About Pula

Pula sits at the southern tip of the Istrian peninsula, Croatia's largest city in the region and its main gateway by sea and air. It's a place where a working port city and a very well-preserved Roman town occupy the same streets, which is why so many visitors explore this coast by private gulet charter rather than just driving in and out.

History

Long before Rome arrived, the area was home to the Histri, an Illyrian tribe settled here by around the 10th century BC, with their tribal centre based inland at Nesactium. Rome absorbed the region in the 2nd century BC, and by 46-45 BC, under Julius Caesar, Pula was raised to the status of a Roman colony, formally named Colonia Pietas Iulia Pola. Under Augustus the city grew into a substantial port, reportedly reaching some 30,000 inhabitants at its peak. From the 12th century Pula came under Venetian control, remaining part of the Venetian Republic from 1150 to 1797, when Venice itself fell.

The next major shift came under Austria-Hungary, which turned Pula's large natural harbour into its main naval base and a major shipbuilding centre, a role that brought rapid growth and a mixed population of Italian, Croatian and German speakers; the 1910 census recorded close to 58,600 residents. After the empire's collapse in 1918, Pula and the whole of Istria passed to Italy. Following the Second World War the city became part of Yugoslavia in 1947, prompting the exodus of much of its Italian population, and since 1991 it has belonged to independent Croatia. Today it counts just over 52,000 people, most of them Croats, alongside smaller Italian, Serb and Bosniak communities.

Roman Heritage

The city's Roman core is centred on the Pula Arena, whose construction began under Augustus and was enlarged for gladiator contests under Vespasian before being completed under his son Titus around 81 AD. It ranks among the best-preserved amphitheatres anywhere, the only one to retain its entire outer circular wall intact; in antiquity it is thought to have held some 23,000 spectators, while today it seats around 7,000 for the concerts, opera and the summer Pula Film Festival held inside it.

A short walk away, the Temple of Augustus, built between 2 BC and AD 14 and dedicated to the emperor and the goddess Roma, and the Arch of the Sergii, raised around 29-27 BC to honour three members of the influential Sergii family, rank among the best-preserved Roman monuments anywhere outside Italy. The arch once formed part of the city's Golden Gate, demolished in 1829, and now stands alone at the entrance to the old town.

Brijuni Islands

From Pula, it's a short sail - about 8 nautical miles - to the Brijuni Islands, a national park of 14 islands protected since 1983. From 1953 the main island, Veliki Brijun, served as the summer residence of Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito, who hosted a long roster of visiting heads of state there; a 1956 meeting between Tito, India's Nehru and Egypt's Nasser produced the Brijuni Declaration, an early step toward the Non-Aligned Movement. Mooring today is tightly controlled: buoy permits go on sale a month ahead, and the limited slots reserved for charter boats fill up fast in peak season.

Marinas & the Coastline

Pula has two main marinas: ACI Marina Pula, a short walk from the Roman arena with around 200 berths on floating jetties, and Marina Veruda, a larger facility stretching about 1.5 kilometres with over 600 berths and Blue Flag certification for its environmental standards. A newer, smaller Marina Polesana has also opened in recent years. Beyond the old town, Pula's coastline mixes sandy and rocky beaches, with spots like Hawaii Beach among the more popular for swimming.