Windy Winter on the Slovenian Coast

We woke up to a sunny winter Sunday (a rarity in Ljubljana during winter) and decided to go to the seaside. Although in Slovenia we have only 46 km of the sea coast, it is lovely and worth visiting! The weather forecast for that day predicted extremely cold temperatures but we thought that since we are going to the seaside, it should be warm enough. But already on the way there, the wind was so strong that it was moving our car. The famous seaside wind is called bora (burja in the Slovene language), and it can exceed 200 km/h! If you talk to the locals, they will say that they really miss bora when they are somewhere else. And through the whole day, bora made it feel really chilly.

On the Slovenian seaside, three larger towns are Portorož, Piran, and Koper. Portorož is full of upscale resorts, Piran is an old town with beautiful Venetian architecture and Koper is our biggest port with a charming old town.

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Portorož is a trendy destination in the summer when beaches are full and hotels booked out.

Now, however, we were almost the only ones strolling along the coast. You guessed it - it had something to do with the bora wind which made it feel like there were -10 °C and not 0 °C. We were wondering how strong the wind has to be to blow us into the sea – probably stronger than it was J. Also, the sea was freezingly cold – around 6 °C.

Did you know that on January 1st every year, there is a famous event in Portorož, where people jump to the cold sea from one pier and swim to another one? Supposedly, it is very healthy, and it also helps with the New Year’s hangover.

Portorož is full of hotels, cafes, souvenir and sweet shops. We managed to find a calm not windy spot in one of the cafes on the beach where we ordered delicious lemonade with ginger and a thick hot chocolate. Without the wind, it was almost hot in the sun with views over the waves crashing the coast in the distance. It was indeed relaxing.

Piran, on the other hand, is quite the opposite of Portorož. It is an old coastal town with Venetian architecture as it was under the rule of Venice from the 13th century until the end of Venetian Republic. The main square is called Tartini square, by the famous violinist Giuseppe Tartini, who was born in Piran. Overlooking Piran is a church which offers excellent views. When wandering around Piran, you can enjoy narrow winding alleys with hidden small squares and beautiful houses. In Piran, you should not miss to experience the town walls which offer a magnificent view over the peninsula.

Koper is the home to our largest (and only) port – Luka Koper, from where goods are transported all over Europe. One of the famous sights in Koper is Praetorian palace which is a remarkable Venetian palace from the 16th century. It was used as a city hall. Nowadays, it hosts city council and weddings. In Koper, also large cruise ships stop on their way around the Mediterranean Sea.

Despite our Slovenian seaside's charm in the winter, we still suggest going there in spring when you can still avoid the summer crowds or in the summer  when you can swim and enjoy the sea.