Venice & Dubrovnik Cruise - Koper Page

Friday 25th October 2013

Where, you might ask but it is just South of Trieste. The ship berthed very close to the Old City & we walked in, with a climb up steps to the Belvedere, part of the old fortifications. It used to be an island but land has been reclaimed round all sides except the North, where the ship berthed. There are lots of pictures below, as this is probably an unfamiliar place to most people & the photo to the right is from the top deck of the ship, showing just how close the port is to the city centre. We were soon in Tito Square, which has the Town Hall & Cathedral, very pretty.

From the Belvedere to Tito Trg (Square)

Tito Trg (Square) - the Town Hall

Tito Trg (Square)

The famous Bell Tower

Main Street - Celijatska Ulica

Side street

Side street

This is on a cross roads & we went through an arch in the Town Hall for one of them, that is the narrow, pedestriananised main shopping street, The Celijatska Ulica, going South. The side streets were full of interest, as the city has not been tarted up for tourists.

This drops to Preseren Trg (Square), where there is the Muja, a double gate out into the new town, which we avoided. It is a bit like Tallinn in this respect. There is a church just beside the bigger gate. We chatted to a Slovene woman who obviousy wanted to practise her English, which was not bad. She told us where the music school was but we never found it.

Preseren Trg (Square)	The double Muja gate, big & small	Inside the St. Basso church by the Muja gates
From outside theMuja gates	Through the big gate	A cute house off the beaten track

However, we did go back up by a non-touristy route (in fact, this is not a tourist city) to a square where we had coffee.

Another back street

Church in theTrg Brolo Square

Bell tower from the Trg Brolo

Then, to the St. Ana monastery which was supposed to have good wood carving, which we did not see, although the church was rather nice.

Santa Ana Cloisters

Inside St Ana

Inside St Ana

Using a back-alley route, the Bosadraga, we got back to the centre.

Typical houses on the Cankarjeva Ulica

Back alley Bosadraga by the St. Ana

The famous Baptistry

We examined the Carpaccio in the Cathedral of the Aussumption, which was also light & airy.

In the Cathedral of the Aussumption

The altar piece

The Carpaccio

Tourist taxi

Then, down the Kidriceva Ulica. We witnessed a ceremony which we did not understand but looked lefty. As it was serious, we did not feel like asking one of the local what was going on.

The ceremony

Down towards the Old Harbour

Jettied houses.

We carried on West, past a Seaman's Mission-type church to the Square by the Old Harbour, the Carpacciov Trg with (allegedly) Carpaccio's House. Then, round to the East to the cruise ship harbour.

The Seamans' Mission

Carpaccio's House (red, on the right)