Introducing The Sergej Masera Maritime Museum In Piran
Piran’s maritime history is exhibited at the superb Sergej Masera Maritime Museum. Named after a famous Slovenian sailor from Gorica who was killed in the Second World War and later declared a national hero, 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.
Sergej Masera Maritime Museum Review
Located a short way from the Tartini Square in the heart of Piran and beautifully set on the harbour is this interesting museum dedicated to the maritime-related history of the north Adriatic. For a very modest fee you receive a tablet with multi lingual details because most of the boards are in Slovenian and Italian language only (on the first two floors labeling is in Slovenian and Italian, but on the top floor covering the Yugoslavian navy in the Second World War there is comprehensive labeling in English). The museum is housed in the 19th century Gabrielli Palace which is gorgeous and a great reason to visit this museum in itself.
The museum is spread over three floors with permanent and temporary exhibitions. It is a lovely museum with a lot of naval history and art. There are several ship prow figureheads of various designs and dates including animals and mythical creatures. There is one particularly interesting room with a glass floor and you have to put on over-slippers to walk over it. Beneath are remains of various artefacts including Roman amphorae. There are several chambers dedicated to ship building and wooden ship models (which are very detailed) and a very interesting section on the Austrian Hungarian navy. There is also a lot of naval artwork and some of it is really eye-catching although you have to step back to get a good perspective.
All in all, this is a thoroughly educational and enjoyable museum that covers a broad range of maritime topics, including archaeology, history, military and art. Well worth a visit for all those with an interest in the sea and/or boats. And the building itself is beautiful. Cost of admission is €3,5 for adults, €2,5 for students and seniors, €2,1 for children between the ages of 7 and 18, and free for 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 – 12:00 and 17:00 – 21:00, closed on Mondays;
January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October, November, December: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 – 17:00, closed on Mondays.
Piran Maritime Museum Pictures
View our image gallery with high-resolution photos that prove you absolutely have to visit the Maritime Museum in Piran!
The museum is housed in the wonderful Gabrielli Palace located on the inner harbour near the Tartini Square. (Image by Erik / CC BY 2.0)
On the ground floor there is one very interesting room with a glass floor and beneath are some fascinating artefacts recovered from the sea including Roman amphorae. (photo: pomorskimuzej.si)
A room with a permanent collection of Slovene mariners in the period from 1918 to 1945. Here some personal possessions are presented, particularly parts of clothing and documents, photographs, minor nautical devices and wooden ship models. (photo: pomorskimuzej.si)
The museum has plenty of exhibitions and collections of medals and uniforms which are very interesting.
The museum is housed in the 19th century Gabrielli Palace and its gorgeous interior is a great reason to visit this museum in itself. The are models of ships and many pieces of art.
There are several rooms dedicated to ship building and ship models which are quite detailed. Some of the ship models are so old that the sails look old and crinkly.
One of the oldest ship models kept in the museum is the battleship Kaiser Karl der Sechste (1770–1785) which was produced in the workshop of Gabriel Gruber. (Image by Zvonimir Lango / CC BY-SA 1.0)
The museum has some very interesting maps, including this map of the world made by Pietro Coppo (1469/70 – 1555/56), a very important Italian geographer and cartographer who wrote a description of the entire world as known in the 16th century.
There is a lot of naval artwork throughout the museum and some of it is quite good. (photo: pomorskimuzej.si)
Exterior of the museum from the southern side. (Image by Grega Pirc / CC BY 3.0)
The museum is housed in the Gabrielli palace by the harbour. In the background below the bell tower is Tartini Square. (Image by Isiwal / CC BY-SA 4.0)
The imposing classical Gabrielli Palace, built in the middle of the 19th century, stands on the south-east side of the inner harbour of Piran. (Image by Lordlazar98 / CC BY-SA 4.0)
The harbour and the Gabrielli Palace at night. (Image by Simonetta Di Zanutto / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Piran Maritime Museum location on the map
Address: Cankarjevo nabrezje 3, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
Latitude and Longitude Coordinates: 45.527586, 13.568087
GPS coordinates: 45° 31′ 39.3096” N 13° 34′ 5.1132” 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! |