Slovenia
Rich in resources, naturally good looking and persistently peaceful, a wonderful antidote to much of Europe 's crowds and high prices, that's Slovenia. Many of its cities and towns bear the imprint of the Habsburg Empire and the Venetian Republic, while up in the Julian Alps you'd almost think you were in Bavaria. The relative affluence of this country on the 'sunny side of the Alps' is immediately apparent. No wonder she is a member of European Union.
Slovenia is a small Central European country, situated between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea. There are 2 million of us living here and we all speak Slovene, one of the South Slavic languages. Our capital city is Ljubljana. We have approximately 2000 hours of sunshine per year. And yes, we have plenty of snow in the winter.
As a small, beautiful and picturesque country Slovenia makes a great tourist destination. Mountains, lakes, waterfalls, forests, caves, hills, plains, rivers and the sea - you name it, we've got it all on the 20.273 km2, as well as many natural and landscape parks. Slovenia has 46.6 km of coast - an inch per inhabitant. The highest mountain is called Triglav - the name meaning "three-headed" - and is 2864 m high. Triglav is a real state symbol, visualized on Slovenian coat of arms and flag.
Piran
Piran is a small medieval town with a rich cultural heritage. It is situated on the tip of the Piran Peninsula very near to Portorož. It has been inhabited since Illyrian and Roman times.
Its narrow, romantic alleyways harbor rich treasures from the past revealing the town's Venetian's cultural heritage. It was surrounded by walls in the Middle Ages (200 meters of the city walls are still preserved). The whole town is protected as a cultural and historical monument and it has preserved its medieval layout with narrow streets and compact houses, which rise in steps from the coastal lowland into the hills and give the whole area a typical Mediterranean look. Fishermen, sailors and artists are all at home here. You will soon feel at home, too.
You can find out about the town in the Town Archives which are among the most extensive in Slovenia including a valuable collection of documents dating from the 12 th century onwards and in the Town Museum with its valuable archeological, ethnographic, historical and art exhibits. The sea Aquarium, the Tartini theatre and the numerous galleries are also well worth a visit.
For centuries Piran has inspired artists who have left their mark on the town. The most well known was the violinist and mathematician Giuseppe Tartini who was born here. The square in the centre of Piran has been named after him.