Pula, Croatia

Rolling Tsuchinoko

Aug 30

Pula, a small city on the Istrian Peninsula is a popular summer tourist resort. Its location on the Adriatic makes it ideal for a summer holiday. The main attraction is the Pula Arena, a roman amphitheater that was featured in the movie Gladiator. The arena is still being used. As a matter of fact, while I was in Pula, the arena was showing Gladiator on a massive screen in the evening.

Roman ruins are dotted around the city and the scars of history are evident everywhere. And why not? The city has been under the control of the Romans, the Ostrogoths, the Venetians, and even the Allied Forces during WW2. While the Pula Arena is the highlight, the Arch of the Sergii, dating back to 29 BC, and The Temple of Augusts, 26BC are other well-preserved remains that can be seen in the city.

Personally, I couldn't see myself spending more than a couple of days in the city, but it does seem like a very popular spot for families on vacation. Just up the road from Pula, is another popular family vacation spot, Rovinj. I swear there must be 10,000 restaurants in those two cities. You will never go hungry in Istria.

Narrow, cobblestone streets. These would foreshadow my trip to Rovinj

Fortress Kaštel, built by the Venetians in the 1600s

Before I landed in Croatia, I really thought I was going to someplace that was off the beaten path. I would be breaking new ground. That may have been true 20 years ago. Now some spots in Croatia remind me of tourist traps in Thailand, with prices to match. Prices must be at least 10% higher in Pula and Rovinj than in Zagreb. If I had to choose between the two places, I would spend more time in Rovinj rather than Pula. Not that there is anything wrong with Pula, I think Rovinj has a bit more to offer.