Things to see and do Izola

Small museum dedicated to fishing and the relationship between the town of Izola and the sea. The permanent exhibition has been thoroughly revised recently. We learn a lot of things and the proposed route is very coherent. We first enter a first room that shares with us scenes of daily life after World War II in Izola where the sea is already omnipresent. The box on the necessary use of Slovenian wood in the construction of Yugoslav ships is very well done. Upstairs, one room is devoted to the work and legacy of the Italian geographer Pietro Coppo, who was responsible for the first map of the Istrian peninsula in the early sixteenth century, as well as for a puzzling attempt to map the world as a whole. The other rooms focus on the development of a local Istrian identity: with the role of the fish cannery and the Delamaris company in the regional economy, but also with the introduction of the famous Parenzana railway circuit that opened a major trade route in Central Europe in the 19th century. Well-designed educational workshops line the entire route: making knots, simulating a fishing boat in which you can sit... This museum is worth a visit as it is very well documented and offers a very good starting point for discovering the maritime town of Izola, less famous than its neighbors.

There are a total of five beaches in the town, all free of charge, including one reserved for dogs and their owners. The central beach is the best equipped, with green spaces and a supervised swimming area in high season. Next door is the port beach, a pleasant place to walk along at any time of day. To the south is Simonov Zaliv beach, which is wilder with its small pebbles and crowded in summer. Finally, to the north of the town, you'll find the pretty but tiny Svetlinik beach, which is more rocky... For added comfort, a small mattress under your arm or in your bag won't go amiss.

The square boasts two interesting houses. The Manzioli house (1470) with its Venetian-style windows, and the birthplace of Lovisato (^16th century), a historical scientist who pioneered research into continental drift. Restored almost twenty years ago, the square is now home to the official Italian minority community. The town's oldest church, St. Mary's, dates back to the ^11th century, but is rivalled by St. Maur's in terms of tourist interest.

The first religious building was erected in 1356, on which, in 1547, a church was rebuilt several times over the centuries. Fortunately, the Renaissance design and Baroque modifications have been preserved. To see inside: beautiful 15th century paintings and 17th century frescoes. The Istrian stone belfry is over 30 m high. You have to climb its 99 steps to reach the best viewpoint of Izola. With this tower-belfry, which gives the Slovenian town its distinctive silhouette, the church is much visited.