Pula, a beautiful city located in Croatia known for their stunning views and historical buildings. In May 2018 I spent 7 days exploring Pula, however, you can spend less time discovering this city. The Official Currency in Pula is Croatian Kuna but some places accept Euro. Access to cash points and money are widely available within Pula so you will not be strapped for accessing cash.

Accommodation

Park Plaza Verudela

We stayed at Park Plaza Verudela in an aparthotel. The hotel features two outdoor pools, tennis courts, and a seasonal outdoor pool. The hotel offers restaurants and cafes if you want easy access for a bite to eat (I recommend walking around the area or going into the centre for a nice meal), a supermarket, clothes shops and tour/ticket assistance are available on the premises. The hotel offers complimentary Wireless Internet access available in the rooms. We had a range of devices so there was no limit on the amount you can connect WIFI.

One of the best things about staying there was the free access to the “Handy” phone which is docked in all the hotel rooms. It is the ultimate travel companion when you are discovering a new country. Handy provided free internet access and calls while out and about. This device alone is enough reason to choose this hotel. Say goodbye to data roaming and phone call charges. The hotel was not in the centre of Pula, however, buses were regular and the Pula Hop on Hop off bus tour is located close to the area which was fantastic for getting around.

Things to do

Pula City Centre. If you come to Pula the centre is where you will find a range of different things to do. Check out the strips of shops and restaurants providing a range of different foods to try. When it comes to choosing somewhere to eat stay clear of people hassling you to go inside, the food should speak for itself. Look around the area for places to eat instead of jumping to the first place you see, it is likely you will find somewhere cheaper or a hidden gem if you take the time to look around.

Pula Market. Pula market is in the city centre. It is like any market, you can grab fruit, vegetables, meat and anything else for a cheap price. Make sure you check it out instead of shopping in supermarkets because I found the quality of foods were better. If you are in an apartment or have access to a kitchen and want to save money then the market is the best place to go.

Pula Market

 Hop On Hop Off Pula City Tour. The bus tour was a great way to become aware of the main attractions within Pula. The tour also offers an audio guide in various languages to understand the historical attractions. The tour is around 50 minutes and the ticket is valid for 24 hours. If you are not spending much time in Pula consider the bus tour as it gives the lowdown of the city. However, if you do not go you will not be missing out on too much as the city is quite small and a lot of the main attractions are in Pula centre.

Pula Hop On Hop Off Bus

Temple of Augustus. This attraction is situated around Pula Centre . The temple was dedicated to the first Roman emperor who was named as you guessed Augustus. It is the oldest preserved building found in Croatia so it is worth taking a look. For a fee you are able to take a look inside.

Temple of Augustus

Pula Arena. Pula Arena is in Pula centre and is a Roman amphitheatre known to be the only one to be entirely preserved so it is worth looking at even if you do not go inside. To go inside Pula Arena there is a cost (remember your student card for a discount). There is an exhibition you can visit for free and access audio guides. Pula Arena is a nice place to sit and soak in your surroundings, but you can take beautiful pictures outside of the arena if you are not keen to go inside.

Pula Arena

Aquarium Pula. Pula aquarium is in fort Verudela and contains over 200 species. We decided to take a visit due to its close location to the hotel.  However, I would not consider it a must-see attraction in Pula. If you are interested in sea life it is worth taking a look.

Aquarium Pula

Tips

• Black Travel Tip: Don’t forget your sunglasses! People will stare I am just being honest, if you have travelled to other European countries you may already be aware of this, Pula is not exempt. We met some lovely locals who told us people do stare as they are not used to seeing black people. I didn’t care I just wore my sunglasses and went about my business. Don’t be put off people were not malicious and I met lovely people.
• Take a shuttle bus. Save some coins, when getting to the airport there was a shuttle bus available or you can book a shuttle bus before you come to Pula it is cheap.
• Unfortunately, when it came to food I did not have a great experience. I would recommend researching the local delicacies.

In closing, I recommend taking a trip to Pula. The weather was A1 and so were the surroundings. You can enjoy all the city offers in two/three days so do not feel you have to spend a long time. For me taking a trip to Pula was to relax after finishing university (ayyy) therefore I did spend a lot of time relaxing.

Anybody been to Pula and have any requests of where to go and places to eat? Please comment below.

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