losing the palm to neighboring Trieste, and oddly enough, but this largely contributed to the preservation of the monuments of the Venetian period. So there is something to see in Koper.
Koper is the only city on the Slovenian coast where tourists are offered a tourist card (Koper city card), which allows them to use public transport, see a number of attractions and receive discounts at local restaurants. This fact in itself already indicates that the city has something to offer to curious tourists. Public transport may be needed only if you leave Koper, the old city itself is very compact and it will not be difficult to walk it up and down in 2 hours.
It so happened that the main attractions are concentrated around the four squares of the city:
- main square Titov bargaining
- located almost close to the Titov market Brolo Square,
- Piazza Carpaccio at the seafront
- Preshernova Square- the most pagan square of Koper.
If you go around these four squares, then you will see everything that is worth seeing in Koper. We parked on Brolo Square, but it would be logical to start my story about the sights of the city from the main square, so the description of Brolo Square will be at the end.
Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary and the Bell Tower from Brolo Square
Titov Torg Square
The very center of the city is Titov trg Square - the only coastal square that can easily compete with the famous Tartini Square in Piran. The Venetian style clearly present in its architecture is somewhat severe and laconic.
There is a tourist information office in the Praetorian Palace, where you can take a city map with marked sights for free and buy a tourist map of Koper if you wish. It is believed that the Praetorian Palace began to be built in 1254, but usually, when such distant dates are called, this means that some palaces were built and rebuilt on this site, little resembling the current one. The very concept of "praetor" came to us from the Roman Empire and means leader, leader. It turns out that the palace received its Roman name in the heyday of the Venetian Republic, which is not much logical, but what can you do, the past often hides interesting details from us. On the facade of the palace there are winged Venetian lions.
Praetor Palace on Titov Torg Square In the palace, paying only 3 €, you can see a 19th-century vedomoto Kopra, a closet in which outfits for celebrations were kept, an old pharmacy from the end of the 17th century and various items belonging to the nobility. Veduto Kopra is just a view of the city when it was still an island, the date of its creation is not written on the painting itself, it is believed that this is the 19th century. It remains to state the fact that in 100-150 years the city has changed almost beyond recognition. Now only one tower has survived, the city has become part of the mainland and a huge port has grown next to it, and now just giant ships are sailing on the sea compared to the miserable boats depicted in the picture. What can historians talk about when it comes to more distant times?
Veduto 19th century copra The Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary stands on a site that was built up in the ancient period, and in front of today's church, a Romanesque basilica stood on this site. The history of the cathedral goes back to the 12th century, when the city received its own diocese. The appearance of the cathedral today is a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance styles. On the right is the base of the campanile, you can climb it for only 3 € or for free with a Koper city card.
Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary on Titov Torg Square The church keeps numerous treasures: a large altar painting “Madonna and Child Enthroned and Saints”, created in 1516 by Vittorio Carpaccio, a stone coffin of the Copri intercessor St. Nazarius of the 15th century and others. Vittorio Carpaccio is a very famous Venetian artist, then I will show you the house in which he was born and lived. The interior of the cathedral was changed in the 17th century by the famous architect Giorgio Massari, there is nothing left of the Gothic and Venetian styles.
Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary Opposite the Praetor Palace is a no less beautiful building - the Loggia, which houses a cafe and an art gallery. During his visit to Koper, Stendhal, then the French consul in Trieste, was struck by the beauty of this magnificent building, built in 1462. The arcade very much resembles the Doge's Palace in Venice, the scale is smaller, but the forms are the same.
Loggia on Titov Torg Square The loggia is decorated with a terracotta statue of the Madonna and Child, installed in a corner niche, in memory of the devastating plague of 1554.
Loggia - terracotta statue of the Madonna Foresteria and Armeria now look like one whole building, but in fact there used to be two of them, both buildings were built in the 15th-16th centuries. Foresteria served for receptions and accommodation of guests of the landowners. The neighboring building of Armeria served as a warehouse of weapons until 1550, later it housed a city storehouse and a pawnshop, if you look closely, you can find a fair amount of details that distinguish one house from another and mentally draw a dividing line.
Foresteria and Armeria on Titov Torg Square Chevlyarskaya street
At this point we leave Titov Torg Square. Koper turned out to be a very patriotic city, all the old streets are hung with flags with the city's coat of arms. In the upper corner, I inserted an image of the city's coat of arms. This sun is depicted on the gate of Muda. In Slovenia, it is customary to insert the coat of arms of the area on the license plates; in Koper, most cars have the sun on the license plate.
Chevlyarskaya street Chevlyarskaya street is a typical medieval street of the city, once it was the busiest street of the city, craftsmen and merchants settled here. The Barbabian Palace now houses the Kopra tax office, and tax officials have to walk to work, it is not possible to drive there by car.
Barbabian Palace (1710) 
Koper streets Preshernova Square
The main decoration of Preshernova Square was the fountain, created based on the Rialto Bridge in Venice and the Muda Gate. It is from one of the heraldic signs depicted on these gates that the coat of arms of Koper is copied - the sun with a human face. These are the only gates preserved in Koper, there used to be 12 of them. The gates themselves were copied from an antique triumphal arch by order of a certain local landowner, where the original stood is not reported anywhere.
Muda Gate, the sun under the pediment Muda Gate is the most pagan local building, although it was built in 1516 in a completely non-pagan time. I was most interested in finding out where such a strange name comes from? But alas, nothing is said about this topic.
Image of the sun on the gate under the pediment Da Ponte Fountain continues pagan traditions. In the fountain, four water deities spit water. Previously, the aqueduct that brought water to the city ended in this place, but it has not survived to this day.
Da Ponte Fountain"> Da Ponte Fountain
Piazza Carpaccio
The next focus of attractions was Carpaccio Square. She was named just in honor of the famous Venetian painter, whose picture we could see in the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary. It is decorated with a column of Justina, erected in 1572 in honor of the victory at the Battle of Lepanto (Koper equipped a gallion for this battle), a Venetian well in the form of a column capital (transported in 1936) and the house of the famous Venetian artist Vittore Carpaccio (1465-1526). Wikipedia says that the exact dates of the artist's life and the exact place of birth are unknown, but in Koper they show the house where he was born and lived. Carpaccio's house is stone with figured windows, right behind the column of Justina.
Carpaccio house and square in Koper On the capital of the column is the coat of arms of Koper - the sun, and on the shield is a double-headed eagle. Double-headed eagles were used as a coat of arms by several states - Byzantium, which had died by that time, the Holy Roman Empire, Chernigov, Tver, Moscow principality, the Golden Horde, and even some smaller princes, so double-headed eagles are common in Europe. This is one of the arguments of the famous author of the New Chronology in favor of the existence of a previously huge unified empire.
Statue of Justina on a column in Koper On the other hand, Piazza Carpaccio limits the old salt warehouse, now for some reason it is called the Tavern. Maybe they arrange city holidays with refreshments here? There are enough salt warehouses on the Slovenian coast, but Koper is the most picturesque. Salt mining was one of the most lucrative businesses in the Middle Ages, and the whole region rose from salt mining.
The Venetian winged flaunts on the wall of the salt warehouse overlooking the sea.
The tavern is a former St. Mark's salt warehouse Kidricheva street
Church of St. Nicholas on Kidricheva Street Houses along Kidricheva Street were being renovated. Looks like old wooden rafters are already refusing to hold the second floor hanging over the first.
House with wooden rafters The palace of Totto ex Gavardo was almost entirely in the woods; only the winged lion was photographed. Lyova, by the way, was strengthened on the facade only in 1924, earlier it decorated some kind of fortress in the province.
Venetian winged lion at Totto ex Gavardo Palace The Belgramono Tazzo Palace was built in the 17th century and is the most beautiful baroque palace in Koper. After the First World War, it housed the City Museum of History and Art, today it houses the Local History Museum, which preserves the precious cultural heritage of northern Istria from the prehistoric period onwards, with an emphasis on the Venetian cultural layer. The local history museum can be visited for 5€ or free of charge with a Koper city card. The palace has two names, since one of the members of the Belgramon family lost it at cards, and the palace became the property of the Tazzo family. After the death of the last family member, the city authorities gave the house for cultural activities.
Palace of Belgramono Tazzo Brolo Square
Can you imagine that the building of the granary suddenly became a monument of history and culture? It turns out this happens. The construction of Fontizo (former grain warehouse) is mentioned already in 1392, the final form was formed around 1460, later the facade was slightly changed. The building is one of the oldest buildings in Brolo Square. From the very beginning, the building was intended as a granary, from which grain was distributed to the townspeople in years of poor harvest or wars, an almost biblical story about seven fat years and seven lean ones. On the building, in addition to the Renaissance and Gothic windows, you can admire the rich coat of arms. The Koper Library is now located in the Brutti Palace, to the left of the palace is the Church of the Assumption of Mary. 
Embankment and port of Koper
The beach is free, there are free showers and toilets nearby. On the opposite shore of the bay is the village of Ankaran, its beaches offer an excellent view of the port, so I would not recommend it for a seaside holiday either. Ankaran has a large campsite and a number of bungalows, naturally they do not mention the close proximity to a huge modern port in their descriptions of their services.
Ankaran is famous for its hospital where tuberculosis patients are treated, the local climate is very beneficial for patients with pulmonary diseases, one can only hope that patients with an open form of tuberculosis observe quarantine.
City beach of Koper This is the city of Koper, it has something to see, there is where to go shopping, you can stay in it in the off-season, but in the summer I personally would not want to swim on Koper beach.
Today Koper again, as in ancient times, competes with neighboring Trieste. Ships with cargo from the industrialized countries of Asia arrive at its port and are then transported to Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. After passing through the Suez Canal, ships head to Koper, the Mediterranean port closest to the largest cities in Central Europe.
The main seaport of Slovenia - the ancient city of Koper is located in southwestern Slovenia on the Istrian peninsula. Koper originated in the times of Antiquity - the Greek settlement Aegida was located here. During the Roman Empire, the city was called Capris, and Koper reached its heyday when it became part of Venice in the 13th century - it was then that it turned into the most important port and trading city of the Istrian peninsula.
Story
During the Venetian Republic, Koper became known as Caput Histriae, which means "the main in Istria." In Italian, it is still called Capodistria - "head of Istria". After the collapse of the Republic of Venice in 1797, Koper was captured by the Austrians, and in 1918, together with the entire peninsula, he went to Italy. For a long time, Koper was located on an island where shepherds grazed their flocks of sheep. Only in 1825, the island was attached to the mainland by a bulk isthmus, however, the division into island and mainland parts remains to this day. On the island part, monuments of medieval architecture, a seaport and beaches are concentrated, while "on the mainland" it is a modern city with dense buildings and tall buildings.
After World War II, Koper became part of the "Free Territory of Trieste", which was controlled by Yugoslavia, and in 1954 finally became part of Yugoslavia. In 1991, the city became part of the newly independent Slovenia, but today Italians live here and Italian is the second official language.
The city's attractions
On the central square of the city (Titov Trg) is built in 1464, the Pretoria Palace - the most famous building in the city. Opposite it, on the other side of the square is the Loggia Palace, which houses a collection of works of art. It is also worth seeing the houses of the Venetian nobility - the palaces of Armerigonia and Totto, and the oldest city building - the Rotunda of the Ascension, whose history dates back to the 12th century. Among the most important sights of Koper is also the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady. The tomb of St. Nazarius, the patron saint of Kopra, is kept in the cathedral.
Koper today
Today, Koper is the largest seaport and logistics center on the Adriatic, through which a significant part of the European cargo turnover passes. The port has 12 terminals, and the volume of cargo transportation in 2014 exceeded 19 million tons. The cruise liners Costa Favolosa and Costa Сoncordia also call at the port, and shuttle sea transport to Trieste and Venice also departs from here.
Koper is also famous for its football team. FC Koper belongs to the strongest league in Slovenia, and the famous football player Mladen Rudonja is a native of Koper. The famous painter Vittore Carpaccio, tennis player Andreja Klepach, and singer Tinkara Kovacs, who represented Slovenia at Eurovision, were also born in the city. Many tourists come to Koper to attend musical events, especially the Seaside Summer Festival.
Attractions
Koper is a southwestern Slovenian city that adorns with its historical delights the coast of the bay of the same name, which is pushed out by the Istrian peninsula into the blue of the Adriatic Sea. As the largest city on the thirty-kilometer Slovenian coast, Koper has become famous among fans of choral singing with folklore and music festivals held here. The twenty-five thousandth population of the city has long chosen the territory near the Italian border, which affected the ethnic and linguistic characteristics of the local urban environment.
Koper's historical roots stretch back to Greek antiquity, when it was preceded by the settlement of Aegis. The Roman period transformed the name of the settlement into Caprice, which gave way to the modern name. However, this was preceded by the renaming of Justinopol, associated with the short belonging of the city to Byzantium.
The 7th-8th centuries turned out to be a difficult period in the history of Koper, when the city passed by force to the Franks, Lombards, and Slavic tribes. The 11th century turned out to be no less problematic for the city, when the whirlpool of confrontation between Venice and the implacable in its grandeur Holy Roman Empire forced the townspeople to support Emperor Conrad II in exchange for some ambiguous privileges.
Koper experienced its true heyday as part of the Venetian Republic, which it joined in 1278. Having become the largest port city of Istria, it was awarded the Latin name Caput Histriae, which literally translates as “the head of Istria” and is consonant with the Italian name of the city of Kapodistria. The fall of the Venetian Republic for Koper ended with the accession to Austria in 1797, from whose control it was temporarily withdrawn by Napoleonic troops in 1805-1813.
The First World War transferred the city to Italy, and the result of the Second World War was the entry of Koper into the zone controlled by Yugoslavia, which caused the forced exodus of the Italian part of the townspeople. The disintegration of Yugoslavia, which marked the year 1991 with its grim fact, annexed the long-suffering city to independent Slovenia, making it the largest seaside city and the capital of Slovenian Istria.
The historical core of this small port town - the administrative center of the Slovenian Riviera - like Venice, tremblingly keeps evidence of an eventful past embodied in stone. Being on the streets of Koper, it is easy to forget that you are not in Italy, but still in Slovenia. The atmosphere saturated with Italian flavor is confirmed even in signs demonstrating the tolerance of two languages - Slovenian and Italian.
A memorable milestone in the history of Koper is the tradition of dividing it into mainland and island quarters. In the old days, the main part of the city was occupied by Goat Island, which in 1825 was artificially connected to the mainland. Accordingly, the island part of the city has preserved Italian traditions, visible in the tiled roofs of old houses, cathedrals, the Italian style of preserved architecture, and culinary preferences prevailing here.
The Venetian influence on Koper's past has come down to us through the palaces of noble Venetian families, the Loggia Palace, a unique Venetian Gothic style. They are complemented by numerous monuments of the Venetian Republic, preserved in the city. However, modernity is not forgotten either: mountaineers will also find comfort here, examining the steep cliffs surrounding the city, and a huge water park offers an extravaganza of water attractions.
Javascript is required to view this map
Koper located on the Adriatic coast, and its shores are washed by the waters of the Gulf of Piran. The city is located on the Istrian peninsula, in close proximity to the Italian border and is endowed with the status of the main port of the country. It has a long history, has many unique architectural structures, and is also famous for its music and folklore festivals, which annually cause a high spectator excitement.
Peculiarities
According to old traditions, the current Koper is usually divided into mainland and island. Modern buildings and high-rise buildings are concentrated on the mainland, while the buildings are quite dense and therefore there is a certain feeling of tightness. The island part is fanned with the romance of the Middle Ages and is represented by the best examples of architecture from the times of the Venetian Republic, which gives this part of the city a pronounced Italian tint. Koper has an excellent infrastructure and transport links with neighboring countries and other regions of Slovenia, but at the same time, the choice of hotels is very limited. However, those few hotels that the city has are distinguished by a high level of comfort, a wide range of amenities and excellent quality of service. Guests of Koper have the opportunity to have a lot of fun walking along the city promenade and enjoying views of the Gulf of Piran, tasting dishes in local restaurants, sunbathing, getting acquainted with colorful sights or taking exciting boat trips along the Adriatic.
general information
The territory of the city is small and is only a few tens of square meters. km, with a population of less than 24,000 people. Interestingly, more than 10% of the townspeople are Italians, and the official language, in addition to Slovenian, is also Italian. Local time is 1 hour behind Moscow time in summer and 2 hours in winter. Timezone UTC+1 and UTC+2 in summer. Telephone code (+386) 05. Official website www.koper.si.
A brief excursion into history
Initially, on the site of modern Koper was the ancient Greek city of Aegis, during the period of the Roman conquest, called Capris. After the fall of the Roman Empire, for several centuries these lands were captured by the Franks, Lombards and numerous Slavic tribes. Only in 1278, after joining the Venetian Republic, the city entered its heyday and soon became the largest port of Istria. In 1797, Koper became part of Austria, and between 1805 and 1813, was occupied by Napoleonic troops, then returned to Austrian possession again. The modern history of the city was marked first by joining the united Kingdom of Serbs and Croats, later transformed into Yugoslavia and leaving it already as part of independent Slovenia.
Climate
Koper's weather conditions are largely influenced by the Mediterranean climate. In winter, it is relatively warm here and the average air temperature ranges from 0 to +4 degrees. At the same time, there is little precipitation, and almost all of it falls on the period from November to March. In summer, on clear and sunny days, the thermometer rises to +23 - +25. It is best to visit the city during this time period, the most pleasant both for relaxing at sea and for a rich excursion program.
How to get there
Transport
To move along the coast by land, it is best to use buses or taxi services. For those who wish, there are car rental points.
Beaches
Koper has a good pebble beach, as well as several concrete platforms equipped with stairs. For families with children, they are of course of little use, but for those who like to swim, just right. Meanwhile, given the abundance of marinas, it must be admitted that the water here is not very clear, therefore beach holiday it is not as popular here as in other Slovenian resorts.
Attractions and entertainment
One of the most remarkable architectural structures of Koper is the Praetorian Palace, built in the middle of the 15th century, in a pronounced Venetian Gothic style. Directly opposite, the Loggia Palace attracts attention, with its unique art gallery, where paintings by outstanding masters of the Middle Ages are exhibited. Among other important historical sites, it is worth highlighting the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady, with the tomb of St. Nazarius, the patron saint of the city, the exquisite palaces of noble Venetian families, Armerigonia, Totto and Belgramoni-Tacco, as well as the famous Rotunda of the Ascension, built in the 12th century. In addition to excursions and walks along the city streets, guests of Koper can appreciate the variety of entertainment programs.
The main places of mass congestion intended for families are the local zoo, with an impressive territory and an excellent water amusement park, where there are attractions for every taste. In the city surroundings there are many interesting tourist routes for fans of mountaineering and connoisseurs of natural beauties. The main event for the citizens and guests of Koper is the Seaside Summer Festival, which is always extremely fun and interesting.
Kitchen
The restaurants, cafes and pizzerias of the city offer a rich selection of all kinds of culinary products for every taste, from widespread Slovenian soups to traditional Italian pasta. Given that the city is a kind of symbiosis of the cultures of these two countries, local dishes also have characteristic national features. Balkan and Italian wines, which have a high reputation in Europe, are very popular.
shopping
Shops and souvenir shops display an impressive range of goods, from Italian shoes and clothes to fine jewelry and perfumes.
For most tourists who visit Koper for the first time, this city makes a vivid impression with its unique charm and color. Despite its small territory, it has a lot of interesting places and attractions, annually receiving thousands of tourists from all over the world.
