Koper

Koper, the oldest town in Slovenia, developed on a rocky island with the Roman name Capris. Out of the three Slovenian coast cities (Koper, Izola, Piran), Koper has experienced the most numerous layout modifications. The reasons for that also need to be sought in the changes of various reigns and states, all of which marked the city with their specific traits and names. Koper was called Capris in Roman times, in the times of the pope Gregory I (599) Insula Capraria (“goat island”), Iustinopolis under the Byzantine Empire (between mid 6th and 8th centuries) and Caput Histriae (‘head of Istria’) by the Aquileia Patriarchs. The Venetians rendered that name into the Italian form, Capodistria. The Slovenian equivalent of the name is Koper.

The longest reign over the city was that of the Venetian Republic (1279-1797), when Koper experienced economic (trade, salt production) and cultural prosperity (painting, music). The Venetian period is still echoed by the city architecture; despite numerous modern interventions, it has preserved its medieval character, with the city of Koper being a member of the European Association of Medieval Cities. In the Middle Ages, Koper was an island surrounded by walls and connected with the mainland with a wood bridge in the direction of Škocjan. It was protected by a mighty fortress – Lion Castle, and surrounded by vast saltpans. Koper’s importance began to diminish in the 18th century, when Trieste was proclaimed a free port, which ended with the downfall of the Venetian Republic.

By plane:

The nearest airport is in Trieste (TRS IATA - 64 km), with Pula (PUY IATA - 102 km), Ljubljana (LJU IATA - 124 km), and Venice airports (VCE IATA, TSF IATA - about 174 km) as options. A company named GoOpti provides a shared shuttle transfer from Venice and Ljubljana (and their airports) with dynamic pricing based on time of booking, typically between €25-50. The Trieste airport is not close to Trieste, but there are frequent train connections between them. Flixbus also provides scheduled service from Venice airport.

GoOpti. Shared airport shuttle service to Koper. (updated Feb 2019)

FlixBus. Scheduled bus services from some airports to Koper. (updated Feb 2019)

1 Trieste Airport (Trieste Friuli Venezia Giulia Airport). TRS - 64 km from Koper. (updated Feb 2019)

2 Pula Airport, ☏ +385 52 550 926. PUY - 102 km from Koper (with border checks). (updated Feb 2019)

3 Ljubljana Airport (Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport). LJU - 124 km from Koper. (updated Feb 2019)

4 Treviso Airport. TSF - 174 km from Koper. (updated Feb 2019)

5 Venice Airport (Venice Marco Polo Airport). VCE - 176 km from Koper. (updated Feb 2019)

By car:

Koper has easy highway connections from Ljubljana and Trieste.

There are no regular border immigration checks between Slovenia, Croatia and Italy, Croatia became a member of the Schengen agreement in January 2023.

Beware of the need for a Vinjeta (highway toll sticker) before driving on Slovenian highways! There is a fuel station immediately at the border where you can purchase one. Controllers are often stationed exactly after that station to issue heavy fines to violators.

Parking rules are enforced in the city, but some public lots are free on weekends and after-hours. If you get a traffic fine and do not have a European bank account to pay it, any Slovenian post office can make the money transfer for you for a very small fee.

By rideshare: