The tightly built and somewhat secluded village of Podpeč, situated on a steep slope beneath Karst Edge, hides many sights worth exploring. In the center of the village, a small square features a karst spring that provides an inexhaustible supply of refreshing water, particularly appreciated during the hot summer months. Below the village square, you’ll find the Pirkčeva House, which was once the stonemason’s workshop of masters Andrej and Benko from Sočerga, making it a village treasure.

The village’s biggest attraction is the beautifully preserved Venetian tower. The village is believed to have been named after the fortified tower, which stands below it and resembles a furnace when viewed from a distance. The round tower, standing four storeys high with a diameter of seven meters, is constructed from carved white stone with sandstone inlays. The tower stands 17 meters high with walls 1.5 meters thick. The entrance to the ground floor is 4 meters above the ground, accessible only via wooden platforms and ladders.
All four floors of the tower, except the top one, are equipped with arrowslits for defense, while the top floor features eight windows designed for observation and signaling. On the penultimate floor, the preserved fireplace niche and chimney suggest that the tower was occasionally inhabited or could accommodate a small crew for extended stays.

On the edge of the picturesque village of Črni Kal, on a rocky ledge above the valley of the Rižana River, lie the remains of an 11th-century fortress. Karst Edge, considered the natural border between the Mediterranean and the Slovenian mainland, offers breathtaking views and a rich historical heritage.

The fortress was built by the Istrian border count Ulrik I to control the important strategic routes between the Rijeka valley and the Karst plateau and to protect his possessions in Istria. Due to frequent marauding raids, an inaccessible camp was built under the fort, where the surrounding population kept their possessions. Although the fortress has been preserved as a ruin since the Uskok War in the 17th century, it remains an important historical monument​.

The Črni Kal Fortress is located on a 30-meter high, steep cliff, separated from Karst Edge by a four-meter wide and 30-meter deep chasm. A metal bridge leads to the fort, providing the sole access to this historic site today. Access was once possible only via a four-meter high drawbridge, which further secured the fortress.

The fortress offers stunning views of the Bay of Koper, the Črni Kal Viaduct and the surrounding villages. The climbing wall below the fortress is one of Slovenia’s most popular climbing locations, offering a range of climbing routes year-round. Several hiking trails lead past the fortress, offering opportunities to explore the natural beauty and rich history of the area.

Of the twelve former gates in the town wall, only the Porta della Muda, also known as Porta del Ponte Piccolo, has survived to the present day. There used to be a bridge in front of the gate , connecting Koper to the mainland when it was still an island. On the bridge, the Venetians built a fortress known as the Lion’s Castle (Castello Leone), which also served as a “mitnica”—a building for collecting transport taxes levied on goods entering or leaving the town. The castle was used for the defense of the town, rebuilt in 1620, and later demolished by the Austrian army in 1820. The preserved relief of the Lion of St. Mark, which once adorned the fortress, was relocated in 1924 to the Totto ex Gavardo Palace on Kidrič Street.

The name of the gate comes from the old Italian word for “mitnina” (a tax that had to be paid to enter the town). The gate mimics an ancient triumphal arch, and its form and symbolism reflect the distinctly Renaissance character of the period. The Muda Gate was built in 1516 by the podesta Sebastiano Contarini and is attributed to the master stonemason Marino de Vedelo. The remnant of the wall, which connects perpendicularly to the Muda Gate on the west side, also dates back to the 16th century and reveals the construction techniques and structure of the original fortifications.
The gate is also distinguished by numerous stonework details. The heraldic decoration of the gate features two lion heads on either side, symbolizing the Serenissima (Venice), and a relief of the sun. The reliefs are symbols of Venice and Koper.

You can also see remnants of the former walls by the gate, as well as an old washbasin on the side of the square. There is also a smaller auxiliary door, known as the “Posterla” or “Porta dei Soccorsi.” It was designed to relieve the pressure on the central gate when the protective function of the walls became less critical and traffic through the gate increased considerably.