Travel Destinations: Pula, Croatia

Located 292 km (182 miles) southwest f Zagreb, the town of Pula in Croatia is a wonderful destination to visit. With its natural beauty surrounding it, cultural attractions and beautiful architecture, it is no wonder many flock to her.

Pula became a Roman colony during the first century, just little over a century after the Romans defeated the nearby Histrian stronghold of Nesactium in 177 BCE. The Histrian king Epulon stabbed himself with a sword to avoid falling into the hands of the victors.

Over the long centuries, many of the Roman structure have been torn down. Indeed, some were carried off to Rome to be used there.

There are some wonderful attractions to visit in Pula. Why not start your trip with a visit to the Aquarium Pula. Located a few kilometres outside of the city, the Aquarium was built on the grounds of the Austro-Hungarian fortress. When the aquarium first opened in 2004, it was the first sea-turtle rescue centre in Croatia, which actually opened two years earlier.

The Aquarium has five rooms dedicated to creatures from the underwater world of the Adriatic. They even have a ‘touching pool’ where you can touch sea urchins, dogfish, crabs, turtles and sea squirts – wonderful if you have children on your trip, or even if you are just a big child yourself! You can also see examples of fishermens’ traditional equipment and some wonderful photos taken from underwater. There are also some children’s playgroups located on the terrace and for an additional fee, you can take a three hour boat ride where you can learn everything about oceanography.

As Pula was once a Roman colony, there are Roman ruins you can still visit. Take a trip to the Roman amphitheatre where you can see the location where up to 22,000 people would watch bloody gladiator games. This is the sixth largest Roman amphitheatre in the world and was completed during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. Gladiator sports were staged here until their ban in the fifth century. Underneath, you will find underground halls where a museum was established where you can learn all about the amphitheatre and what went on here.

If you are looking for more relaxing things to do, why not visit the City Cemetery. Although it may sound like a sombre thing to do, the cemetery is quite a peaceful area of Pula. It can be found just east of the amphitheatre, five minutes up a hill. The cemetery’s headstones are laid out in long rows, lined with beautiful cypress trees. The graves are adorned with photos of their dearly departed and you can get a real sense of who lives here. From the cemetery, you also have some wonderful views of an ancient fortress below.

Pula is a wonderful little town, full of cultural and interesting things to do and places to visit. When you come here, you can feel the beauty and the history she has to offer you.