1. Muda gate

The town gate, erected in 1516, was used by those visitors who came to the former island across the bridge at the Lion Castle or later along the embankment from the mainland.  The Renaissance style gate shows heraldic decoration.   In addition to the sun, the symbol of the town, there are also lion heads.  A smaller, auxiliary gate is located besides the main gate.

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2. Prešernov trg square

The square next to the most important town gate was once known as Da Ponte Square, probably named after the former podestà Lorenzo Da Ponte, after whom the fountain in the square is also named.  Perhaps its name was more influenced by the proximity and the importance of the bridge (ponte), which, together with the Muda Gate, connected the former island to the mainland.  Today, the square is named after the poet France Prešeren. 

3. Da Ponte fountain

The fountain, first mentioned as early as 1423, stands on the site of a former aqueduct, which fed water to the then island of Koper. The fountain got its present-day Baroque appearance in 1666, when it was rebuilt by the podestà Lorenzo Da Ponte.  The octagonal water pool with an arch, which represents the bridge, is additionally decorated with pyramids, coats of arms, stone faces, other motifs, and a fence.

Prešernov trg

4. Župančičeva ulica street

The street, named after the Slovenian poet Oton Župančič, is full of interesting palaces.

Here, before your eyes, are the Venetian-Gothic Filiputti House from the 15th century (house no. 17), a medieval residential building from the 14th century (no. 23), the Baroque Vida Vidacovich Palace from the 15th century (no. 28), the Venetian-Gothic  two-storey Pechiari Palace built in the 14th century, which later added Baroque style elements (nos. 35 and 35a), and a Baroque bourgeois house from the 18th century (no. 41).  Next to the stairs leading from Župančičeva ulica street to  Gortanov trg square is the Baroque Gerosa Palace (Gortanov trg 11 / Župančičeva ulica 20).

5. The Carli palace

The Baroque palace has a façade with a balcony and a semicircular portal.  The picturesque inner courtyard of the palace, decorated with frescoes, boasts the ring of a fountain from 1418.  The palace of Gothic origin belonged to the fraternity of St.  Clement.  In the 18th century, it was home to the Carli family, one of the oldest noble families in Koper.  Gian Rinaldo Carli, a count, encyclopaedist and enlightener, was born here in 1720 .  Today, the palace is the seat of the Self-governing Italian Community of the Coastal Region

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6. Čevljarska ulica street

Have a look at the interesting buildings. Here are the Biscontini – Minca House from the 16th century with a Renaissance portal (house no. 30), the Baroque Pellegrini de Favento Palace from the 17th century (no. 25), and a Neo-Gothic palace from the 19th century (no. 23).  Just opposite stands the De Franceschi Palace (house no 38).   A little further on there is an apartment building from the 18th century. It consists of a multi Gothic building units, connected by a small inner courtyard (no. 5).  You will find the Barbabianca Palace with a richly segmented façade in the dead end.  Before entering the main square, check out the Orlandini House with a Baroque portal ( no.3)  and the painted façade of the Galli House (no. 1), which is joined with the Praetorian Palace. 

7. Titov trg square

The square, considered one of the most beautiful town squares in the former Venetian territory, has been the centre of the town and a venue for decision making for centuries.  It is surround by the church from the 11th century, the tower, which was standing here already in the 12th century, a palace from the 13th century and several other palaces.  The square is the crossroads of paths and the centre of town life.

8. The Praetorian palace

The Praetorian Palace was built in the 13th century and got its present appearance in the middle of the 15th century.  The building is dominated by the late Gothic-Renaissance style and Venetian Gothic. The palace is decorated by an external staircase, an external balcony, a distinct façade, a statue of Lady Justice with her sword and the many decorative coats-of-arms with carvings from the history of Koper. Visitors from all over the world recommend visiting Koper’s most famous palace.  It boasts a certificate of excellence awarded by TripAdvisor.

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9. Koper Tourist-Information Centre

The TIC in the Praetorian Palace offers all the information about the sights and tourist offer of Koper and Istria, about excursions around the area, accommodation and events.  Here, you can also arrange a tour of the interior of the Praetorian Palace and other guided experiences 

Titov trg 3 T: 05 664 64 03

10. Loggia

Opposite the Praetorian Palace, the Gothic town hall Loggia has stood there since the 15th century. It is decorated with the statue of Virgin Mary with child, erected in memory of the devastating plague in 1554.  The Loggia Palace was intended for citizens’ debates, which were then considered by the town council.  In the middle of the 19th century, a café, which is known as the oldest in Slovenia, opened its doors on the ground floor.

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11. The Cathedral of The Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary

The cathedral church, also known as the Cathedral of St. Nazarius, is nowadays located on the spot where a Romanesque basilica stood during the classical era.    The current church was supposedly built in the 11th century and since then it has undergone numerous renovations.  The cathedral was expanded in the first half of the 18th century. Nowadays, it is famous for being one of the biggest churches in Slovenia.  Inside the church, you can admire the artworks by Vittore Carpaccio and the marble headstone of St. Nazarius – the patron saint of the town and the bishop of Koper from the 6th century.  Next to the church is the baptistery – the Rotunda of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which was supposedly built between the 10th and 12th centuries.

Titov trg

12. The bell tower

The bell tower or a tower with characteristic features of a Romanesque fortification architecture is said to have stood as early as the 12th century.  It was reconstructed in the 15th century, when the previously independent tower was joined to the church. It was given its present appearance in 1664.  The tower houses the bell of St. Nazarius and is considered the oldest working bell in Slovenia.  It was cast in Venice in 1333.  The large clock was constructed in 1463. The staircase of the tower, which was connected via an arched bridge to the palace of the vidames, was used to summon citizens and announce the declarations of podestas (representatives of municipal authorities).

Titov trg 3

13. The Belgramoni-Tacco palace

In addition to the collections of the Koper Regional museum located in this 17th century palace, you can also admire the museum garden, which was converted into a lapidary. A beautiful staircase leads from the atrium to the first floor with a large hall and two lounges.  The garden and the museum hall provide wonderful backdrops for events.

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14. Koper regional museum

The museum, which is located in the Belgramoni Tacco Palace, shows the town’s development from prehistoric times to the present in a permanent exhibition called The Heart of Koper. Selected works of art can be viewed in 3D by prior arrangement.  The museum’s Antique Lapidary offers a collection of Roman stone monuments. The museum also takes care of the ethnological collection, exhibited in the late Gothic house on Gramscijev trg square.

Kidričeva ulica 19, T: 041 55 66 44

15. The Museum of Tomos history

There is no house in Slovenian Istria where at least one product of the Tomos motorcycle factory would not find its place.  Legendary mopeds, popular especially among young people, and motorcycles that reaped sporting success are on display in an interesting collection of industrial heritage.  The history of the factory is also presented.

Kidričeva ulica 41, T: 041 753 232

16. Carpacciov trg square

The square, called Pristaniški trg or Piassal del porto by the locals, is named after Vittore Carpaccio (around 1465, Venice – 1525/26), a famous Venetian painter.  There is a house in the square where he spent his last years. In addition to the altar picture and organ wings in the Cathedral, he also painted two canvases, which are now in the Koper Regional Museum.  His painting ‘The Solemn Arrival of the Venetian Podestà Sebastiano Contarini in Koper’ is the first group portrait in Istria.

17. The pillar of St. Justina

The pillar from 1572 commemorates the important naval Battle of Lepanto, in which the Turks were defeated in 1571.  The Koper galley also took part in the battle.  The white limestone statue that completes the pillar bears the shield of the Gustinian family.  Andrea Gustinian was both the captain and the podestà who had the monument erected.  It originally stood on the pier of the town’s manderaggio, but was erected on the present-day site in 1935 .  At that time, a 15th-century fountain, brought from Venice, was also placed on the square.

Carpacciov trg

18. Taverna

The salt warehouse was built in the 17th century along the town walls and the old Koper manderaggio. It showed Koper’s economic supremacy over Istrian towns. Since Koper remained loyal to the Venetian doge after the first disputes with the Venetian Republic, it gained the right to a monopoly port of salt and the exclusive right to import salt to the mainland in the area between Gradež and Pula as early as 1182.  Nowadays, Taverna is a popular venue for various events.

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19. The Marketplace

At the entrance to the old town is the marketplace, which is not only a marketplace but also a place for socializing, discussion and entertainment.  There is a well, created by an Japanese artist Masayuki Nagase.  From here it is only a short way to Hlavaty Park, where the busts of six coastal revolutionaries and heroes face the sea.

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