Introducing The Church Of St George In Piran
For centuries, the town of Piran was under Venetian rule. And nowhere is this fact more apparent than in the design of what is probably Piran’s most famous sights, the Church of St. George, also known as St. George’s Cathedral (Slovene: .
Originally built in the early 12th century, its current structure dates from its expansion in the 14th century. By the 16th century, the church got a completely new Renaissance appearance with decorations made by stonemason Bonfante Torre. The look was completely Venetian, in fact, the free-standing bell tower was designed as a small-scale replica of the just-completed St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. The new exterior also bore a Venetian imprint, having been based on the architectural designs of Andrea Palladio. The church’s frescoes were painted by some of the best Venetian masters. The reconstruction ended in 1637.
In 1660, a baptistry was built next to the church. It now holds several medieval sculptures, including a spectacular sculpture of Christ dating back to the beginning of the 14th century. In the 18th century, 3 stone altars and 2 sculptures were added to the church. Another addition was an elaborate organ made by Petar Nakic, a Franciscan monk from Dalmatia and a famous organ builder and designer.
Today, the Church of St. George is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historical monuments on the Slovenian coast. It also serves as a reminder of the historic bonds between Piran and Venice.
Church Of St George Review
While Piran and its surroundings has more than ten churches, the Church of St. George is the main one. Located atop a small hill just behind the Tartini Square, this 14th-century building dominates the townscape with its beautiful nearly 50-meter high free-standing bell tower.
From the centre of Piran, there are two main stone paved paths up the hill that join just below the church. It’s about 15-20 minutes walk. Entry to the church is via a small museum in the presbytery. The one-room museum contains a small display of around 20 religious artefacts, including relics such as a fragment of St Georges shin bone, and a scrap of the shawl of St Mary. Jesus mounted on an unusual representation of the cross – as the Tree of Life – can be found here. The museum describes in fascinating detail how experts painstakingly restored the piece to its original appearance.
You can also see the crypt with some very old walls, and the church itself which is highly decorated and has some elaborate carvings. The admission fee is €1,5 which is a fair price, even if you can see some of the interior of the church from the doorway, through the iron grille without paying.
For some, the best part of the visit are great views from the churchyard. From one side of the building you have an amazing view of the whole town of Piran. From the other side you can look up and down the coastline all the way to Trieste in Italy in the north and Croatia to the south.
The free-standing bell tower next door costs another €1 to ascend and offers even more breathtaking views. The stairway is rickety and wooden and very narrow, though there are passing places. It’s around 150 steps to the top.
There is also the sacristy in a separate building which is not open, but you can see the interior through the grille.
In summary, the church is unprepossessing from the outside (bar the wonderful location). But once inside, it’s a different world. The collection of parish gold and silver, including an amazing statuette of St. George and the dragon, a monstrance, and a reliquary bone from the leg of aforementioned saint, are all gorgeous. The medieval wooden carving of the ‘crucified of Piran’ is deeply moving. The church itself, lovingly restored, still serves as a place of worship, and is alive with the Spirit. We suppose most people come for the view from the hill or bell tower, but if you like churches, we don’t think you will regret paying the admission.
Opening hours:
The church’s doors are usually open and a metal grille allows you to see some of the richly ornate and newly restored interior, but full access is via the museum which includes the church’s treasury and catacombs. The museum is open from 10:00 to 16:00 every day, except on Tuesdays, when it’s closed. The admission fee is €1,5 for adults and €0,75 for children. The bell tower next door costs another €1 to ascend. It is open daily from 10:00 to 20:00.
The church is accessible also for those with walking problems or in wheelchairs, as the authorities made ramps next to the stairs leading to the church in 2015 (see the photo).
Church Of St George Pictures
View our image gallery with high-resolution photos that prove you absolutely have to visit the Church Of St George in Piran!
The Church of St. George is the jewel on the crown of Piran, one of the oldest, best preserved Slovenian towns with its rich cultural heritage, narrow streets and charming Venetian architecture. (Image by Isiwal / CC BY-SA 4.0)
The beautiful interior of the Church of St. George in Piran. (Image by Richard Huber / CC BY-SA 3.0)
The nave of the church. (Image by Zairon / CC BY-SA 4.0)
The high altar was made in 1737. (Image by Isiwal / CC BY-SA 4.0)
The ornate interior of the church is particularly stunning. (Image by János Korom Dr. / CC BY-SA 2.0)
The ceiling frescoes in the church are beautiful. (Image by Rude / CC BY-SA 3.0)
The eye-catching choir ceiling. (Image by Zairon / CC BY-SA 4.0)
Frescos and statues adorn the inside of the church. (Image by János Korom Dr. / CC BY-SA 2.0)
The octogonal baptistery beside the church of St. George was erected in 1650. A roman sarcophagus from the first half of the second century serves as baptismal font. The figure of Jesus on the crucifix was made around 1370. (Image by Isiwal / CC BY-SA 4.0)
The church with its 17th century renaissance front facade and its free-standing bell tower replica of St. Mark’s Campanile in Venice. (Image by János Korom Dr. / CC BY-SA 2.0)
The 17th century renaissance front façade of the church. (Image by Clemens Vasters / CC BY 2.0)
You can visit the church and its museum with the treasury and small crypt, but the most popular thing to do is climbing the bell tower. After ascending almost 150 steps, you’ll be able to enjoy the best views in town. (Image by Richard Huber / CC BY-SA 3.0)
From the outside, the Church of St. George is nothing special, but its setting is spectacular and its interior is stunning. (Image by János Korom Dr. / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Watching over the town, the church is visible from nearly every open space. (Image by Barbara Kozar / I Feel Slovenia)
Set high above Piran is this lovely church. It is more than just a church with an accompanying treasury, lapidarium and bell tower. (Image by Nikola Jurisic / I Feel Slovenia)
Located atop a small hill, this 14th-century church dominates the townscape. Its most striking feature is its beautiful bell tower. (Image by Nea Culpa d.o.o. / I Feel Slovenia)
This church is lit up on the outside at night and you get an amazing view of it from the neighbouring Strunjan at night. (Image by Barbara Kozar / I Feel Slovenia)
Church Of St George 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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! |