Introducing The Mediadom Pyrhani Museum In Piran
Mediadom Pyrhani is a multimedia museum and a multipurpose venue located in the historic centre of Piran. The museum opened its doors in 2015 and is focused on Piran and its history presented via a variety of media, from 3-D film projections to interactive, motion sensing displays. It is fully equipped to host all sorts of events, from concerts, film screenings and theatre plays to round tables, lectures and workshops. The museum is managed by the Association of Cultural Societies Piran and also offers all the information concerning the upcoming events and cultural institutions of Piran.
The museum is geared towards all ages with interactive and multimedia features for the kids and detailed history for the adults. It offers visitors a 3D movie and two animated movies with short documentary footages which take you on a journey through 2,000 years of Piran’s history, explaining how this beautiful coastal town developed from its salt-making and fishing roots.
Piran’s cultural heritage and monuments, various archaeological discoveries and the town’s most famous personalities are presented by a variety of other media including touch screens, interactive, motion sensing screens, photographs, drawings, and texts (in five different languages, including English, German and Italian).
Piran was part of the Venetian republic for hundreds of years, so the museum also features interesting sketches about the history of the Venetian Republic. Additionally, the museum houses the original ‘pillar of shame’, previously standing in the centre of Piran but later replaced by a replica.
In the museum’s basement is a newly discovered underground corridor that is several centuries old and was presumably used as a crypt.
Mediadom Pyrhani Museum Review
Mediadom Pyrhani is conveniently located in the centre of Piran, only a short 2-minute walk up a tiny little traditional street behind the main Tartini square. It’s easy to find – you’ll see signs for the museum on the way up to the Church Of St George. Upon entering, you are given a quick personal introduction and explanation of how the museum works by the very friendly and very helpful and knowledgeable staff person on the desk. The interior of the museum is very modern and extremely well designed.
The touch screens around the main room are really excellent and easy to use and give you as much or as little information as you desire. The museum holds the original ‘pillar of shame’ which stood in Piran’s town centre and you’ll see your own face imposed on this ancient stone pillar.
There are steps down into part of the ancient underground tunnels linking the old church and monastery. A holographic monk will greet you in a display of the underground tunnels. On the top floor you are treated to a 3D cinematic experience showing you how the town of Piran came into existence out of its salt pans and fishing industries right up to the current day.
All in all, this sparkling new high tech display of Piran’s history deserves to be discovered by more visitors. 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. For only €5 you won’t regret it.
Cost of admission is €5 for adults, €3 for students and seniors, €2 for children between the ages of 7 and 18, and free for disabled and children under the age of 6. The museum is accessible also for those with walking problems or in wheelchairs.
Opening hours:
July and August: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 to 12:00 and 18:00 to 22:00, closed on Mondays;
May and June: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 to 12:00 and 16:00 to 19:00, closed on Mondays;
April and September: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:00, closed on Mondays;
January, February, March, October, November and December: Thursday to Sunday 10:00 to 16:00, closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Mediadom Pyrhani Museum Pictures
View our image gallery with high-resolution photos that prove you absolutely have to visit the Mediadom Pyrhani museum in Piran!
The ground floor of the museum.
Entrance to the newly discovered underground tunnels below the museum.
The tunnels below the museum were presumably used as a crypt for the church which used to stand on the location now occupied by the museum.
The room for events, conferences, lectures and screenings.
Another photo of the room for events, conferences, lectures and screenings.
Exterior of the museum and Piran’s bell tower in the background.
All photos by Ivica Cendak / mediadom-piran.si)
Mediadom Pyrhani Museum location on the map
Address: Kumarjeva ulica 3, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
Latitude and Longitude Coordinates: 45.528759, 13.569421
GPS coordinates: 45° 31′ 43.5324” N 13° 34′ 9.9156” 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! |