We decided to visit Piran by bike as it was only 1.5km away, though we could have taken a bus. We took the more direct route that included riding up a steep hill (especially on the way back) in the heat of the midday sun! Needless to say, I got off at this point and pushed my bike. There is a coastal route but you have to cut through a hotel complex to get to it.

Piran was under Venetian control from 1283 until 1797 and the town's architecture owes much to the influence of Venice. The lovely main square is surrounded by elegant buildings and has a statue of Slovenia's famous violinist and composer, Giuseppe Tartini who was born in Piran.

We spent the afternoon wandering around the town, exploring the cobbled streets with tall buildings that thankfully kept the sun out. We climbed up to the top of the bell tower and were rewarded with fantastic views across the town, the sea and the surrounding countryside.

The next day we left the marina and anchored off Koper, Slovenia's oldest town and only commercial port. Not as picturesque as Piran from the bay but once ashore, we again found some great places. Once an island, Koper is a member of the European Association of Medieval Cities. The Praetorian Palace was the seat of the city council and has rich heraldic facade decorations. The Da Ponte Fountain is a reproduction of the Rialto Bridge in Venice, though much, much smaller and the Cathedral of Mary's Assumption dates back to the 12th century.

Our short stay in Slovenia has left us with some nice surprises and great memories and we hope to return in the future to explore its mountainous interior but Croatia is calling.