Vodnjan

Understand

Pula was founded by Illyrians about 3000 years ago. Romans occupied Istria in 177 BC. After the destruction of the Western Roman Empire, the Istrian peninsula was devastated by Ostrogoths. Slavs came in Istria during migration period in 7th century but mostly lived in the countryside. At that time Pula was still inhabited mostly by Italians. Landlords in Pula changed quite frequently in the Middle Ages, from the Republic of Venice to Genoa to Illyrian Provinces and Austria–Hungary. After the Second World War, it became part of Yugoslavia. At that time, many Italians fled to Italy and Pula was settled by Croats. Although most of the population is Croatian, there are several large minority groups in Pula such as Serbs, Italians, Bosniaks and Slovenes. Most tourists visit in the summer months, with most attractions and restaurants closing between October and May.

Climate The climate of Pula is warm to hot during the summer months, and cool to cold during winter. Average temperatures during July, the hottest month range from 18° to 29°, while in January, the coldest month, temperatures range from an average low of 1° to 10° Spring and autumn are generally mild in comparison

Getting there

By plane 1 Pula Airport (PUY IATA). Pula has its own international airport with scheduled and charter flights. Some of them are seasonal (summer only). (updated Feb 2025) There is a scheduled bus service from the bus station in town to the airport. Buses are operated by Brioni and connect to most major flights. The cost of a one-way ticket is €3.50. A taxi from the bus station to the city should be around €11.50 in the low season and much higher in the summer. It is possible to also consider Rijeka Airport on the island of Krk and Trieste Airport in nearby Italy to access Pula as they are close by and offer flights to different destinations. Shuttle buses from the Pula bus station to Pula airport leave at 5-10 times a day. The cost is €6.

By land The large and modern bus station is on the edge of the 'old town' district and is the hub of local, domestic and international bus routes. There are direct buses from Zagreb, Rijeka, Split, Trieste, Ljubljana, Belgrade and Venice. Online timetables are listed at Brioni and Pula Info. Hitchhiking from Zagreb works very well. In Zagreb start from the petrol station after the "Billa" supermarket on the southside of the Sava river. In Rijeka ask people to drop you off at the little SOS stop after a pretty sharp right bend of the motor way around Rijeka.

By sea Hydrofoil services operate from the wharf both around the Croatian coastline, and across to Venice. These are pricey, though provide a quick journey and provide some great views. Venezia Lines ferry connects Pula with Venice. It runs five times a week, travel time is around 3 hr.

By rail 2 Pula railway station (Željeznički kolodvor Pula). (updated Oct 2021) The train station is near the waterfront with services serving Istria and into Slovenia due to historical circumstance rather than back towards the rest of Croatia (though a connecting coach service operates for services to Rijeka and Zagreb). There is a daily direct train to Ljubljana (taking 5 hours), an

Getting around

The historic town center is pedestrianized, and most of the tourist attractions are either inside or within a few blocks.

By taxi Taxi Cammeo offers taxi services for €2-3/5 km. Local, owner-operated taxis are more expensive.

By bus Most tourist destinations in Pula should be accessible by foot. Outside of Pula there are interesting destinations such as Fazana or Vodnjan. Buses in and around Pula are provided by Pulapromet. You can buy a day ticket for all three zones for €4 or individual rides in 1-3 zones. Tickets can be bought from a kiosk such as Tisak or iNovine (cheapest), the Pulapromet webshop, and one-way tickets can be bought directly from the driver (more expensive). There are three zones, but all of Pula is in zone 1.

By car Be aware that parking in the city center can be hard to come by and is rather expensive at €1/hr. Parking tickets generally cost €13.50 and the attendants make the rounds frequently.

See

1 Arena (Roman amphitheatre). The 6th largest surviving Roman amphitheatre. Towering over the nearby buildings, this huge structure was barely saved from destruction several times, mostly by various Venetians who intended to rebuild it in Venice stone-by-stone to demonstrate the might of the Venetian Empire. Many stones were taken to build houses and other structures around Pula, but fortunately this practice was stopped before the whole structure was destroyed. Entry gives you access to wander the inside and visit the caverns beneath. The audio tour is worthwhile, as there is little interpretive signage. €10 regular. (updated Sep 2024) 2 The Forum. The Forum is the main square in the centre of the city, built on the site of the ancient Roman forum. On the square there is a city hall built in the 10th century (parts of an old temple were used for the building as it can be seen on the rear side of the hall) and the Temple of Augustus, from the first century. 3 Archeological Museum of Istria, [email protected]. 4 Arch of the Sergii (Slavoluk Sergijevaca). Ancient Roman triumphal arch dated 29 BC. (updated Sep 2024) 5 Hercules Gate (Herkulova vrata). (updated Sep 2024) 6 Porta Gemina (Dvojna vrata). Roman city gate (updated Sep 2024) 7 Monastery and Church of St. Francis (Samostan i crkva sv. Franje u Puli). 14th century church and monastery (updated Sep 2024) Orthodox church, 6th century 8 Castle (Kaštel). A castle from the 17th century features Istrian history museum (updated Sep 2024) 9 Roman theatre (Malo rimsko kazalište). Little Roman theatre behind the Archaeology museum (updated Sep 2024) 10 Naval cemetery (Mornaričko groblje). Sailors' cemetery (1866), about 150,000 soldiers of Austro-Hungarian nations were buried there, and Mornarička crkva, Sailors' Church (updated Sep 2024) 11 Istrian Olive Oil Museum (Kuća istarskog maslinovog ulja). Exhibits on the history of Istrian olive oil and production methods. Ticket includes a tasting with a brief lesson, more

Do

Watch an event at the Arena. The Roman-era Arena regularly hosts concerts, sporting events, and even gladiator battles. Football: NK Istra play soccer in HNL, the top tier. Their Stadion Aldo Drosina (capacity 8900) is 1 km southeast of old town centre. Ride a boat to Brijuni from Fažana. These islands, famous for their scenic beauty, are a holiday resort and a Croatian National Park. They were also settled in Roman times and were part of Republic of Venice. There is also the famous residence of Josip Broz Tito (leader of former Yugoslavia). Boats go from small town near Pula named Fažana , a day trip costs a hefty €40, with a guided tour €50. Note that the island is huge and you'll need a method of transport, so the guided tour (on a "tourist train") is actually the cheapest option and it includes a guide, which is available in Croatian, English and German (