Pula: the Roman amphitheatre on the Adriatic

The sixth-largest Roman amphitheater in the world, the one in Pula is one of the few to have preserved all four of its original lateral towers.

The center, with the Roman amphitheater overlooking the Adriatic, can be comfortably visited on foot.

Built in the first century AD, the Arena of Pula still hosts concerts and film festivals today among its stands, two thousand years older than modern audiences.

Walking towards the centre, one reaches the Temple of Augustus, dedicated to the emperor and the goddess Roma, among the best-preserved Roman temples in all of Croatia.

A few steps away, the Arch of the Sergii, erected shortly before the birth of Christ, celebrates three members of an important local family of the Roman era.

For those with more time, Cape Kamenjak, a nature reserve at the southern tip of the Istrian peninsula, offers cliffs and coves away from the city centre, popular among climbers and snorkelling enthusiasts.

The four towers of the Arena once served to stretch sails that shielded the public from the sun: few other Roman amphitheaters in the world have preserved this architectural detail through to the present day.

In the summer months, the Pula Arena still hosts performances under the stars: sitting on the same steps walked by thousands two thousand years ago remains an experience unlike any modern theater.