SUMMER TRIP #4: PULA, Croatia

My visit to Plovdiv done, I came back to Sofia for one last night before to jump into a Ryan Air flight direction... CROATIA! Well... Not exactly. My flight arrived at the Italian airport of Treviso Airport, close to Venice. It was just a matter of taking a shuttle bus and catch a FlixBus... And 5 hours later, I arrived in Pula, at the tip of the Istrian peninsula.

Even if it's only the 7th most populated Croatian city, Pula has a lot of things to offer all kind of tourists.

Thanks to an history which spans milleniums, the town has seen the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Venitians, the Austrians etc etc. in control of it, that's why you'll find for example an incredibly well conservated Roman Amphitheater. One of the best I have seen without doubt.

More Roman remains can be seen in the city center, with a really nice Temple of August (below, on the left):

From the ruins of the Venitian fortress, you'll have an exceptional panorama on the harbour and the whole town:

Or onto the Roman Amphitheater too:

Thanks to its situation right on the Adriatic Sea, virtually in front of Venice, Pula has always been a busy port, and the huge cranes are not spoiling at all the panorama, they are an integral part of the view and of the charm and identity of the city itself, especially by night:

I actually already visited Croatia seven years ago, but very quickly. I could see only Zagreb but what I remember the most vividly was the street market other there and Pula has an impressive one also, where vegetable and fruits abound:

Last thing which will without doubt make Pula a top priority on your next holiday list, the closeness of the sea and of beaches. Just jump into a bus and here you go:

The sea is crystalline and totally clean, and it's not only me saying it, it's also all the little creatures coexisting with you on the shore:

However remember to bring good shoes and maybe a mattress because there is not ONE grain of sand around! These shores are made of pure rocks! Which ensures, at least, that the beach won't be swamped by people. So you can have all the privacy you want if you really look for it.

Last but not least, I was able to get a taste of my first Croatian beer, a pleasant discovery!

                                   

However, I'm not sure how I feel about those strange shots and their names ^^ I hope it's not too literal!

                                  

To be continued