Seaside Ankaran is a smaller and the only settlement in the same name municipality Ankaran. City lies on southern slope of Miljski peninsula, on the very beginning of Slovenian part of the Istrian coast. The city is not very far from the border with Italy. In times before WWI the settlement was only a small village, which started to develop after the war, mostly as an attractive tourist destination. Ankaran is a lively and well visited mostly in summer time by many tourists. Precisely for this reason two events take place in this time of year, called Ankaran night and Medieval market.

In the city Ankran world famous inventor of the ship’s propeller, Josef Ressel, is said to spend time here, since he lived in Trieste. By the narratives he had walked here and manually planted some oaks, which are today part of Ressel grove above the city. On the cape Debeli rtič used to work Military lazarte, what confirms today’s name Lazaret. It is located on the former border crossing between Slovenia and Italy.

Slovenian navy got in use its first combat vessel of the type Super Dvor MkII, on the August 1st 1996. The vessel was of Israeli design and was on Slovenian baptism in Izola named Hitra patruljna ladja Ankaran (en. Fast patrol vessel Ankaran). At the same time the vessel has it’s berth in Ankaran, here is also located the Military post of the Slovenian seafarers, as the seat of Slovenian navy – 430. navy division.

THE NAME OF THE CITY

According to the sources the part of Ankaran was already populated in Roman times. Some sources say, that it was called Ancaria, which comes from the theory, that the place got its name after an abbot of the monastery, St. Nicholas Ancaran. This is not in accordance with time course, as the monastery was erected in 11. century. That is 6. centuries after the fall of Western Roman empire. Other sources say that at that time it was called Ultra, which cannot be explained. On this name could indicate later name Valdoltra, Italians’ Valle d’Oltre. It is Italian valley from the other side of the border, which was later named Val d’Oltra.

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