Portoroz

Portoroz – port of the roses – is one of Slovenia’s most popular tourist destinations and the only mass market resort on the Adriatic coast.

Geography

Portoroz is situated in a corner of the impressive Bay of Piran – indeed it is only an attractive 45 minute walk into that picturesque and beguiling Venetian style town. As a backdrop, the town has gentle, olive-tree covered hills.

There is a small local airport which caters for some charter flights, but Trieste airport in northern Italy is only 30 minutes away and the airport at Ljubjlana is less than one hour and a half from the town.

Climate

This is one of the warmest parts of Slovenia, with a characteristic sub- Mediterranean climate, meaning warm, dry summers and mild winters. There are, on average, 2346 hours of sunshine every year and with summer temperatures never reach the scorching heights of more southern parts of the Mediterranean, this makes Portoroz an ideal holiday location. The wonderful promenade is, therefore, never too hot for you to be able to stroll along, day or night.

Cuisine

As befits a modern tourist destination, there is food to suit everyone – most international tastes can be found. The local specialities include brodet or fish goulash, dumplings with venison and, of course, as we are on the coast, many delicious seafood meals – including bass, sardines, scorpion fish, shrimps and squid. There are some good local wines to accompany your meal – notably the excellent malvazija white wine and refosk, a fine red wine.

History

The development of Portaroz can be traced right back to Roman times before the area came under Byzantine rule in the 6th century and subsequently the Slavs. The region lost much of its own identity and culture during the following centuries but in the 13th century the arrival of Christian monks, initially the Benedictines, began to bring some stability.

By the way, Portoroz gained its name in reference to one of the region’s oldest churches – Sanctae Mariae de Rosae.

Tourism

Tourism started to develop here as far back as the end of the 19th century, mainly because of the reputation it gained as a centre for health and spa facilities – something which can be greatly appreciated today.

Slovenia has only a short coastline and contains no natural sandy beaches. The beach at Portoroz, however, is a well-kept, clean and safe man-made one, which helps create the atmosphere of this lively, friendly resort.

As well as the spa facilities, there is a thriving casino, many sporting facilities on the land and, of course, almost every possible water sport to try out.

Ideal starting base

Best Travel Time: During the week

It would make an ideal place to begin to discover the delights and charms of the relatively undiscovered gem that is Slovenia.

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