Situated near the base of the Istrian peninsula, the population of Pula is just over 62,000, making it the largest city in Istria. Its most famous attraction, the well preserved Roman amphitheatre, is one of the most famous sights in the whole of Croatia.

Getting to Pula
Pula has an international airport, with flights from the UK and other cities in Europe. See our Getting to Istria page for details.

You could also fly to Trieste and then get a bus to Pula, or fly to Venice and get either a bus or a catamaran across.

From Pula Airport to Pula downtown, you can pre-book a taxi or minibus (depending on the size of your group) with Holiday Taxis.

Alternatively, you can use the Brioni bus bus to travel from the airport to the main bus station in Pula.

History of Pula
Although the amphitheatre of course announces Pula's Roman origins, its history in fact stretches far, far beyond this period. Archeological findings in the area suggest that Pula's history stretches back 40,000 or even 1 million years BC!

Pula first rose to prominence in the 11th century BC when it became a major settlement for the Illyrian tribe, the Histri. After expansion by the Roman Empire into Istria in 177 BC, in 40 BC Pula became a Roman colony and grew especially during the years 27 BC to AD 14 under Emperor Caesar Augustus. During this time several important buildings were constructed (including the amphitheatre) and the town rose in strategic and economic significance for the Romans, and local trade was prominent.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Pula fell under the control of various groups, including the Eastern Goths for 45 years to 538 when it became part of the Byzantine Empire, until the Slavs began their colonisation in the early part of the 7th century.

As with the rest of Istria, Pula fell under the control of the Venetians in 1331 and at the time the town had both strong Slavic and Roman influences. In was under Venetian control that Pula unfortunately suffered from numerous plagues and attacks from other groups (the Habsburgs for one) and its population dwindled - by the 16th century, there were only 1,000 citizens (down from 5,000 in the previous century) and by 1631, only 300 people lived there.

Pula finally recovered in part during the 19th century when, as now part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was proclaimed the chief port of the Empire in 1853 and the population rose once more as industry grew and workers flocked to the town.

After World War I, Pula (and Istria) became part of Italy and the majority of Croatians suffered oppression during this time as their rights were not respected.

After World War II ended in 1945, Pula was administered by the United Nations and British and American units. It finally became part of Yugoslavia in 1947, and was then part of Croatia that declared independence in 1991.

It is likely that Pula originated even before the Roman era, with local findings showing the history of Pula going back more than 3,000 years. As well as being under Venetian rule, Pula also played an important role in the Habsburg Empire as it was proclaimed the chief port of the Empire in 1853, and had a large German and Italian population. In 1915 it was occupied by Italy and the rights of Croatian inhabitants were not respected. It was only in 1947 that it became a part of Croatia in Yugoslavia.

Sightseeing in Pula
The most famous sight in Pula - of course - is the Roman amphitheatre, which is called The Arena. Built during the 1st century AD and completed under the reign of Emperor Flavius, this amphitheatre is the sixth largest one in the world that still exists. The three-storey structure held 23,000 spectators in Roman times and today holds numerous concerts and events throughout the year.

The Triumphal Arch of the Sergii was built between 29 and 27 BC in honour of the Sergi family who fought on the side of Octavian, who later became Emperor Augustus, in the Battle of Actium in present-day Greece.

The Temple of Augustus (Augustov Hram in Croatian), was built between AD 2-14 in honour of Emperor Augustus stands at a site next to which there was also an accompanying Temple of Diana (of which only a very small part remains). The Temple now contains Roman sculpture.

The Forum, where the Temple of Augustus stands, was once the main square in Roman times, is still today a bustling piazza with many cafes.

The cathedral contains parts from various centuries, with its rear wall from the 4th century; its sanctuary from the following century; the internal part from the 15th century; and the bell tower from the 17th century.

Hercules Gate (Herkulova vrata in Croatian; also known as Porta Ercole) is the oldest standing Roman monument, dating from the 1st century BC.

Trivia
Author James Joyce stayed in Pula for five months from October 1904. He came to Pula to teach English to Austrian officers at the Berlitz language school. Despite calling Pula a "naval Siberia", he is thought to have written part of his first novel Stephern Hero there, was well as working on his classic A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. A bronze James Joyce now sits at Uliks (Ulysses) cafe in Pula.

Italian poet Dante Alighieri mentioned Pula in his Divina Commedia.

The Pula Film Festival is one of the oldest film festivals in Europe, and over the years has attracted such glamourous greats as Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Orson Welles.

Accommodation
See our special Accommodation in Pula page.

General Info
The area code is 052.

Pula Tourist Office is situated at Forum 3, tel: 052 219 197, fax 052 211 855, email: info@istria-pula.com.

For more on Pula, point your browser to the City of Pula website, or see the Tourism Office Pula.