Must-see attractions in Southwestern Slovenia

The Venetian Gothic Manzioli House was built in 1470 and was the residence of an Istrian chronicler in the 16th century. Today it houses the bureau…

The Renaissance-style Dobrovo Castle, dating from 1606, has a handful of rooms filled with artworks and period furnishings (limited labelling). There's a…

The Belgramoni-Tacco Palace, dating from the early 17th century, houses the Koper Regional Museum. Not surprisingly given its construction date, there's a…

Plumb on Titov trg is the Cathedral of the Assumption and its 36m-tall belfry, now called the City Tower, with 204 climbable stairs. Tickets are sold at…

On the north side of Kidričeva ulica there are several disused churches from the 16th century, including the Church of St Nicholas. The exterior is…

This renovated, salmon-coloured, 16th-century church and its detached bell tower are on the hill above the town. The views are the main reason to climb up…

Behind the Cathedral of the Assumption to the north is a circular Romanesque Rotunda of John the Baptist, a baptistery dating from the second half of the…

Linked to Titov trg to the east, Trg Brolo is a wide and leafy square of fine old buildings, including the late-18th-century baroque Brutti Palace, now…

On Veliki trg is the Municipal Palace, which now houses offices of the local council. It was built in Gothic style in 1325; but the present baroque facade…

The Column of St Justina commemorates Koper's contribution – a galley – to the Battle of Lepanto in which Turkey was defeated by the European powers in…

On the eastern side of Trg Brolo is the Fontico, a granary where the town’s wheat was once stored, with wonderful medallions and reliefs adorning the…

Opposite the Totto Palace are some wonderful medieval town houses, with protruding upper storeys painted in a checked red, gold and green pattern.

On the north side of Kidričeva ulica are some restored Venetian houses and the 18th-century baroque Totto Palace, with winged lion relief.

The western edge of Carpacciov trg is marked by the large arched Taverna, a one-time salt warehouse dating from the 15th century.

On the north side of Titov trg is the arcaded Venetian Gothic Loggia built in 1463; attached is the Loggia Gallery.

The best beach close to Izola is at Simon’s Bay, about 1.5km to the southwest. It has a grassy area for sunbathing.

On the eastern side of Trg Brolo is the 17th-century Vissich-Nardi Palace containing government offices.

For centuries the people who lived at Strunjan, a peninsula halfway between Izola and Piran, were engaged in salt-making. Today the old salt-pan area is…

One of a number of small galleries to have opened in Hrastovlje in recent years, this quiet space exhibits works by sculptor Jožeta Pohlen (1926-2005),…

The 17th-century Belgramoni-Tacco Palace houses the Koper Regional Museum, whose history collection spans prehistory to more recent times. In beautiful…