Pula Travel Guide: Is It Worth Visiting for a City Break?

The city of Pula is in the Istria region of Croatia, and we enjoyed visiting for a few weeks. Pula has many facets, including ancient sites, delicious local food, and a gorgeous coastline. We found plenty of activities to keep us interested throughout our stay.

Pula is a great city to visit and one of many in Croatia that we enjoyed. I found it to be tourist-friendly; as a result, it gets busy at times. The city kept me engaged for a few weeks; if you are short on time, you can see the key sites in a few days.

Is Pula in Croatia Worth Visiting?

We really enjoyed visiting Pula, as it had been on my Croatia bucket list for a long time. The main sights were wonderful, especially the arena where we got to see a gladiator event. The old town was a pleasant place to spend time and explore all the nooks and crannies. I found the coastal areas to be nice for a walk or a swim. The local food was also pretty special, especially the seafood. I can certainly see why it is one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country.

Pula Travel Guide

Some information about Pula that I think is helpful for your city break. I have also created some guides on practical aspects of visiting Croatia, including free ATMs, a laundry guide and Croatian cuisine.

Sightseeing in Pula

Top attractions include Pula Arena, a 1st-century Roman amphitheatre, the old town area and some Austrian hill forts. Within easy reach of the city centre, there are beaches and places to enjoy the Adriatic Sea.

The central areas were my favourite places to spend time, especially the old town area. I enjoyed seeing the blend of architecture, statues and town squares. The narrow streets here were good for shade, especially when out with the dog. A highlight for me was the Roman sites, including the arena, the Temple of Augustus and various other ruins. You can find various museums in the city, too.

The coastline to the south of the centre is pleasant for walks or beach fun. There are various beaches, from large public shingle beaches to rocky spots for accessing the water. One of my favourite coastal walks was from Valsaline towards the shopping mall. This had shade from trees along the path, good views and some nice places for a swim.

Travel To Pula

Getting to Pula can be straightforward without a dog. There are trains, buses, ferries and planes; thus, you can reach Pula from various European cities. The limited Croatian train service means that with a dog, you need to take the infrequent train from Divaca in Slovenia. You can find transportation information on the Omio website.

Getting Around Pula

Getting around is straightforward when not with the dog. They have a good bus system which crisscrosses Pula. We found that the timings on Google Maps were accurate. To use the buses, we paid the driver when alighting; you can pay in cash or by card. For those staying longer, there are various travel passes. You can find out about the local public transport on this website.

When on longer jaunts with the dog, we opted for Uber and Bolt taxis. When booking, we mentioned the dog so they could cancel if they don’t allow pets. Most drivers were fine with this as long as Henry sat on the floor.

Where to Stay?

There are various options for places to stay, including hostels, holiday homes and hotels. These range from exclusive resorts to some budget traveller-friendly stays. During our visit, we stayed in three different places, all of which were the cheapest dog-friendly apartments available.

Two of these were small apartments nearer the beaches in Vidikovac. I didn’t enjoy the area, as everything was a long walk away, including grocery shops and the beaches in Verudela. This was amplified by the fact that dogs were not allowed on buses without a carrier.

For our last place to stay, we chose a small apartment in the city centre. This suited my style, as it was near all the amenities and made our stay more enjoyable. If I were returning, I would stay in the old town or on the Verudela peninsula. You can find holiday accommodation on the Booking.com website, which has filters to help you find the right option for you.

Where To Dine Out

Throughout the centre, there are good choices of restaurants, most of which serve Istrian or Croatian cuisine. There are other types of cuisine available, including street food. The old town’s narrow streets are the area with the most choice, and they seem to get busy in the evenings.

My preferred area to dine out was the small restaurants near the food markets in Pula. These specialised in Adriatic seafood, and those I tried impressed me, especially Restaurant La Vita. We enjoyed the food at the small restaurants in Valsaline, where we stayed.

Café & Bar Culture

One thing I enjoy about Croatia is its bar and cafe culture. There are bars in most areas, which are often open from early morning until late at night. There are no restrictions on the time of day they serve beer and other alcoholic beverages. Despite that, I rarely noticed drunk people. Like in most cities I’ve visited in Croatia, cash is pretty essential when out for a drink.

Most cafes provide at-the-table service and have a range of drinks on their menu. I found some lovely bars with views in the old town, and cheap bars outside the popular areas. Beer prices range from 2 euros to 5 euros, depending on the location.

Food Shopping

We usually travel self-catering, so we got to know the local food shops quite well. In Pula, there are supermarket options; however, Studenac Market seems to dominate here. I find it more expensive than other supermarkets. Thus, I made the effort to visit Plodine, Konzum, and some smaller shops, such as Grga Grocery Store.

My favourite place to buy food to cook was the central markets. They sold everything, from local specialities and seafood to fresh vegetables.

Other Supplies

As Pula is big, they have small shops in the old town and larger shopping centres. To find something specific, the Max City mall seemed to be the best option. They have a fantastic range of shops for clothes, beach gear, and even a vape shop. For cosmetics, DM and Bipa are good, and there are various pharmacies nearby if you require them.

Is Pula Dog Friendly?

As with most of Croatia, we found pet-friendly aspects to Pula. Finding suitable accommodation was easy; however, most charged an extra daily cleaning fee, despite not cleaning daily. I wish they would follow Slovenia and have a set price per stay. Visiting cafes and bars was fine with Henry. He usually got a bowl of water before our drink order was taken.

Some attractions also allowed dogs, notably the amphitheatre and many beaches. The only complication is the local buses for dogs without carriers, and the coaches that connect the cities don’t allow dogs.