Pula Attractions

The old town wraps round the Kaštel hill, and most of Roman Pula stands within it or at its edge: the Arena, the Forum with the Temple of Augustus, the Arch of the Sergii, the small theatre and the Dirce mosaic. The city was the Roman colony of Pietas Iulia and, much later, Austria's main naval base, so Venetian and Austro-Hungarian layers were added over it: the star fort on the hill, the ring of forts around the bay, the tunnels beneath and the shipyard cranes across the water.

The Archaeological Museum of Istria manages the Arena and shows exhibitions inside the Temple of Augustus, beneath the Arena and in a former nuns' church, while the Historical and Maritime Museum of Istria occupies the Kaštel and manages the Zerostrasse tunnels. The Arena is still a working venue for the Pula Film Festival, concerts and opera.

Beyond the city, the park's boats from Fažana cross to Brijuni National Park, which closes to individual visitors in January and February; Cape Kamenjak's protected coast begins at Premantura, and Medulin has a Roman villa laid out as an archaeological park on the Vižula headland.