Hi guys,

Once again, I am taking you with me on the seacoast of Slovenia.
I have already showed you Portorož and Izola.
This time I am going to show the city of Koper (->map).

Koper has a population of about 25,000 inhabitants.
It is the 6th most populated city in Slovenia.
The town is also known here for its harbor which is the most important in the country.
In addition to that, a lot of tourists (both from Slovenia and from abroad) come visit Koper every year.
Several huge cruiser ship stop in Koper every week so that the tourist on board can spend a few hours to discover the old town.

I like to go walk near the docks and watch tourists getting on and off a cruiser ship on a sunny day.
If you go near the docks, you’ll probably see many huge container ships and massive cranes.

Not far from the cruiser ship arrival, there is a cool (kind of) beach with a few bars.
It is the Public Bath of Koper. It is open during the summer.
It is not very big but there’s a very good atmosphere there.
If you spend a couple of days in Koper, I recommend you to go there and have fun for 1 or 2 hours.
One funny thing about this place is to see people taking a sun bath and see container ships and a cruise ship not far behind.

Not far from the public bath, you’ll see the Marina of koper.
From the marina, you can walk along the sea for 6 kilometers in the direction of Izola.
If you spend at least a day in Koper, I recommend you to take a bike and cycle along the coastline untill reach the city of Izola.
It should take about 20 minutes by bike to arrive in Izola.
If you are on foot, taking a long stroll along the water is also a good way to discover the city.

Now, let us go towards the old city.
This part of Koper is really gorgeous and is just 100 meters away from the Marina.
The heart of the city is the “Tito Square”.
In that square, you’ll see the Assumption cathedral and its high bell tower.
You can go to the top of the bell tower to see Koper from above. It cost 3,5 € .
The bell tower can be seen from pretty far all around the city.
You’ll also see the 15th century “Praetorian Palace” and the Loggia Palace.

When you’ll walk in “Tito Square” and the little streets and alleys around it,
you’ll probably realize that this part of the city looks a lot like Venice.
Indeed, Koper was ruled by the Republic of Venise between 1278 and 1797.
That explain why many places (such as Tito Square or Preseren Square) in the old city look like Venice.

Walking along the little and narrow streets in the old city center is a Must if you visit Koper.
There are many shops and cool Bars/Cafés along the street named “Cevjarska ulica” ( that starts in “Tito Square”).
Just walk along the streets of the old city and loose yourself.
The old city is rather tiny. You can easily visit it in less than 2 hours.

Not far from “Tito Square”, there is a museum called “Koper Regional Museum”.
The museum is housed in the gorgeous early 17th century Belgramoni-Tacco Palace.
Nice collection of Old instruments, old weapons, paintings, statues, objects of the museum ethnological collection,
a permanent exhibition of the story of Slovenes between 1861 and 1954 etc …
Do not hesitate to spend a few time in the beautiful inside court of the palace.
I really recommend you to go inside that museum.
It is not expensive and you’ll see many beautiful things.

30 meters away from the museum, on a street named “Muzejski trg”, you’ll see a Bar/Café called “Bife Museum”.
I love going to this Café to have a drink and eat a cheese & ham Toast.
A lot students go there to drink among friends before or after going to class.
This Bar/Café has a really cool atmosphere.
Spending a bit of time there is a good way to blend in with locals.
This place is not just a Bar/Café … it is also a Hostel that is called “Hostel Museum”.
They have little rooms, studios and appartments.
If you plan to spend a few days in Koper one day, I really recommend you this hostel.
It is not very expensive, the service is very good and the staff is really nice.

Moving on a bit further …
We are now in a street named “Pristaniska Ulica”.
This street will lead you to Marina of Koper.
You’ll see many bar and restaurants in this area.
On that street, there is a very cool Bar/Café where I like to go.
This café is called “Kavarna Tiglav”.
They make excellent cakes, ice cream and cocktails.

About 1 km away from the old city, you’ll see the shopping area of Koper.
There’s a huge shopping Mall called “Tus planet” in that area.
If you like shopping or need to go run errands, this is one of the good place where you can go.
Inside that shopping mall, there are a lot of bars, restaurants, boutiques, a super market and a big cinema.
If you are on vacation in Koper or not far, I recommend you to go see a movie in the cinema called “Cineplexx Koper”.
It is situated inside the shopping mall on the first floor.
The American/English movies that they play are in original version (with Slovene subtitles).

The train station of Koper is situated about 100 meters behing the “Tus Planet” shopping mall.
If you don’t have a car, you can take the train to go visit other cities in Slovenia (Ljubljana, Sezana, Bled etc …).
The trains are not fast in Slovenia but it you like to travel slow and see the countryside, you should like it.
Many backpackers take the train to visit different cities in Slovenia because it is very cheap.
Just so you know, you can also take the bus to visit other cities on the seacoast (Izola, Portoroz, Piran).
The buses leave near a burger shop called “Oli Burger” on a street named “Piranska Cesta”.
If you do not have a car, it is also a easy and cheap way to visit the other 3 big cities on the seacoast.

I’d like to share with you a nice moment that I had with a very friendly busker playing on “Tito Square”.
His name is Klemen and I was lucky to speak with him for a few minutes.
I was walking around on “Tito Square” when I recognized the music of a very famous french film.
The name of this awesome film is “Le fabuleux destin d’Amélin Poulain“.
This film was shot in Montmartre, an old and beautiful area in the 18th district of Paris.
Hearing Klemen playing an “Amélie Poulain” movie tune like a boss really brought me back home, in Paris.

 

My tips for Koper:

1/ Take a long stroll in the old city
2/ Go on the terrace near the docks to see the cruiser ships.
3/ Go on the little beach (summer only).
4/ Walk along the promenade next to the sea.
5/ Ride a bike on the promenade and go to Izola (6 km).
6/ Take the bus to go visit Izola/Portoroz/Piran.
7/ Go inside the Koper Cathedral on Tito Square.
8/ Go to the top of the bell tower on Tito Square.
9/ Go see the Da Ponte Fountain.
10/ Go visit the Koper Regional Museum.
11/  Go have a drink at the Bife Museum.
12/ Go have a Tea and a cake at Kavarna Triglav.
13/ Stay at the Museum Hostel (dorm rooms, studios and apartments).
14/ Go shopping in the Shopping mall Tus Planet.
15/ Go see a movie in Cineplexx Koper.
16/ Take the train to visit other cities (Ljubljana, Bled …)