Pula
An amphitheatre that survived because it was too useful to dismantle
- When to go
- October 18° · 11 rainy days
- Per day
- ~35 · 66 · 74 €budget · mid · comfort, per person · checked 22 Sep 2026
- How many days
- 1–2days
- For you
- 6 questions →
- Nearest airport
- 6 km Pula · 69 km Rijeka
- Right now
Pula's Arena is the only surviving Roman amphitheatre with all four side towers and a complete outer wall, and that is no accident: stone was carted away from other ruins for centuries, while the Arena survived because it never stopped being used — as a fairground, a drill square, whatever was needed.
The city is Roman in a way few are: the Temple of Augustus on the forum, the Arch of the Sergii at the end of the main street, and First World War tunnels beneath the centre. All of it is within fifteen minutes' walk and fits into a day, including the Arena's underground galleries with their exhibition on oil and wine.
The second day is the sea. Kamenjak is the cape at Istria's southern tip, a protected park of coves reached by gravel track and bicycle. If you fly in, know that the airport is six kilometres from the centre in a straight line and the bus does not meet every flight — a taxi is often the only realistic option.
Guides for Pula
Shorter, practical pages for one concrete question each — how many days, how much money, where to sleep, where to escape the city.
Pula in 2 days
→The first day is all on foot around the Roman centre, the second drives or cycles to the cape at Istria's southern tip…
Day trips from Pula
→Brijuni wants a boat and a fixed slot, Kamenjak a car or bike, Rovinj runs by coach and has its own page.
Where to stay in Pula
→In Pula the choice is between the centre, everything walkable to the Arena, and Verudela or Medulin, closer to the sea…
What to eat in Pula
→A set menu covers most meals in Pula, and jota with Carniolan sausage at a konoba is a borderland dish, not an…
The best time to visit Pula
→Pula month by month in numbers — July is warmest, November and December share the wettest title, and May, June and…
What to see in Pula
The Arena
The only Roman amphitheatre left with all four towers and a complete outer wall. In summer it is also a concert hall, so check it isn't closed for a rehearsal.
€10 (€5 students) · booking: no (online purchase recommended)
The Temple of Augustus
A Roman temple on the forum, hit in the 1944 bombing and rebuilt from its original pieces. It stands where it always stood.
€2 · closed Nov–Mar (winter)
The Arch of the Sergii
A triumphal arch from the end of the first century BC, now at the end of the promenade. A plaque beside it remembers James Joyce, who briefly taught here.
free
Zerostrasse
The tunnel network under the centre, dug in the First World War as a shelter. Cold even in summer, which is half the reason to go in.
€7
Kamenjak
The cape at Istria's southern tip, a protected park of coves and gravel tracks with not one hotel. Go by bike or car, with water in the bag.
free on foot/by bike; €20/day by car (Jun–Sep), €10/day (May, part of Sep)
Brijuni
A national park on islands north of Pula, with a Roman villa and a safari park. Boats from Fažana, booked ahead.
€35 (Jan–May, Oct–Dec), €50 (Jun–Sep)
Two things you probably did not know
The Pula arena is the only Roman amphitheatre with all four side towers preserved. In 1583 the Venetians seriously planned to dismantle it and move it to Venice, but one senator argued the proposal down.
James Joyce lived in Pula in 1904 and 1905, teaching English to Austro-Hungarian officers. He hated the town, called it a naval Siberia, and left for Trieste after half a year.
Ready for Pula?
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