What You'll Find On This Page
- Travel Croatia Guide: 10 Things to Do in Pula, Croatia
- Pula Arena – the 6th Largest Roman Coliseum in the World
- Temple of Augustus
- Triumphal Arch of Sergius
- The Twin Gate
- Cathedral of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin
- Sample Croatian Wine
- Taste Istria’s Bounty of Incredible Foods
- Take a Walk Along the Waterfront and the old Roman Forum
- Take a Gourmet Tour or Cooking Class
- See the “Lighting Giants”
Travel Croatia Guide: 10 Things to Do in Pula, Croatia
Written by travel writer Laura Lynch
One of the main reasons people flock to Croatia is for the beautiful Adriatic and the dramatic coastline. While most tourists will head to Dubrovnik or inland toward Zagreb, the Istrian Peninsula has a lot to offer tourists looking to enjoy the incredible offerings of Croatia.
Historic Pula has one of the main airports on the Istrian peninsula, so it’s often used as a launching point for travelers looking to enjoy the peninsula, but few people take the time to explore Pula itself. As the largest city in Istria, Pula has a lot to offer tourists who want to get a feel for what Istria is really like – both historically and culturally. It’s also a great place to visit with kids. Here are some of the top things to do in the historical town of Pula.
Pula Arena – the 6th Largest Roman Coliseum in the World
There is a strong Roman influence in Pula’s history, evidenced by the largely intact Roman coliseum that dominates the center of the city. The arena is an assuming presence in Pula. You can see its stone walls from almost any point in the city. This three-level coliseum may be much smaller than the one in Rome, but it is no less impressive. The Arena was built in the 1st century AD and was used until the 5th century for gladiator fights. More than 26,000 spectators could fit inside the arena along the terraced seating. Below ground are a series of tunnels and rooms where the animals and gladiators awaited their fights. Although some of the structure was pilfered over the years, the exterior remains and is one of the most well preserved of the Roman amphitheaters that are still standing. Today, the Arena is used to host events and performances. You can take a tour of the coliseum and learn a bit about it in the attached museum.

What to do in Pula. Photo credit Bernd Thaller
Temple of Augustus
The Temple of Augustus was built in the 2nd century BC and was dedicated to Emperor Augustus and the goddess Roma. It’s been used for many different purposes throughout its long history – a temple, a church, and even a granary. During WWII, it was hit by a bomb that almost completely destroyed it, along with the other two buildings that were part of the complex, but it has been mostly restored to what it was like 2,000 years ago. One of the other structures, The Temple of Diana, is represented on by its back wall. You can take a quick tour of the interior for less than $2 (it’s a small space). The building currently houses some Roman stone and bronze sculptures.
Triumphal Arch of Sergius
Also built in the 1st century, the Triumphal Arch of Sergius is a monument erected to honor the members of the Sergii family who fought and died in a battle between Octavian’s Roman army and Mark Antony’s Egyptian-Roman army — a battle in which Octavian and the Sergiis were triumphant. The Arch leads into the old town center and has ornate decoration with fluted columns and chariots engraved along the top.

Things to Do in Pula – check out Arch Sergius
The Twin Gate
Not far from the Arena is one of the old city gates that was built in the 2nd century AD. It’s called the Twin Gate because there are actually two gates side by side. Rumor has it that the double gates were necessary to allow more townspeople into the city during gladiator fights and other major town events. The gates are very well preserved and open up to a central part of the old town where people still hang out. In fact, it can get pretty crowded during the day when tourists are enjoying the surrounding shops.
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin
Don’t expect to find an ornate interior at this church. It’s not like the intricate catholic cathedrals you find in Italy. Built by the Christians during their persecution, the church is quite minimalistic in design, but the architecture is impressive, nonetheless, and it’s worth a walk-by to check it out.
Sample Croatian Wine
While Croatia doesn’t produce a lot of wine — most of its production is kept in country — the quality of the wine often parallels that of neighboring Italy. Wine tourism is starting to catch on in Croatia, too. In Pula, there are a handful of opportunities to get a glimpse into the wine making tradition of Istria and to try some of the tasty wines that are being produced in the vineyards that fill the countryside, like the white varietal, Malvasia, and red varietal, Teran, that are unique to Croatia. You can take an organized wine tour with EatIstria or drive to the wineries yourself. Trapan winery is located just a few kilometers outside the city.
Editors note: If you love wine, be sure to add some of these great Croatian wineries to your vacation checklist.
Taste Istria’s Bounty of Incredible Foods
The food in Croatia has largely been influenced by its inhabitants over the centuries, imparting the flavors of Italy, Greece and French into the local cuisine. With its proximity to the sea, fresh fish and seafood are obvious specialties. You can find some of the freshest seafood in the restaurants that border the waterfront and that occupy the Verudela Peninsula to the south. For fish, squid and shellfish, visit Ribarska Koliba on the marina or splurge on a 5-course feast from one of the area’s best chefs at Konoba Batelina. Istria is also well known for white truffles and olive oil. You can find both specialties in almost any restaurant (as long as the truffles are in season). You can also buy truffle paste and olive oil to take home with you.
Take a Walk Along the Waterfront and the old Roman Forum
Pula isn’t a large city (there are only about 60,000 inhabitants), so it’s easy to walk around and enjoy the tranquil beauty. Take a stroll along the marina to see the boats bobbing along in the calm water, watch as the sun falls in brilliant color behind the horizon, or just soak up the sea air. It’s a great way to spend an hour or two in Pula. It can get pretty busy during high tourist season, but if you’re lucky to visit during a slower time, you may have the whole waterfront to yourself.
After a stroll along the waterfront, check out the town center that was once a Roman Forum. The piazza today is a pedestrian-only zone that contains plenty of cafes, restaurants and shops.
Take a Gourmet Tour or Cooking Class
I’m a firm believer that you can’t fully experience a culture without trying the food. A great way to learn about the food and try many different things you might not have known about otherwise is to take a food tour or cooking class. Every Wednesday, leaving from the Arena, there is an organized tour lasting about 2 hours that combines a little sightseeing with a traditional Istrian food and wine tasting. Tickets are sold at the Arena. If you’re not in town on Wednesday, you can still get in on the gourmet fun with a cooking class from EatIstria. You’ll have a chance to look around the food markets, buy local ingredients, learn to cook in the traditional style and then enjoy the fruits of your labor.
See the “Lighting Giants”
The Lighting Giants is a relatively new form of entertainment for Pula. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, though it reminds me of a Christmas lights display that used to take place in my neighborhood growing up. A world-famous lighting designer, Dean Skira, decided to create the lights display on the dozen or so industrial cranes along the waterfront in Pula. The more than 16,000 lights are hooked up to a remote control system and are illuminated in a dramatic sequence to music. The program changes frequently, and they have special displays around the holidays, so it never gets old. You can catch the lights display every hour starting at 9pm. It lasts for about 15 minutes.
These are just a few of the things there are to do in Pula. There are also numerous places to go and things to see just outside the city that will introduce you to more of the Istria peninsula. Have you been to Pula? What things to do in Pula will you add to your list?
Laura Lynch is the writer and creator of the travel blog, Savored Journeys. She caught the travel bug over 20 years ago and has been traveling the world ever since. She has an insatiable appetite for culinary travel and she tells of the food and wine adventures she and her husband Nick have had around the world on her blog and on Facebook and Pinterest.
Jon Dunn says
The old Napoleonic fort, on a hill in the middle of town contains an archaeological museum and is well worth a look – great views of the city from up there!
Also, as with all / most Croatian towns, Pula has a superb indoor market – unusual in that in addition to fresh fruit, veg and fish on the ground floor, there are cafés, bars and restaurants upstairs. Fresher produce you’ll be hard pressed to find!
Regular buses from Pula to Poreč, Rovinj and beyond.
Jenny says
I been in a lots of Croatian cities and Pola is my bestie for life. Besides all the things written above – the beaches of all kind ( from sand to sharp stones), the most beautiful sparkly blue watter ( Dalmatia can not compare), lots of festivals (if you yonger) , Tom Jones perfomans in Arena, the tunnels beneath the cities…. Just love it
Karen Cunningham says
Another great post, thank you. I will be staying in Rovinj for 4 nights in September and will have a car. Is it possible to do a day trip to Pula or is it too far?
SJ Begonja says
Glad you enjoyed it Karen. Your trip sounds amazing! Yes, you can go there for a day trip, it’s about 40kms away. Its an easy drive there, enjoy lunch, coffee and drive back for sunset in Rovinj. How to order coffee: https://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatia-travel-guide-coffee-in-croatia/
Brenda Kusan says
Been there for a day. Oh how I wished there was show at the Pula arena – 2Cellos maybe? Shopped a little. Requisite kava. Ate somewhere, there were so many choices.
Kathy Balenovic says
You have to visit Bruno Trapan at Wine station Trapan have fun!
Sharon Cheung says
Loved it great history and food
Roberta Schryver says
I’ve been and it’s a marvelous area to visit.
Goran says
Thank you Laura and SJ for mentioning my wine tours and cooking classes. Now to show my gratitude I would love you come to Pula and I promise you’ll be food&win pampered for a day!
SJ Begonja says
I’ll be sure to let you know when I get that way – its on my veeeerrrrry big list!
andrejm says
Maybe it is also good to go a bit further – to Kamenjak, where you can find really nice beaches.
SJ Begonja says
Ohhh I’ll keep that in mind, thanks Andrej 🙂
pragati says
Stunning photos! It is nice to know about the slightly less famous places. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Mary {The World Is A Book} says
These are such wonderful things to do and I really want to go to Pula now. I love the mix of history, architecture and food here. The Lighting Giants sound so interesting and I’d definitely want to go on a gourmet tour or cooking class.
Jessica Pepe says
Before I started reading this blog, I had no idea how many Roman historical sites were in Croatia. They look like they’re in fabulous condition, too!
SJ Begonja says
Yes, so many are – and sadly so many need protection. There are a bunch of them in Zadar that people SIT AND STAND ON! I always get sad when I see that.
Linda says
Wonderful post and lovely photos.
NZ Muse says
I definitely regret not taking a gourmet tour in some of the more foodie destinations we visited! Live and learn.
Lo @ Travel the Unbeaten Path says
I think my favorite would be the water front part… I love being in and around any body of water! great shots!!
Ariana Kajic says
Pula is on my list for September! I love anything to do with ancient history
Libbie says
I’ve been to Rovinj and loved it and I hope to go to Pula and return to Rovinj in 2016. I would love to spend weeks making may way be ferry from Rovinj or Pula to Dubrovnik. I can’t seem to find much information about that online. Perhaps you could tell us more about the ferries, what their season is, where to find the schedules. Love you blog.
Libbie
SJ Begonja says
Ferries are tricky as the schedules are not easy to find. You can find links to some here http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatia-travel-guide-resources/ but as things change a lot each year, the ferries for this year may not be available in 2016. Hope that helps.
Isabel says
So much yes to all of these! I loved Pula, the food, the people, the architecture, so worth the visit!!
Corinne says
Pula is so on my list! It’s easy to get there, but for some reason I just haven’t yet. Love this list of things to do.
Ruth says
The Arena and the other ruins look impressive. Incredible how many of these survive since Roman times. To me, the mix of history and food make this city a must visit.
Arnie says
I have probably said this before, but…. I know we need to visit Croatia, soon.