Things to do & places to visit in Pula, Istria, Croatia

Pula is situated at the southern tip of the Istrian peninsula and is the area's largest city. Located beneath seven hills and with views of the Adriatic, Pula's unspoiled natural surroundings are magical. Known for its mild climate and tame, beautiful sea, Pula also has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing and shipbuilding. It is also home to many ancient Roman buildings, including the well-preserved, magnificent amphitheater.

Pula municipality in , Croatia. Timezone: Europe/Zagreb, current date and time: Friday, May 10, 2024, 19:30.

Pula Weather Statistics view more »

General weather summary in May

67°F - 58°F

Temperature Highs - Lows

Mildly cool with a gentle breeze

Feels like

30%

Chance of rain

123.0 millimeters

Amount

11.3 mph

Wind speed

67%

Humidity

14.8

Daylight length

5:37 AM

Sunrise

8:24 PM

Sunset

50%

Cloud cover

Sweater

What to wear

Top things to do (18)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Benazic Winery (182 reviews)
- Passionate family-run winery
Friday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Wineries & Vineyards

[WINE TASTINGS MONDAY TO SATURDAY AT 14:30 ] Booking is mandatory Benazic winery is a family owned business in the city of Pula. Placed just 2 kilometers away from the city center the winery offers you a taste of Istria by trying wines, brandys, cheese, olive oil and many other products. The family is proud to say that they are owners of numerous awards that are won trough the years of their work. See more..
5.0 AquaPark Pula (48 reviews)
- Kids loved this !
Friday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Water Parks

ABOUT US - AquaPark Pula by Wibit - this innovative modular water playground is located on the Verudela beach, located on the eastern side of the Punta Verudela peninsula, right next to the popular Park Plaza Verudela Resort. AquaPark is designed to be suitable for all ages, kids, teenagers and adults between the ages of 6 and 66, for all those who love unforgettable summer entertainment. See more..
5.0 Felsen Strand (23 reviews)
- Beautiful beach
Beaches

Pula has many beautiful and attractive beaches. Among them is this beach. The people of Pula call this small but sweet beach Galebove Stijene, it is very popular among the population. The water is crystal clear, its turquoise green color delights. On Galeb's rocks can enjoy swimming, diving, jumping from ten-meter rocks, in the view, and there is a lot of shade ... The beach is also known for several caves which are next to Galeb's rocks an attractive location for divers. Beautiful rocks and a pebble-rich beach that Mother Nature has made a little more special and worth exploring and enjoying is a favorite gathering place of many Pula residents. See more..
4.5 Amphitheatre de Pula (5.286 reviews) from $13.74
- No visit to Pula would be complete without coming here
Spent < 1 hour Ancient Ruins

The Arena in Pula is a 1st-century Roman amphitheatre. The arena is the 6th largest in the world. See more..
4.5 Museum Olei Histriae (194 reviews)
- Lovely little museum with amazing testing!
Friday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums

The House of Istrian Olive Oil located in the center of Pula tells the story of olive growing in Istria through history to the present day. Discover why Istrian olive oil was highly valued by the ancient Romans and how it was processed. Find out how olive oil is produced today and the secrets of creating an extra virgin olive oil of premium quality. Every visitor can enjoy an expert guided olive oil tasting and education, and find a large selection of top quality Istrian extra virgin olive oils, as well as a range of other Istrian products in the museum shop. See more..
4.5 Monastery and Church of St. Francis (143 reviews)
- Pula holiday
Religious Sites

We nearly walked past here, but so glad we didn't, we were the only people wandering around, it was very tranquil, it has a mosaic that is fairly complete and the church itself is very impressive See more..
4.5 Food & Wine station Trapan (123 reviews)
- Great wine tasting experience
Friday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Wineries & Vineyards

The southeast Istrian winery, only a few kilometers SE out of Pula, only 5 minutes from the motorway (Istrian Y). We offer a range of premium wines, which all come out of our 10ha of organically farmed vineyards. Wine tastings & food pairing and much more to be seen here. See more..
4.5 MEMO Museum Pula (83 reviews)
- Such a fun time
Spent < 1 hour Speciality Museums • Art Museums • Children's Museums • History Museums

An interactive museum dedicated to the everyday life of Pula from the 50's till the end of the 80's; presents the life and home of a typical family; a time machine which transports our visitors into an era of black and white TV, vinyl records and typewriters, evoking a sense of nostalgia in our older visitors and showing what everyday life looked like ''back in the day'' to our younger visitors. See more..
4.5 K.u.k. Marinefriedhof Pula (39 reviews)
- Beautiful and peacefull historical place
Cemeteries

The ones that like history, shouldn't miss this place. It is cemetery from Austro-Hungarian time and there are buried people from fist and second world war and also victims from naval accidents. See more..
4.5 Church of Our Lady of the Sea (Mornaricka crkva) (18 reviews)
- Me in Pula
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals

This is an amazing church with a monument of Mother Teresa and several religious pictures. Nice to visit. See more..
4.0 Temple Of Augustus (1.254 reviews)
- A well preserved Roman Temple that has watching over Pula for 2,000 years.
Religious Sites

An imposing Forum that benignly looks down on the locals & travelers as it has done for 2 millennia, yes built between 2 BC & 14 AD. Dedicated to the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, the Temple has a porch fronted by 6 Corinthian columns & stands 14 metres high. I also learnt that Pula was known as POLA back in these Rman times. See more..
4.0 Aquarium Pula (1.128 reviews)
- One of the things to do in Pula!
Friday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Aquariums

Welcome to Aquarium Pula, where in a unique way the richness of the Adriatic is combined with the centennial military history of Pula. The Aquarium is situated within the 130-year-old fort “Verudela”, once part of the powerful defence complex “Fortress Pula” built during the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy. The historical fort is nowadays inhabited by hundreds of fish species from the northern and the southern portions of the Adriatic and several tropical marine and fresh water species, as well as fish from Croatian lakes and rivers. Meet our inhabitants in rooms, hallways, tunnels and the moat of the once mighty fort and discover secrets of the aquatic environment! See more..
4.0 Arco dei Sergi (894 reviews)
- Stunning arch
Spent < 1 hour Architectural Buildings

I always fascinated by the way that this arch is been preserved is been there since 27BC. The building is impressive and colossal....I feel sad for some people that does not appreciate the magnificent of the building. Is free to see it, my advice take time to appreciate the architecture around the arch there are some nice cafes to seat ans enjoy the scenery See more..
4.0 Kastel (561 reviews)
- Great Pula view
Friday: 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM Historic Sites • Castles

In the 17th century in Pula, the famous French architect Antoine de Ville designed a new Venetian project - the Kaštel Fortress. Today there is the Historical and Maritime Museum of Istria. In front of the fortress you will be interested in a number of old cannons. The fortress offers a magnificent view of the city of Pula, including the Colosseum and the port. The outdoor areas are freely accessible, if you want to go inside, there is an entrance fee. In 2021 adults 20 kunas, children 10 kunas. More travel tips you can find on my blog hamiczech.tips (active link in my Profile) and on my Insta hamiczech. Travel influencers follow for follow. See more..
4.0 Floor mosaic The Punishment of Dirce (301 reviews)
- Just one of Many Underneath the Modern City
Points of Interest & Landmarks

There is an assumption that the modern city of Pula was built over the ancient Roman city formerly known as Pietas Julia; who knows what lies underneath the modern town. This mosaic that lies about six to eight feet down is all that remains of a Roman room from about two thousand years ago. The state of preservation is excellent. The mosaic depicts a geometric grid containing a series of rosettes and a single pictorial reserve featuring the Punishment of Dirce. The mosaic is sort of difficult to find. You follow Sergievaca Street from the Arch of the Sergii about half way down to the Temple of Augustus. On the left side of the street is a long and narrow women's clothing shop. You enter and pass through to the back where you will find a small terrace overlooking the mosaic. The mosaic is covered with a roof to protect it from the elements. Enjoy. See more..
4.0 The Town Hall (City Palace) (210 reviews)
- Its a lovely view and scenery
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings

Its a lovely place to visit during the day or the evening. You always enter this forum during the day and the evening as its the entrance to pretty much everything in Pula, if you want to go Harbour you can enter the Forum. If you want to visit shops and places of food and drinks you can enter the Forum. One really nice thing is that they do shows during the evenings, so one of the nights we managed to get a table for food in the centre and they were playing live music, so a massive crowd joined to watch it was a really nice touch to add as they lit up Augustus Temple. Overall its a nice place to visit, and you will end up visiting this place. Don't expect massive miracles but is lovely to keep walking through each day. See more..
4.0 Small Roman Theatre (106 reviews)
- Shame it's not being taken care off
Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins

This is a small version of the famous roman theatre in Pula. It's tucked away in between the side roads and one can see graffiti and broken glass all over this place. I think it's time that Pula wakes up and start taking care of these little gems before they're completely destroyed. See more..
4.0 Marina Veruda (71 reviews)
- Wonderful Marina Veruda
Marinas

We have kept our GBR Yacht Head’start at Marina Veruda since 2010. Always friendly helpful and efficient staff have carried out continuous improvements including providing an excellent Marinero service to assist with mooring, the provision of a beautiful swimming pool and numerous smaller but valuable improvements. The staff in Reception are delightful and welcoming. In fact we seldom walk through the marina without being greeted by a member of the office or wider marina staff. Security is good, boats are well cared for and there are a range of services available in the marina including launderette, cash points boat service and maintenance. It’s a real home from home. Thank you! See more..
4.0 Kotli (68 reviews)
- Wonderfull place
Waterfalls

Magical little place that is a must see. It is not very walking friendly, so you need good hiking shoes. Its pretty unaccesable and you need to watch your step so that you dont fall on the slippery stones and wound youself. There is no one around because the village is deserted - officially abandoned. The one restaurant there did not work while we were visiting. The roads to the village are pretty narrow and you should drive very carefully. Keeping this all in mind, its still a worthwhile place to visit. See more..
4.0 Chapel of St. Mary Formoza (42 reviews)
- Beautiful church
Churches & Cathedrals

This church is amazing. The only complaint we have is that we couldn't get inside to see the interior. Still, it was worth our time to stop by and snap a few pics. See more..
4.0 Church of St Anthony (37 reviews)
- Very modest
Churches & Cathedrals

Very modest church on the ouside and inside. There was almost no people inside. On the side there is a tiny garden with a beautiful statue. See more..
4.0 Ambrela Beach (32 reviews)
- Ideal for a few hours at the beach
Spent 2-3 hours Beaches

We went here twice during our one week trip. It's a very nice place and what was important to us we were able to find a shady spot. There are large pebbles on the beach but all the beach is clean. The water was crystal clear, it was nice to swim in it. Unfortunately the water block was closed on September 15th, no matter how many of us were at the beach. See more..
4.0 Nesactium (25 reviews)
- A hidden treasure
Points of Interest & Landmarks

The site is an archeological park with remains from the Roman period. It is surrounded by several belts of defensive walls, some of them are prehistoric and the earliest discovered urns and objects dates back from the 11th century BC. It is a hidden treasure, very interesting for history lovers and well worth the visit. See more..
4.0 Beach Valovine (16 reviews)
- Ready set dive
Beaches

It's an amazing experience if you are not afraid of diving! Crystal clear waters, sharp edges (shoes will help you a lot) and live "beach". Definitely go! See more..
3.5 Medulin Village (227 reviews)
- Too touristic, but a good base for exploring more of Istria
Historic Sites

I went to Medulin with my husband and teenage son in the beginning of August. At that time the streets and the beach are totally pact with tourist. The sandy beach turned out to be a disappointment. Mostly because of the water that was muddy and dirty. Shopping was not a pleasant activity as most of the sellers were to pushy and impolite. But Medulin can be a good base if you want to explore Istrias beautiful rocky beaches! Both we and our teenage son loved the spectacular beach at Kamenjak, where we could jump and dive from one of all the cliffs, as many meter above water as you could dare. In the evening we could choose from a large number of restaurants, and our favorite turned out to be Salt & Pepper at Sad 138. See more..
3.5 The Twin Gates of Pula (195 reviews)
- Nice ancient gate in Pula
Points of Interest & Landmarks

Porta Gemina is a double Roman city gate. It was built at the end of the 2nd century. It was one of the ten city gates of Pula, which stood on the north side of the capital. U can see here only the gate, nothing more, so take a picture and continue to Fortress Kastel. The whole article about Pula read on my blog hamiczech.tips, active link in my Profile. hamiczech - travel influencer, follow me for more tips, travel influ follow for follow See more..
3.5 Les galeries souterraines Zerostrasse (188 reviews)
- Interesting Attraction
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks

We visited as a family with teenagers. The lower tunnels were not quite as interesting as the Fort above. The construction of the lower tunnels was interesting but the displays are mainly given over to the history of the tram system which didn't hold our attention for long. The mezzanine level is very short but leads to the Fort above which had beautiful views over the city and the waterfront. It was good value and worth spending some time under and above the city. See more..
3.5 Pula Cathedral (155 reviews)
- Simple Romanesque church, but not quite a cathedral in its stature.
Spent 1-2 hours Churches & Cathedrals

Somewhat simple & unadorned & whilst well maintained is overshadowed by the abundance of older historic - & more prominent - buildings. Our visit was little more than a walk-by & grab a photo. My wish was to have been able to spend more time in Pula ... so much to see & learn. See more..
3.5 Gate of Hercules (138 reviews)
- Built by a woman
Architectural Buildings

I notice the reviews aren't great, but I enjoyed the history, and the fact it was built by a woman, who's name is carved at the top! See more..
3.5 Lighting Giants (99 reviews)
- Only 3 & 1/2 lit up but still a good sight if you are passing
Friday: 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM Points of Interest & Landmarks

Over our week in Pula we saw the giants in their evening glory a couple of times. They can be seen from quayside across the road at the back of the large church/cathedral close to the forum. Each time we only saw 3 cranes illuminated properly & a 4th dimly lit. They look for industrial monsters that could probably be described as ugly during the day when they are busy loading cargo. I wish Liverpool would adopt this idea, it would look spectacular across the Mersey See more..