Historic port town Koper, in Slovenia, is full of beauty and colour

Slovenia may have one of the shortest coastlines in Europe, but the 47km coastline, nestled between Italy and Croatia on the Adriatic Sea, includes beautiful old historic towns like Koper, Izola and Piran.

Today I’m spending the day in Koper, Slovenia’s biggest port, during a Mediterranean cruise.

Koper is a little more than 100km east of Venice, across the Adriatic Sea, and during the rise of the Venetian empire the heavily fortified medieval city was of great strategic and commercial importance for both the Venetians and the people of Koper.

Historians have dated its origins back to the second half of the sixth century when it was known as Justinopolis.

Thanks to trading and political connections with Venice, Koper became one of the leading towns on the Istrian Peninsular and towards the end of the Middle Ages its strategic and commercial importance secured it the position as the Istrian capital within the Venetian Republic.

Like many of the old ports along the Adriatic coast, Koper has had a variety of rulers throughout its history. After Venetian rule, it was held by Napoleonic France from 1797-1813, by the Austrian Empire from 1813-1918 and by Italy until after WWII, when it was part of the free territory of Trieste. It then became part of Yugoslavia in 1954 and finally Slovenia in 1991 when that country gained independence from Yugoslavia.

Today Koper is Slovenia’s most important commercial port but it has also become a popular cruising destination because of its history. And many of Slovenia’s other attractions like Lake Bled and the charming capital Ljubljana are easily reachable on a daytrip for cruisers stopping in Koper.

I chose to stay in town to learn more about its history and to explore the old town rather than a daytrip to Ljubljana.

It’s only a short walk from the port to Tito Square, the main hub of the old town. It is said to be one of the most beautiful Mediterranean squares on in the north Adriatic. And standing here looking around, it’s hard to argue with that.

I’m keen just to sit and soak up the atmosphere of the place

It’s like a perfectly preserved time capsule with a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings. The 15th century Venetian-Gothic Praetorian Palace, the Loggia palace and the Cathedral of St Mary’s Assumption with its impressive bell tower dominate the square but that is only a delicious entree to what lies ahead.

The old streets of Koper that fan out from the square immediately wins me over. They are a beautiful place to explore by foot. The narrow cobblestone streets and lanes reveals many charming shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants.

I’m keen just to sit and soak up the atmosphere of the place, so I find a shady cafe in a side lane by the square and sit back to do a bit of people watching while enjoying a scoop of pistachio ice cream and a shot of expresso coffee.

A talented busker takes full advantage of the acoustics in a narrow lane to belt out a beautiful rendition of Tears for Fears’ Mad World – just as a young man carries a huge inflatable white swan across Tito Square and two dogs have a minor scrap as their owners pass each other – perfect timing!

Re-caffeinated and keen to learn more about Koper, I continue my exploration. I marvel at the Da Ponte fountain, which is a replica of Venice’s famed Rialto Bridge, and the Muda city gate with the remains of the part of the original outer walls of the town. The walls date back to 1279 when Koper was a fortified island. Over the years the walls underwent countless repairs and modifications until they finally surrendered to the pressure of the growing town. The Muda city gate is the only one of twelve gates that survives today. It was built in 1516, replacing an older gate. For centuries, the Muda gate was the only entrance to the town that was accessible via a road, and it became a symbol of the town as well as a control point and toll gate.

Back at Tito Square, I climb the 204 steps to the top of the aforementioned bell tower to get a birds-eye view of Koper. From here I get a much clearer understanding of the extent of the fortifications of the old town. I can see an inviting beach front promenade and recreational marina close by the old town and clusters of modern suburbs on the coastal hills along the Gulf of Trieste. And I spy in the busy harbour below, the Viking Sea moored.

Which reminds me — it’s nearly time for me to head back to the Viking Sea — but there’s just enough time for another session of people watching at a restaurant while enjoying a cold glass of Slovenian Lasko beer.

“I love this place,” I think to myself and add it to my ever growing list of places that I must re-visit.