City guide

Pula

Roman arena by the Adriatic

Pula is Istria's biggest city and its most Roman: the Arena, one of the largest surviving amphitheatres in the world, still hosts concerts and film screenings 2,000 years after Vespasian built it. It's a working port and university town rather than a polished resort, which means real neighbourhood life alongside the ruins, plus quick access to Istria's olive oil, truffle and wine country and to rocky Adriatic swimming spots just south of the centre.