Overview
You will be very surprised when you tour Pula and see these substantial ruins and lovely town.
We visited Pula on our own. Now I find I missed the Zerostrasse and realize that we should have taken our guide with us! We learned our lesson. Regardless it was a wonderful day and the town is worth seeing.
Just a lovely 40 minutes outside of Rovinj is the town of Pula. An attractive city on its own, Pula has several reasons for your visit. It is not only the easy climate and its sheltering harbor that contribute to that visit but also it has a cluster of superb Roman ruins, including one of the world's best-preserved amphitheaters in Europe, set in the midst of an easy cosmopolitan area.
Archaeological findings show that Pula had already been established as a settlement long before the 1st century B.C. Once the Romans conquered this city, Pula grew rapidly and under the first Roman emperor, Augustus, it became an important regional center and temples, theatres, a forum, and an amphitheater were built.
You can easily walk into the midst of the monuments that date from the Roman period. It is amazing to see them sitting amongst modern day life. We will pass first through the Zerostrasse, a unique underground passage and arrive at the main square Forum. There, on the northern part once stood two twin temples and a central one dedicated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, but today you will see the Temple of Augustus which has been fully preserved. The Temple is dedicated to goddess Roma and Emperor Augustus and was constructed between the year 2 BC and AD 14 when the Emperor died.
By following ancient walls we will arrive at other monuments of great importance among which the most beautiful are the Triumphal Arch of the Sergi - Golden Gate erected between the years 29 and 27 BC by the Sergi family and the Gate of Hercules probably first that Romans built at mid-1st century BC when they arrived in Pula.
Our tour will visit the most famous and important monument, the symbol of Pula – Amphitheater, popularly called the Arena of Pula. The amphitheater was built in the 1st century AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian, at the same time as the magnificent Colosseum in Rome. The center was once the site of gladiator fights, that took place in the central flat area called the arena, while the spectators could sit on the stone tiers or stand in the gallery. It is believed
that the Amphitheater could seat about 20,000 spectators. In its underground passages, we will also have the opportunity to see a regular exhibition of viticulture and olive growing in Istria in ancient times.
The streets are dotted with cafes and shops. You will have some free time to explore them on your own. After finishing the sightseeing, you will return to Rovinj.
- Though there is some walking, this is an easy tour.
- Please dress comfortably.
- Admissions are not included in the tour cost.
- Food and beverages are not included in this tour.
- This is not suitable for wheelchairs or limited mobility.
- Zerostrasse is opened from 15th June to 15th September. If you arrive outside of those dates, you will move along the city streets to see the same sites.
Days offered: 7 days a week
Departures:- 09:00 AM, duration: 5 hours
