The city of Koper

     Koper lies along the short Slovene coast, and is the largest coast town and the Slovene window on the word. Despite industrial growth, the town has preserved the old core untouched. It occupies an island closed to the shore which has been variously called Kozji otok (Goat's island), Justinian town and by Slovenes, Koper.
The town has been linked to the mainland since 1825. The later part of the town has an entirely different image, that of modern town with high density apartment blocks, contrasting with the typical coastal town appearance of the "island" part. There are clear Italian architectural influences, which is hardly surprising since Koper had an important position within the Venetian Republic.

     There are numerous architectural monuments in this part of the town - from the Rotunda, with its typical Romanesque exterior, to the Praetorian Palace in the central square which has its rich architectural history inscribed on the facade, supplemented with the town's coat of arms and busts of Koper's important citizens with epitaphs; from Almerigogna place, which is among the most magnificent Venetian Gothic places in Koper, to the Loggia, which has preserved the charm and character of its 15th century origin, and the cathedral (the Diocesan seat) with the sarcophagus of St. Nazarus and paintings by Vittorio Carpacci; from Belgramoni-Tocco place, which houses the regional, museum, to the Ponte fountain, which optioned its present from in 1666, but had been mentioned two centuries earlier.