Pula

Pula is just 15 minutes from the house — you’ll likely go several times during your stay. It’s a proper working city with supermarkets, pharmacies and everything you might need, but it also happens to have a 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre sitting in the middle of town, and layers of Roman, Venetian and Austro-Hungarian history around every corner.

The Arena

Start here. Built in the 1st century AD, it’s one of the six largest and best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world — the same league as the Colosseum, but you can walk right around it without fighting the crowds. It once held around 23,000 spectators for gladiator fights; today the underground chambers hold a small exhibition on ancient Istrian olive oil and wine, and in summer the whole arena becomes a concert venue and the home of the Pula Film Festival. If your dates line up with a show under the stars, don’t miss it — it’s unforgettable. Go early or late in the day for the best light and the fewest people.

Roman Pula

The old town wraps around a low hill, and the Roman city is still very much there:

Temple of Augustus — a beautifully preserved temple on the old Roman Forum (today the main square), built two thousand years ago.
Arch of the Sergii (Golden Gate) — a 1st-century-BC triumphal arch at the edge of the old town; the café-lined street behind it is lovely for a coffee.
Twin Gates & Hercules Gate — more surviving Roman gateways woven into the streets.

Beyond the Romans

Zerostrasse — a network of underground tunnels dug beneath the town in WWI to shelter the population. Cool, atmospheric, and a lifesaver on a hot afternoon.
The Kaštel — the star-shaped 17th-century Venetian fortress crowning the hill, with the Historical and Maritime Museum of Istria inside and the best panorama over the city and harbour.
Cathedral & market hall — the Cathedral of the Assumption by the waterfront, and the wonderful 1903 iron-and-glass market hall (Tržnica), still the best place to buy fresh fish, cheese and produce.
Lighting Giants — the towering old shipyard cranes, lit up in shifting colours at night. Best seen from the waterfront with a drink in hand.

With Kids

Beyond the Arena and the dinosaur-friendly coast nearby, the Aquarium Pula (inside a 19th-century Austro-Hungarian fort) and the boat trip to Brijuni National Park — islands, Roman ruins and a little safari park — both make an easy, happy day out.

My Restaurant Tips

(Small places change — a quick call to check hours never hurts, and a few are cash only.)

Batelina in nearby Banjole — the best seafood in the region, in the Michelin Guide. Book well ahead, cash only.

Jupiter — honest pizza just up from the Arena. Simple and good.

Ulika — try the Istrian tasting menu if you want to sample everything local in one sitting.

Beaches Near Pula

You’ll find better swimming closer to the house, but if you’re in town the Verudela peninsula has the pick of the city beaches: Ambrela (Blue Flag, family-friendly), the pretty little Hawaii beach (Havajsko) in a rocky cove, and Valkane with its seafront promenade.

Practical Stuff

This is where you’ll find the big supermarkets (Lidl, Kaufland, Plodine), the hospital, and the main bus station. The airport is here too, on our side of the city — a short drive away. For the old town, use one of the paid car parks near the waterfront rather than circling for a space, and explore on foot from there.