Page 63 - Pelc, Stanko, and Miha Koderman, eds., 2016. Regional development, sustainability, and marginalization. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
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torož 2016 conference of igu commission 61
Portorož (Italian: Portorose) is an urban coastal settlement in the
Municipality of Piran (Italian: Pirano). Its modern development be-
gan in the late 19th century with the appearance of the first health
resorts. In the early 20th century it became one of the most famous
seaside resorts in Europe, along with Opatija (Croatia) and Grado
(Italy). The history of the settlement is directly connected to that of
the neighbouring town of Piran. In the second half of the 19th cen-
tury, the leaders of the Piran municipality and local doctors decid-
ed to stimulate tourism in the region by offering health treatment
based on salt water and salina mud. The Austrian ministry of interi-
or affairs declared the settlement a health resort in 1897. In 1910 the
Hotel Palace was opened, and it was soon called »the most beauti-
ful hotel on the Adriatic coast«. The growth of the community was
halted by the First World War, in which the area came under Ital-
ian rule. In the whole interwar period, the settlement was slow-
ly regaining its former glory until the Second World War severely
crippled it again. The crisis lasted until 1968 when renovations and
new constructions under the new entity of Yugoslavia began to take
place along the whole region. In this time, they began to build the
settlement’s infrastructure, with the casino representing the bulk of
the investments. In the 1970, new hotel complexes were construct-
Portorož (Italian: Portorose) is an urban coastal settlement in the
Municipality of Piran (Italian: Pirano). Its modern development be-
gan in the late 19th century with the appearance of the first health
resorts. In the early 20th century it became one of the most famous
seaside resorts in Europe, along with Opatija (Croatia) and Grado
(Italy). The history of the settlement is directly connected to that of
the neighbouring town of Piran. In the second half of the 19th cen-
tury, the leaders of the Piran municipality and local doctors decid-
ed to stimulate tourism in the region by offering health treatment
based on salt water and salina mud. The Austrian ministry of interi-
or affairs declared the settlement a health resort in 1897. In 1910 the
Hotel Palace was opened, and it was soon called »the most beauti-
ful hotel on the Adriatic coast«. The growth of the community was
halted by the First World War, in which the area came under Ital-
ian rule. In the whole interwar period, the settlement was slow-
ly regaining its former glory until the Second World War severely
crippled it again. The crisis lasted until 1968 when renovations and
new constructions under the new entity of Yugoslavia began to take
place along the whole region. In this time, they began to build the
settlement’s infrastructure, with the casino representing the bulk of
the investments. In the 1970, new hotel complexes were construct-
