Introducing The Bell Tower In Piran
In front of the Church of St. George, built separate from it in 1608, is the iconic 46,45 metre-high bell tower. The bell tower is a smaller-scale copy of the San Marco Campanile in Venice. There are 146 steps that lead to the top of the bell tower that houses four bells (the oldest one is from the 15th century) and is capped with a pyramidal spire. At the top of the tower sits a weather vane in the form of the 3,6-metre-tall Archangel Michael.
Piran Bell Tower Review
Climbing the 146 steps of the Piran Bell Tower should be on every list of Piran things to do! Perched high above the Tartini Square, the bell tower lures visitors up from the town center, from where two main stone paved paths lead to it (it’s about 15-20 minutes walk). Already built at the top of a hill, the bell tower reaches almost 47 metres, with an additional three and a half metre-tall copper version of Archangel Michael gracing the top and informing residents of incoming weather, pointing north for good or south for fair.
After paying your admittance fee of €1, you can climb to the top of the bell tower on rickety, narrow (though there are passing places), uneven steps, which makes this even more of a fun adventure. The bells in the tower chime every 15 minutes, so either time your climb up and down so that you avoid the deafening sound or are there to enjoy the musical magic. The 360 degree views from the top of the tower down to the Tartini Square and the Adriatic are simply stunning. You can see all the way to Italy in the north and Croatia to the south. Up-close views of the bells can also be seen from the platform.
The bell tower is open daily from 10:00 to 20:00 in the summer.
Piran Bell Tower Pictures
View our image gallery with high-resolution photos that prove you absolutely have to visit the Bell Tower in Piran!
The Church of St. George’s freestanding bell tower stands above the town of Piran on a hill and overlooks the Adriatic sea. (Image by Isiwal / CC BY-SA 4.0)
The bell tower dates back to 1608 and can be climbed. (Image by János Korom Dr. / CC BY-SA 2.0)
After ascending 146 steps, you’ll be able to enjoy the best views in town. To the west past the church are the orange tiled roofs and the bright blue water of the Adriatic. To the south are Tartini Square and the small boat harbour. And, to the east are the ancient town walls. It is a photographer’s delight. (Image by Jacob Riglin, Beautiful Destinations / I Feel Slovenia)
Close view of the bell tower. Image by Clemens Vasters / CC BY 2.0
One big problem that has endangered the church and its bell tower from its very beginning was the worryingly unstable ground it was built on. This issue has concerned the authorities for a long time, and the foundations had to be fortified by newly constructed stone arches whose construction began in the 17th century, but wasn’t finished until the early 19th century. After Slovenia’s independence in 1991, further work on the church’s foundations prevented the church’s bell tower from becoming Slovenia’s equivalent of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. (Image by Richard Huber / CC BY-SA 3.0)
The bell tower is easily seen from Tartini Square. (Image by Dean Dubokovic / I Feel Slovenia)
Perched high above Tartini Square, the bell tower lures visitors up from the town center. (Image by Miran Kambic / I Feel Slovenia)
The statue of Giuseppe Tartini and the bell tower. Image by Richard Huber / CC BY-SA 3.0
Located atop a small hill, the bell tower dominates the townscape. (Image by Nikola Jurisic / I Feel Slovenia)
View of the bell tower from the harbour. (Image by Barbara Kozar / I Feel Slovenia)
Another view of the bell tower from the harbour in the evening. (Image by Alan Kosmac / I Feel Slovenia)
The town of Piran at sunset. (Image by Jost Gantar / I Feel Slovenia)
The church and the bell tower are lit up on the outside at night and you get an amazing view of them from the neighbouring Strunjan at night. (Image by Barbara Kozar / I Feel Slovenia)
Piran Bell Tower location on the map
Address: Adamiceva ulica 2, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
Latitude and Longitude Coordinates: 45.529651, 13.568271
GPS coordinates: 45° 31′ 46.7436” N 13° 34′ 5.7756” E
Region: Littoral
 The charming coastal town of Piran is a medieval jewel on the Adriatic coast, situated at the cape of the Piran peninsula on the northern side of Istria, with Italy on the horizon. Since being part of the Republic of Venice, Piran has a rich cultural heritage and the close Venetian influence is immediately apparent in its architecture with the narrow winding streets, houses huddled close together, rising in cascades, beautiful squares and churches and breathtaking sea views. |
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 Overall Rating:  10/10 (Must-See)The Tartini Square is a lovely square in the heart of the medieval walled Venetian town of Piran, the most famous town on Slovenia's 43-kilometre coast, which sits between Italy and Croatia. For a small town this is a wide open and quite large square. It's very Venetian in its white marble paving and surrounded by charming, Venetian buildings with wonderful architecture displayed. |
 Overall Rating:  09/10 (Must-See)The Church of St. George is the jewel on the crown of Piran. Originally built in the 12th century, its current structure dates from its expansion in the early 14th century, and its subsequent Baroque revamp in 1637. The church is beautifully decorated with frescos, marble altars and a large statue of St George slaying the dragon. |
 Overall Rating: 09/10 (Must-See)In front of the Church of St. George, built separate from it in 1608, is the iconic 46,45 metre-high bell tower. There are 146 steps that lead to the top of the bell tower that houses four bells and is capped with a pyramidal spire. At the top of the tower sits a weather vane in the form of the 3,6-metre-tall Archangel Michael. |
 Overall Rating: 09/10 (Must-See)Piran's Town Walls were built in various stages from the 7th to early 16th century and are one of the most famous attractions in the town. Originally the walls enclosed only the area west of the main Tartini square but between the years 1470 and 1534 expanded to include the entire peninsula. Sections of the wall and seven gates still stand throughout Piran, though the rest of it has been demolished. The walls themselves are great and quite impressive and you can climb to quite a height. The view however is the main reason to visit! |
 Overall Rating: 09/10 (Must-See)The Piran Shell And Snail Museum with its permanent exhibition the Magical World of Shells is one of the best and most interesting museums in Slovenia. It features more than 4,000 specimens of rare and unique mollusks from all around the world. You'll see some of the most unusual clams, sea urchins, crabs, sea stars, and much more, varying in sizes and shapes. |
 Overall Rating:  08/10 (Highly Recommended)Piran’s maritime history is exhibited at the superb Sergej Masera Maritime Museum. Named after a famous Slovenian sailor from Gorica, the museum offers information on Slovene naval history, the Adriatic Sea, sailing, fishing, salt-making and much more. The bulk of the museum collections is housed in the wonderful 19th-century Gabrielli Palace, right at the waterfront near Tartini Square in the historic centre of Piran, but quite a few of its collections are also presented elsewhere. |
 Overall Rating: 08/10 (Highly Recommended)If you are in Piran, try to take the time to visit this small, pleasant museum and make sure you attend the 3D movie to learn about the history of Piran. It will give you much more of an appreciation for this charming coastal town. |
 Overall Rating:  07/10 (Recommended)The Museum of Underwater Activities Piran is a small but very interesting museum that gives an excellent overview of the history of diving in the Adriatic Sea, exhibiting old deep-sea diving suits and helmets. Besides the collection of antique diving equipment, the museum also has several models of submarines and the uniforms of their crews on display. |
 Overall Rating: 07/10 (Recommended)The Piran Aquarium was founded in 1964 and is now the biggest aquarium in Slovenia with its collection of more than 120 species and 25 aquarium tanks. It showcases a good selection of fish and invertebrates living in the northern Adriatic Sea. |
 Overall Rating: 07/10 (Recommended)The First of May Square, previously known as the Old Square, was the centre of Piran until the 13th century. It is surrounded by mainly baroque-inspired architecture as well as a few restaurants. art galleries and a great little wine bar. In the centre of the square, on a raised platform, there are a few eye-catching statues and a stone rainwater cistern which was built in the second half of the 18th century after the region suffered a severe drought. |
 Overall Rating: 07/10 (Recommended)The Church of St Francis Assisi dates back to the beginning of the 14th century, but has been enlarged and renovated over the centuries. The present interior dates back to the 17th century and the exterior is from the 19th century. Attached to the church is a Franciscan monastery with a splendid atrium, the cloister, which is considered by many as the most beautiful in Slovenia. In the monastery's basement there is a superb collection of paintings by various Venetian artists. |
| The accommodation options in Piran can be divided into five main categories: hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, apartments and hostels. |
 The charming coastal town of Piran is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Slovenia, but being such a small town, there are not many hotels in Piran. Actually, there are only four of them. We've reviewed all of them so take a look and find out which one would best suit your needs, style and budget. |
 Piran guesthouses are definitely a good choice for a place to stay as they are comfortable and wallet-friendly with owners who take an interest in their guests. Some guesthouses also offer a breakfast buffet in the morning that has quite a few choices and is usually very good value for money. Find out which guesthouses in Piran we recommend and why. |
 Bed and breakfasts are a budget-friendly way of staying in Piran. In essence you get a room and usually also a private bathroom in someone's house, with breakfast included in the price. Take a look and find out which bed and breakfasts in Piran we recommend and why. |
 Apartments are a great option in Piran as they are cheaper than a hotel room but more spacious, well-equipped, and with a kitchen to save money on eating out. But be careful, the rates and quality vary seriously, so always do a good research before you book an apartment for your stay! Here you will find the apartments that we think are the best ones in Piran right now. |
 Hostels are the cheapest places to stay in Piran. Most spaces and amenities are shared, but even if you’re not up for the cheapest option - a bed in a dorm room - you can often get a basic private room for significantly less than the cost of a low-end hotel or privately rented room. Competition between Piran hostels has grown over the past five years and there are now some really good hostels in Piran. Find out which are the ones that we recommend and why! |