Day trip to Pula

Planning a day trip to Pula? Find out everything you need to know before your trip here.

Pula is located in the southernmost part of the Istrian peninsula and is just 40 minutes by car from Villa Verde Višnjan. The town is located directly by the sea and is known for its harbour, numerous beautiful beaches and ruins from the ancient Roman era.

Smartass facts: 

• With 56,540 inhabitants, Pula is the largest city in Istria
• The city has 16 districts covering an area of 70 km²
• The first settlement dates back to the 10th century B.C.
• Pula was conquered by the Romans in 177 BC
• The city of Pula is officially bilingual. Italian is the second official language.
• The religious majority are Catholics
• On 20 September 1876, Pula was connected to the Austrian Southern Railway (Vienna-Trieste) by the “Istrian State Railway” with a branch line.
• The Divača-Pula railway line is still the only railway connection between the harbour town and the outback.

To organise the perfect day trip, we have collected the best sights and activities in Pula for you.

The Pulska Arena in Pula is undoubtedly one of the greatest sights for a day trip to Pula. The Roman building is actually the sixth largest amphitheatre of antiquity and is one of the best preserved.

It was built around 81 AD and reaches a height of 32.45 metres towards the sea. At that time, the arena could seat up to 26,000 spectators, who were treated to gladiator fights, animal fights and probably also naumachia, i.e. naval battles.

The next sight is one of the ancient monuments and is also ideal for a short detour on a day trip to Pula.

The Arch of the Sergii is an ancient arch of honour that rises eight metres into the air. It was commissioned as a monument after the Battle of Actium around 30 BC. Originally, the arch stood in front of the porta Aurea, the city’s main gate, which was demolished in 1829, and is therefore only decorated on one side.

Antique continues with the Temple of Augustus, which can be found on Republic Square, also known as the Forum by the locals. The temple dates back to the 1st century AD and was dedicated to the Emperor Augustus and the goddess Roma.

The small interior is open to visitors and contains a few important archaeological finds, which are part of the collection of antiquities at the Archaeological Museum of Istria in Pula.

The fourth stop on our day trip to Pula: the fortress of Pula (Kaštel)

From the upper ring road, one of the vertical paths leads to the top of the town’s central hill, where a star-shaped castle with four bastions was built in 1630.

There was probably an earlier fortress from pre-Roman and Roman times on this site. The hill fortress was primarily built for defence purposes, while a small military garrison was stationed here in Roman times. Today, the castle houses the Historical Museum of Istria.

Our next stop on our day trip to Pula is the cathedral of Pula. Together with the Euphrasian Basilica, it is one of the two official seats of the Roman Catholic diocese of Poreč and Pula.

The church is located on the south side of the Bay of Pula at the foot of the hill of the 17th century Venetian fortress. The site of today’s church has been used for religious purposes since Roman antiquity. The first Christian churches on this site were built in the late 4th and early 5th centuries AD. They were extended and remodelled several times over the course of time.

If you wish, you can also spend the day visiting the Pula Aquarium. The aquarium is spectacularly located in Fort Verudela, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian defence system of the city of Pula and represents the pinnacle of 19th century European fortress architecture.

There is an exhibition on the Adriatic, the Mediterranean, the tropical sea areas, the tropical freshwater areas and the cold freshwater areas, as well as the northern sea.

However, it gets very busy here, especially in high season, and space within the walls of the fort is very limited. Prams have to be left (unattended) in the entrance area as there is simply not enough space. It can also be a little stuffy at times – depending on the number of visitors.

The journey to Pula beach involves a short 10-minute hike. A footpath makes the hike easier, but is by no means barrier-free. The beach is public and suitable for families.

The beach is shallow in some places and is therefore suitable for a relaxed entry into the sea. The brave can also take the shortcut over the steep rock faces.

We hope that the article has given you a good insight and that you were as enthusiastic as we were. Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know how you enjoyed the trip.