The seaside resort Portorož has reopened a section of the promenade connecting the main pier and the central beach. The municipality invested some €700,000 in the renovation that will help the resort restore the shine it lost through the years.

"We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that our pearl of tourism no longer has the alluring shine it deserves with its tradition of more than a hundred years," Piran Mayor Andrej Korenika said on 21 April, describing the problem as "too much concrete and not enough greenery".

Since the renovation started in December, 1350 m2 of the walkway has been renovated, using 10,250 paving stones from Istrian stone. The shoreline was protected with 135 large stone blocks.

Visitors will be able to refresh themselves at the drinking fountain and cool down using the new mist dispenser. Steps into the sea have been renovated and 33 new mooring rings installed.

There are new benches and lampposts along the path and more than 600 typical Mediterranean trees and bushes have been planted.

The municipality will continue to invest in the coastal promenade, with further renovation coming this year, said Korenika, whose ambitions include a beach between the seaside towns of Portorož and Lucija.