Explore what the museums, galleries and other cultural facilities have to offer; take a sneak peek into the library and visit the theatre, castle ruins and what’s left of old farmhouses, or take a tour of the palaces in Koper. You will be left speechless.
The Regional museum of Koper (Pokrajinski muzej Koper)
This is the largest museum in Slovenian Istria with rich collections, from the prehistorical period to the glamour of the Venetian era and more recent history, and with a lovely ethnological collection located in the separate ethnological department on Gramsci Square in Koper (Gramscijev trg 4/5).
Take a walk through the Belgramoni Tacco palace (from the 17th century) where the museum also has its headquarters, and experience the splendour and the beauty of the Renaissance and Baroque eras in Koper.
In the main museum building, you will be able to see the archaeological collection, the art collection, the historical and cultural collection, as well as the modern history collection, while the museum gallery in the neighbouring building located at Kidričeva 23a hosts temporary exhibitions, organised by the museum or prepared in the framework of a guest exhibition.
The museum also offers a virtual experience: through special glasses, you will be able to see certain works of art in 3D. (These visits are held according to a predetermined schedule.) It is possible to visit it virtually also by visiting their web site.
The museum also offers a free application presenting the museum events.
Findings from both the prehistoric and the Roman era are displayed in the museum; its wonderful garden (lapidarium) and the museum hall (piano nobile) also provide wonderful backdrops for certain events.
The museum unit in Ilirska Bistrica and the permanent exhibition on display at Prem Castle also function under the auspices of the Regional Museum of Koper, as does the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (Kidričeva ulica 23a) where temporary exhibitions can be visited.
The “Srečko Vilhar” Central Library Koper (Osrednja knjižnica Srečka Vilharja Koper)
The “Srečko Vilhar” Central Library Koper is the central general library of the Municipality of Koper and the central regional library of the coastal and karstic region. Established in 1951, it is the largest public library in Slovenian Istria.
The headquarters of the library are located in the Bruti palace (Trg Brolo 1) in Koper; in addition to the administration of the library, the palace also hosts the Adult Readers department, the Department of Regional Studies and Book Heritage, the Regional Tasks Service and the Purchasing and Processing Department of Library Books.
The Department for Young Readers, the Department for Italian Studies and the Bookmobile are also active at various locations in the centre of the town; in its suburbs, you can visit the Markovec and Semedela units. The entire library fund consists of 300,000 units of library resources.
The Koper Theatre (Gledališče Koper)
The Koper Theatre was established in 2001 and is considered to be the second youngest professional theatre in Slovenia. Nevertheless, theatre life in Koper has a long-standing tradition; according to historical sources, a theatre was already established here during the Venetian Republic.
Nowadays, the theatre is located at Verdijeva ulica 3. In 2008, the interior of the theatre was completely renovated.
In the Slovenian cultural space, the Koper Theatre has a reputation of a theatre open to various approaches of different authors and directors. Its repertoire consists of both modern and classical productions, mostly comedies, marked by local, Mediterranean and dialectic characteristics; in addition, it also stages Slovenian plays for younger spectators.
The Koper School of Music (Glasbena šola Koper)
The Koper School of Music is located in the Baroque palace Gravisi-Barbabianca on Gallusova ulica in Koper; in addition, it also has two branch schools in Izola and Piran. Lessons in playing musical instruments and singing, and ballet lessons are held at different locations.
This music school with a tradition spanning 70 years also participates in as well as co-creating various projects.
Coastal Galleries (Obalne galerije)
The Galerija Meduza, Čevljarska ulica 34, Koper
The Galerija Loža, Titov trg 1, Koper
The Coastal Galleries of Piran are the central gallery institution in Slovenian Istria and one of the most renowned galleries in Slovenia. In Koper, the Galerija Meduza on Čevljarska ulica and the Galerija Loža on Titov trg are held under their auspices.
The “St Francis of Assisi” Ceremonial and Entertainment Hall (Protokolarno-prireditvena dvorana Sv. Frančiška Asiškega)
The “St Francis of Assisi” Ceremonial and Entertainment Hall, located on Martinčev trg in Koper, has a rich and interesting history. Built in 1268, it has undergone major changes. In the middle of the 18th century, it was renovated in the Baroque style and has not been used for church purposes since 1809. In 1968 and in 1969, it was transformed into a gym; until 1990, it was used by the Koper High School, and then, the building closed down.
With the help of European funds, the Municipality of Koper renovated the building, transforming it into a ceremonial and entertainment hall which has been used for its new purposes since 2014.
Various concerts, shows, and other ceremonial events regularly take place in the hall; upon numerous occasions, it has also provided a wonderful backdrop for civil marriage ceremonies.
