|
Piran
is an ancient small town from the Middle Ages, a coastal
town at the most northwestern point of Istria
Written sources mention that the first settlement of Piran
was ruined by Atila-the king of the Huns people in the 5th
century. In the 7th century there was the first system of
fortifications around the town. In the 13th century Piran
came under the control of the Venetians and the town
developed and expanded. Because of its geographical
position, the town has a difficult history, on the other
hand it used to benefit from seaborn trade. Over the
centuries the citizens have made their living by fishing
and handcrafts. They have dealt with wine trade, salt
trade (nearby salt pans), the sale of olive oil and grain
coming from the countryside.
|
|
Piran is well-known
for its cultural heritage and for centuries it has
inspired artists who have left their mark on the town. The
most well-known was the violonist and mathematician
Giuseppe Tartini who was born here and the main square has
been named after him. Various musical, cultural and
theater performances are organised during the year in the
town squares. Events such as the "Piran music evenings",
the international artists "Ex tempore exhibition of
paintings", the theater festival named "The Littoral
Summer festival", the cribs in Piran's churches during the
whole month of december, the ancient market place, are
special attractions.
|
|
Only 1 km from Piran you can find a big and modern
convention center and hotel resort "Hoteli Bernardin"
www.h-bernardin.si. One km further there is a modern and
well-known holiday resort Portorož-Portorose with more
large hotels: www.lifeclass.net, welness and beauty center
Terme Palace: www.terme-giz.si, and also the hotel resort
Metropol: www.metropol-hotels.com with a large gambling
house: www.casino.si, the nearby modern Marina being
easily reached by the inhabitants of all Central European
countries: www.marinap.si. The nearest tourist airport is
only 10 km away from Piran
www.portoroz-airport.si
.
|
|
|
Portorož
Portorož (Italian: Portorose), literally "Port of Roses", is a
coastal town in Slovenia and one of the country's largest
tourist areas.
Portorož belongs to the coastal municipality of Piran, located
in the southwest of the Gulf of Trieste (at the northern-most
point of the Adriatic Sea) between the boundaries of Italy to
the North and Croatia to the south. The municipality is not so
well protected against bora wind, as is near city of Trieste.
Thanks to that, Portorose is about 2 degrees cooler on average,
with especially colder nights. Surprisingly, the number of day
with temperatures below zero is strikingly high - 45, if you
compare it with Trieste - Barcola (only 12 per a year).
Otherwise, Portorose is slightly drier and has warmer days
during the year. It's a quite sunny place with an average 2334
hours of sunshine.
Portorož is home to a marina, casino, and numerous sporting
facilities. There is also Portorož International Airport in
nearby village Sečovlje.
Portorož was host to the International Physics Olympiad in 1985
and to the European Universities Debating Championships in 2001.
It is the host of the new Euro-Mediterranean University, that
was inaugurated on Monday 9 June 2008, in collaboration with
universities of the EU, the Middle-East and North Africa (the EU
States and the Euro-Mediterranean Basin, from to Turkey to
Morocco and including Israel), by Janez Janša, Prime Minister of
the Republic of Slovenia, José Manuel Barroso, President of the
European Commission, Amr Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab
League, and Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European
Parliament. This university will be fully operational for its
first academic year in 2009.
Portorož hosts annual Festival of Slovenian Film (Festival
slovenskega filma) with Vesna awards for best festival
achievements. The city also hosts (since 1961) a biennial of
contemporary art, the International Sculpture Symposium Forma
Viva, where artists come to create a work before the public.
The works were created together in a sculpture park in the
hamlet of Seca (free access). |
|
