Situated close to the southern tip of the Istrian Peninsula in Coatia, is Pula, the oldest city on the eastern Adriatic coast. In Roman times the large square of this historic centre contained a forum and has many buildings that reflect the city’s recent history, including the Renaissance Town Hall that was built in 1296 at the end of Constantinople rule.

Next to the Town Hall is the well-preserved Temple Of Augustus that dates back to 14 A.D. and was dedicated to the Roman Emperor.

Prior to Roman times, it was Greek historians who first mentioned Pula in connection with a city founded by the Argonauts.

Pula’s monumental Roman amphitheatre today ranks among the six largest of those that once belonged to the Roman Empire. The one hundred and five metre wide structure could accommodate twenty three thousand spectators. Numerous games and executions took place within it until 404 A.D. when gladiatorial battles were forbidden and the arena became a market place.

Pula is a city of Roman roots, Byzantine monuments, past Venetian rule and recent K. and K. memories: an intriguing blend of history!