How to Spend 2 days in Pula, Croatia
Pula, Croatia is a gorgeous city on the Adriatic just across the Mediterranean from Italy that is still a relatively off the radar travel destination, especially for Americans. In September I took a Flixbus from Trieste, Italy to my first stop in Croatia.
Croatia is a destination full of amazing seafood, urban hubs, vast unexplored rural areas and thousands of miles of expansive coastline featuring crystal clear waters. It’s luxurious, yet completely affordable and easy to trek across even without a car due to a country-wide bus system that I came to rely on.
Here’s exactly how I managed to spend a month traveling down coastal Croatia while staying on a backpacker budget.
I. How I Got to Pula, Croatia
Pula was my first stop in Croatia as it was easiest for me to get to. I hopped on a 20 euro FlixBus from Trieste, Italy and crossed two different borders, first Slovenia and then Croatia.
Border crossing is a long experience when going by bus. Everyone on my charter had to de-board and show their passports. With the wait to get to the border, the entire experience took about an hour. RyanAir also flies into Pula which is an incredibly cheap flight option if you’d rather avoid border control by land.
*Note: borders within Schengen Europe require no border control as it is a visa free zone. Therefore, going between Italy and Slovenia was an easy passage much like going state to state in the USA.
II. Where I Stayed in Pula
I stayed in a backpacker’s hostel called Crazy House Hostel. It was only a five minute walk from both the old town and the bus station. As always, I booked using Hostelworld. The hostel’s map location isn’t quite correct, but the sign out front is huge and easy enough to locate. I stayed in the female dorm and the overall hostel was quite nice. It has three levels, an open air feel and the beds have privacy curtains which is always a welcome touch.
III. What I Did in Pula, Croatia
Pula itself was gorgeous. However, I found that aside from sightseeing, there wasn’t all too much to do. The Roman ruins are a major draw of the city and the food and wine is beyond cheap, but there’s a reason why Pula doesn’t draw hoards of tourists like other places. It’s stunning, but often I found myself sitting in a cafe asking myself “what next”?
I had expected to go to the beach but it turned out that it was far from town so I ended up doing a lot of walking around and getting lost in the little streets. I had an enjoyable time, but could have wished for a bit more to do.
That being said, I certainly wasn’t bored. Pula’s coveted attraction is the Roman ruins so I took myself on a personal walking tour.
A. Pula Walking tour
1.First stop was the amphitheater; the colosseum of Pula. Although it is similar in stature to Rome’s grand colosseum, the one in Pula isn’t quite as big. That certainly doesn’t denounce how grand it is.
Something unique about Pula’s amphitheater is that it is situated beside the port so I was able to snap some photos of the pillars with the turquoise sea and island of Pag in the background.
2. Some other sites I wandered across included the temple of Augustus;
3. & the triumphal arch of Sergius. Each made me feel for a moment as if I hadn’t even left Italy.
4. The open air market was another favorite stop of mine in Pula. It had a wide selection of olive oils infused with everything from truffle to lavender to spicy peppers. It also had a variety of Croatian wines, dried pastas, produce, fresh meat, fresh fish and an array of truffle and lavender products.
I ultimately settled on purchasing a black truffle that was preserved in oil. The salesperson told me that I would have to finish the truffle after opening the jar, but it would stay preserved for years. Sold!
IV. What I Ate in Pula, Croatia
The cuisine in Pula is some of my favorite that I encountered in all of Croatia. Istirans are famous for truffles and fish. I’m not a major fish eater, but truffles I absolutely love.
- Truffles: On my first day there I sat down in a little bistro and had a plate of bruschetta with marinated tomatoes and sliced truffle salami on top. Yum.
2. Wine: I was also able to order a fantastic glass of Croatian white wine that only set me out 7 kuna, or the equivalent of 1 euro. Needless to say I had a few glasses.
3. Pasta: Their signature pasta is a fuzil with truffle cream sauce which is an indulgence in itself.
There is something about going to a place that’s completely brand new to you that reignites your love for travel. Although I may never see Pula again and am perfectly content with this, Pula had this effect on me. I was excited to be in a brand new place that to me was completely foreign after spending months in Italy.
Overall, Pula is a fantastic way to kickstart your Croatian adventure. It is laidback and has some of the best sightseeing in Croatia. However, if you’re looking for solely a beach vacation you may want to head south towards Split or Dubrovnik. The main town of Pula is out of reach from beaches unless you take a car or bus.
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