Ninety seconds on Da Ponte Fountain
Da Ponte Fountain is where you can see how Koper lived as an island: a stone bridge spans a basin that once held the town's drinking water, beside the Muda Gate, the last town gate still standing.
The fountain is an octagonal stone basin with a bridge-shaped superstructure across the top, and it was once the largest fountain in town. Fifteen pilasters stand around it, each carrying the coat of arms of a noble family. The name probably comes from Lorenzo Da Ponte, a former governor of the town.
When Koper was still an island, this basin held its drinking water, piped in from the mainland.
At the edge of the square stands the Muda Gate. Built in 1516, it was the entrance for anyone crossing the bridge from the mainland, and it is the only intact Renaissance gate in Slovenia. Its carvings include the sun, the symbol of Koper, with lion heads beside it.
Worth doing first: start under the Muda Gate and look for the sun and the lion heads carved on it. The gate opens onto Prešeren Square, where the fountain stands.
Cross to the fountain and walk once round the basin, reading the coats of arms on the pilasters as you go. The square is a good place for a photograph of the bridge over the basin, so take a moment to pick your angle before moving on.
From the square, Čevljarska, a narrow street of small cafés and shops, leads you on into the old town.
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