Local Insight: Pula’s Arena is one of only six surviving Roman amphitheaters in the world with all four side towers intact. These 32-meter towers, built in the 1st century AD, have witnessed everything from gladiator combats to modern film festivals, making them silent guardians of 2,000 years of history.

Beneath Pula’s Arena lies a network of underground passages where gladiators and wild animals awaited their fate. Today, these mystical corridors host exhibitions of Roman artifacts, offering a hauntingly authentic glimpse into the amphitheater’s original purpose.

The Temple of Augustus, standing proudly on the Forum, was almost destroyed in WWII. A direct bomb hit left it in ruins, but it was meticulously rebuilt using original stones. A good guide points out these details, turning ancient stones into compelling stories of survival.

Pula’s history isn’t confined to its city walls. The surrounding Istrian countryside is dotted with medieval hilltop towns like Motovun, where you can walk ancient fortifications and taste the world’s most expensive mushrooms—truffles—foraged from the forests below.