In the year 1990 the area of the Bay of Strunjan between Piran and Izola was protected as a natural reserve. It occupies 160 hectares of land area. The area of Strunjan Nature Reserve is part of Strunjan Landscape Park.
The area of Strunjan Nature Reserve is site of a great biodiversity and conservation interest, important also for the ecological stability of the entire Gulf of Trieste. The most significant feature of the natural reserve is up to 80 meters high cliff. It is a typical example of a flysch cliff with horizontal layer of sandstone, marl and turbidite and the gravel terrace along the shoreline. Due to intensive weathering, weather and sea activity, a great variety of different geomorfological phenomena can be found at the foot of the cliff. The Strunjan Nature Reserve offers a large variety of geological and geomorfological phenomena: microtectonic faults, rocks fallen from the thick layer of turbidite and scattered at the bottom of the cliff and numerous rock shelters, cut into the soft flysch rock by the sea's eroding power. Stjuža is the only lagoon on the Slovene coast. In former times it was an open bay, until the embankment was built between the sea and the bay more than 200 years ago. Today, the lagoon is connected with the sea only with a small channel. The name Stjuža originates from the Italian word chiusa – closed. The Stjuža lagoon and Strunjan saltpans constitute an exceptional interlacing of natural environments.
There are two areas that deserve particular attention: Zaliv sv. Križa (Bay of St. Cross), because of its seagrass meadow with noble pen shell and seahorses and the maritime par of Cape Ronek because of its exceptionally dense algal vegetation and typical Cystoseira associations.
Photos
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Strunjan
![Strunjan - Strunjan Landscape Park - Information boad Strunjan - Strunjan Landscape Park - Information boad]()
Strunjan Landscape Park - Information boad
![Strunjan - Strunjan Landscape Park - Map Strunjan - Strunjan Landscape Park - Map]()
Strunjan Landscape Park - Map
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Strunjan Landscape Park
![Strunjan - Parking area in Strunjan near Stjuza Strunjan - Parking area in Strunjan near Stjuza]()
Parking area in Strunjan near Stjuza
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Sunset in Strunjan
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Parking area in Strunjan
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Coast
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Sailing boats in the Piran direction
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Hotel Svoboda in Strunjan
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Promenade between Stjuza and the beach
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Road into Strunjan
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Promenade to the beach
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Restaurant Primorka
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Strunjan Saltworks along the channel into Stj...
![Strunjan - Beach (Bathing Area Talaso) <br> Beach in the direction of Strunjan Saltworks Strunjan - Beach (Bathing Area Talaso) <br> Beach in the direction of Strunjan Saltworks]()
Beach in the direction of Strunjan Saltworks
![Strunjan - Beach (Bathing Area Talaso) <br> Pier in Strunjan Strunjan - Beach (Bathing Area Talaso) <br> Pier in Strunjan]()
Pier in Strunjan
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Wooden bridge over the channel
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Boats in the channel
![Strunjan - Church of the Vision of St. Mary <br> Church of the Vision of St. Mary - Interior Strunjan - Church of the Vision of St. Mary <br> Church of the Vision of St. Mary - Interior]()
Church of the Vision of St. Mary - Interior
![Strunjan - Church of the Vision of St. Mary <br> Franciscan monastery in Strunjan Strunjan - Church of the Vision of St. Mary <br> Franciscan monastery in Strunjan]()
Franciscan monastery in Strunjan