Jutting out into the sparkling Adriatic on a narrow peninsula, Piran is a jewel of Venetian architecture and Slovenia’s most enchanting coastal town. For over five centuries, Piran was part of the Republic of Venice, and its legacy is everywhere: in the elegant Gothic and Renaissance palazzi lining the waterfront, the tall, narrow townhouses with their signature red-tiled roofs and shuttered windows, and the gracious oval Tartini Square, named after the famous 18th-century violinist Giuseppe Tartini who was born here. The town’s intimate scale, just a few hundred meters from tip to tip, makes it perfect for wandering without a map, losing yourself in narrow alleys that open suddenly onto tiny hidden squares, stone archways framing glimpses of turquoise sea, and sun-drenched piazzas where locals linger over espresso. The Church of St. George crowns the hill above town, and climbing its freestanding bell tower rewards you with a panorama that stretches from the Slovenian coast to the Italian Alps on a clear day.

Piran’s atmospheric beauty is matched by its culinary pleasures. The fishing harbor still lands fresh catches daily, and the town’s restaurants serve some of the best seafood in the northern Adriatic, from grilled branzino and black squid risotto to salt-crusted sea bass prepared according to recipes that have not changed in generations. The Secovlje Salt Pans, just south of town, have been producing sea salt using medieval methods since the 14th century and can be explored on foot or by bicycle, with resident flamingos and other waterbirds adding splashes of color to the geometric saltwater pools.

Pro tip: Leave your car at the parking garage at the entrance to the peninsula, as the old town is entirely pedestrianized and navigating its narrow streets by car is practically impossible. Walk the medieval town walls at sunset for the most spectacular views, then settle in at one of the waterfront restaurants for a seafood dinner as the lights begin to twinkle across the bay.