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Heading west from Koper the road veers right soon after Izola onto a long, tapering peninsula that projects like a lizard's tail north into the Adriatic. PORTOROZ ("Port of Roses") appears almost without warning, a sprawling resort that by the end of the nineteenth century was already known for its mild climate and the health-inducing properties of its salty mud baths. Maladied middle-aged Austrians flocked here by the thousand to be smothered with murky balm dredged up from the nearby salt pans. Up went the Palace Hotel , in came the opportunists - and so began Portoroz, a town entirely devoted to the satisfaction of its visitors. After World War II, the transition from health to package resort wasn't hard to make, and it's now one of the most developed stretches of coast in all Istria, a vibrant strip of hotels and (largely concrete) beaches. Combining PortoroZ's modernity with the charm of Piran (a short bus ride or forty-minute walk away) is the key to enjoying this brash, consumption-oriented place. The very helpful tourist office is on the main coastal strip, Obala Marsala Tita, just down from the bus terminal (July & Aug 9am-1.30pm & 3-9.30pm; rest of year 10am-5pm; tel 05/674-0231, www.portoroz.si ). Private rooms (GBP5-10/$8-16/?9-18) are available from either Maona (tel 05/674-0363, www.maona.si ) or Maestral (tel 05/677-9280 , www.maestral.si ), both on Obala Marsala Tita. This is also the place to choose from any number of places to eat .
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