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We visited Piran during the spring of 2022, traveling with Tracy's sister Alex, and her husband, Ed. We left Rovinj and Croatia behind and headed to Piran. This popular tourist destination is only one of three seaside cities in the overwise landlocked nation of Slovenia. We stayed for one night and two days, enough to get a feel for the town, although we admittedly just scratched the surface of what Piran has to offer.

Overnighting at Momento Bed and Breakfast
Momento
            ExteriorReceptionFor our stay in Piran, we followed sister Alex's advice and lodged at the Momento Bed and Breakfast, just about half a block off Tartini Square, in the heart of the city's "Old Town." The location put us close to not only the square, but to most of the attractions we hoped to visit, including the Church of St. Francis, the City Wall, and the Church of St. George--all only a few minutes walk away. It is a beautifully rennovated botique hotel, done in a clean, minimalist style. The photo to the left shows the entrance to Memento, off Bolniska 8, while the photo to the right shows the reception area. Adjacent to the reception area was a small sitting room and above it a small area for a  snacks and a supply of
Sitting Roomreading materials. The sitting area is shown in the Momento Bedroomphoto at the bottom left. The snacks area was also equipped with a coffee machine (in our case, a hot chocolate dispenser) which we took advantage of every time we returned from a wet outing. Breakfast was served at the Loggia, on Tartini Square. Our room, located on the second floor was comfortable, and mercifully warm, given the cold spring rain that descended upon the city as we arrived. It is shown in the photo at the bottom right. It was the perfect spot from which to tour the "Old Town."


Dining in Piran
Pavel:
Pavel
            ExteriorAlthough we only had time for a few meals while in Piran, we made the most of our time, and focused on two types of cuisine: seafood (of course) and native Slovenian dishes. For seafood, we dined at Pavel, a very popular tourist restaurant, located on the promenade. Despite its popularity with tourists such as ourselves, it offers good seafood at reasonable prices, and seems to be frequented by the locals as well. We enjoyed two things in particular about our visit to this bustling restaurant. First, naturally, was the food--we dined on steamed fish and fried calamari-which was fresh and deliciously prepared. The second was the ambiance, and in particular the wait staff. Although you can see from the photo at the upper left that the dining room is packed, the room was light and airy, and avoided the feeling that we were Calamaripacked in like sardines.  And the waiters were great--full of personality without being unctous, and clearly they enjoyed informing and entertaining us.  These are not part-time waiters waiting for a good audition. They are professionals and the have a trove of knowledge and a love of food, which enhances the dining experience. The restaurant is so popular that Pavel Restaurant 2 opened next door, and it too was packed.




Gostlina Fontana:
Calamari and
            FishGostlina Fontana ExteriorLocated in the 1st of May Square in the Old Town, Gostlina Fontana is popular with local and tourists alike. It is noted for both its seafood and its menu of traditional Slovenian dishes. Although 6 months later we cannot recall exactly what we ate, we remember dividing our allegiances between traditional Slovenian meat dishes and the local favorites of calamari and fish. And, yes, wine was involved. The Gostlina Fontana, which is now sadly closed, offered home cooked food and a family atmosphere that again drew locals and tourists alike.


Visiting the Mediadome Phyrani Multimedia Museum

Museum
            Exterior
Museum EntranceJust up the street from our bed and breakfast was a fascinating multimedia museum which makes full use of technology to tell the story of the area. The museum lives up to its multimedia name by providing a 15-minute 3d film of the area in addition to touch screens, interactive motion-sensing screens, photographs, drawings and explanatory text in five languages.  The basement of Mediadome is itself an archeological site, with a centuries-old underground corridor, probably used as a crypt. It also serves as a venue for cultural events. The Mediadome Museum uses 21st century technology to tell a compelling story about Piran and its environs, while retaining the traditional trappings of museum, allowing it to capture the interest of young and old alike. It was certainly an enjoyable way to pass a rainy afternoon in Piran. Below is a gallery of photos from the museum taken from their website (too dark for pictures when we visited) and their promotional video.
Touchscreens Cultural
                Venue The
                Story of Piran Archeological Exhibit Corridor
Touchscreens
A Cultural Venue
The Story of Piran
Archeological Exhibit
Underground Corridor


Mediadome Phyrania




Visiting Piran's "Old Town":
Of course one of the main draws of Piran (in addition to its beaches) is the "Old Town," which occupies in the peninsular portion of the city, and whose heritage stretches back to medieval times. Below is a virtual tour of the sites of Piran's Old Town.


Virtual Tour of Piran
Tartini SquareSnap Content

Virtual Reality Tour for VR Headsets:

QR CodeThere is also a version of this tour designed specifically for VR headsets such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhone and Android devices. It may be accessed by scanning on the QR code to the left. If you are viewing this on a mobile phone, you may access the VR tour by following this link.



For iOS devices
: scan QR code with your device's camera app, tap on the prompt to open Safari. Select "Allow Device Motion" and the next prompt, "Allow Access to Motion Orientation." Turn the device to landscape mode and a split screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for fullscreen mode, and place in headset. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]

For Android devices: Open the camera app and use the built-in scanner to scan the QR code above. Confirm that you want to open the website, and wait for it to load--it should load in stereo view. Select the fullscreen ("X" option) from the menu at the bottom. Turn the device to landscape mode and you are ready to go. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]



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